Hello, my name is George Franzen and I have the largest collection of coprolites. What is coprolite
Fossilized poop. This coprolite right here is named Precious. This is the largest true-to-form coprolite ever
discovered. Why I say true-to-form is because it still carries the original form from when it was made 20 million years ago
The maker made it, it had a soft landing in the muck and murk of some swamp
And became fossilized. Very few even get close to this size. That's why it's named Precious
This collection started when I was 18 in college. I was told to make a fossil collection for a paleontology class
I was taking. I came across to a coprolite and I thought it was the neatest thing in the whole world
And since then I've collected a little bit more and a little bit more a little bit more
18 years later when my house started becoming filled with fossilized feces, I thought
this might be something more than just a big collection. This might be the world's largest collection of coprolite
What got me interested in finding and collecting coprolites is the story they tell of prehistoric life and
ecosystems. No other fossils can tell you so much as coprolites can. Inside these coprolites
you can find inclusions which are bits and pieces of plants and animals and bones and scales
Sometimes teeth. Their shape can tell you about the animal that made it
Coprolites can be found all over the place. On beaches, in deserts, in mountains
even in rivers. In the southeast United States many of the coprolites are found in deep, dark
murky rivers filled with fish and alligators and other scary stuff. That can kill you. Kids love seeing the coprolites
The big question they always have is are they soft? Do they smell
Coprolites are hard as a rock. They've been mineralized and they don't smell
Coprolites can range in value from a few dollars to many thousands of dollars
Just a couple years ago a coprolite was sold at auction for
$10,000 in California. What makes a coprolite expensive or valuable is size
distinct impressions, ripples, the classic poo look. Anyone looking to beat a Guinness World Records title needs to have passion
Lots of passion for whatever they're doing. Minus coprolites, fossilized feces, couldn't be better. Whatever your passion is you should follow it