Literally, certain revelations are difficult to accept.
A peculiar and intriguing new piece to Denmark’s natural history has been discovered: a vomit fossil that dates back 66 million years.
Local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke discovered the fossil, officially known as Danekr DK-1295, at Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark. “Danekr” are Denmark’s unique natural gems. According to the University of Copenhagen and National History Museum Denmark, they must first be assessed by the Natural History Museum of Denmark’s national Danekr committee before being granted the designation.
According to Jesper Miln, the museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe, Bennicke made the discovery in November after spotting an odd assortment of sea lily parts imbedded in chalk.According to the museum, the clump comprised remnants of at least two kinds of sea lilies after being cleaned and examined by Dutch sea lily specialist John Jagt.
According to the museum, regurgitalites, or petrified vomit, are uncommon but crucial for researchers examining ancient ecosystems because they show what predators consumed and how food chains operated millions of years ago.
According to Miln, a predator from the Cretaceous period—possibly a fish—probably ate the sea lilies and then vomited out the pieces that were indigestible.
It’s a very unique discovery. According to a news release from the St. John Islands Museum, “sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet because they primarily consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts.”
During a special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe, visitors can view this unique remnant of prehistoric eating habits.