Ancient reptilian carnivores that resembled modern crocodiles were fearsome hunters, but their scaly armor and sharp teeth couldn’t protect them from parasites, scientists have discovered.

Fossilized poop, called coprolites, collected in Nong Yakong village, Chaiyaphum Province, Thailand. Coprolites are an important source for studying ancient parasites. Nonsrirach et al. under CC-BY ...

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Fossilised faeces of a crocodile-like predator living 200 million years ago reveal the animal was infected with multiple parasite species. Evidence of ancient parasites is notoriously hard to find in ...

Beware any rock that’s oblong and cylindrical, like a stubby stone finger. It might not be a rock. It could, very likely, be a coprolite. Yes, that’s another name for fossilized feces. And if you do ...

Cryptosporidiosis is a life-threatening condition in reptiles that is caused by parasites. The disease affects all types of cold-blooded animals, including snakes, tortoises, chameleons, geckos, and ...