In a rare and unusual discovery, fossilized vomit found in Denmark has been declared an object of exceptional natural historical value, thanks to the valuable information it provides about the ancient animal that regurgitated it. The find, discovered by Peter Bennicke at Stevns Klint, is a clump of sea lily pieces mixed with other indigestible materials.
Lily expert John Jagt, who cleaned and examined the specimen, found evidence of two different species of sea lilies being mixed together within the fossil. He believes that an animal likely vomited up these parts, making this type of find known as “regurgitalite.”
Regurgitalites are crucial in reconstructing ancient ecosystems because they offer insights into which animals were eaten by whom. The discovery is particularly significant due to its rarity and the fact that it provides new knowledge about predator-prey relationships and food chains during the Cretaceous period.
Experts estimate that the vomit likely came from a 66-million-year-old fish, which consumed the sea lilies and then expelled them. This unusual find sheds light on the ancient world’s food chain dynamics, providing valuable information for scientists to understand the past.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/amandakooser/2025/01/29/fossilized-fish-vomit-declared-national-treasure-in-denmark