Word for the day: Coprolite

I could be wrong, but for things that decay rapidly to fossilize. They have to be encased in some thing at just the right time. Mud, clay, sand, ash, or some thing that encapsulizes them. Then it takes a long time for them to mineralize or become fossils, them it takes a long time for them to be found.

In order to become a fossil, feces goes through Permineralization.

To paraphrase, Permineralization takes place when mineral filled water seeps into/through the microscopic pores and cavities in bone, wood, shell, plant material, etc. With the water depositing minerals in those spaces.
The minerals create stony fossils that still contain a fair deal of their original solid material. Any "dissolved" material, of the feces, will have been replaced by minerals.

Although the following (link) is more focused on petrified wood, etc., it explains Permineralization (the process that feces undergoes) fairly well.
http://petrifiedwoodmuseum.org/Permineralization.htm

The article uses the word "solution", somewhat frequently, but "solution" is, typically, mineral rich water.

Also keep in mind that feces, although coming out the "other end", still contains items, &/or traces of items, that have been ingested. Be it plant material, seeds, bone, etc., etc.

OK, so I've got a bucket of cow manure and want to set it up to become fossilized. How do I do that? And it would have to be in a manner such that an animal could do that naturally, not some artificially designed lab process.

Take the freshly pooped out manure and bury it under mineral rich fine sediment/mud.
Make sure it is a location where water can reach it (probably seeping through ground).
Prior to burial, test any moisture/water to ensure that it is not very acidic.
Then check back, in about 15 lifetimes, to see if it has turned to fossil.

Originally Posted by Pasodama

Take the freshly pooped out manure and bury it under mineral rich fine sediment/mud.
Prior to that, test any moisture/water to ensure that it is not very acidic.
Then check back, in about 15 lifetimes, to see if it has turned to fossil.

And a dinosaur was able to do that how exactly?

The dinosaur's excrement, that turned to fossil, probably got dropped at just the right place, by happenstance, and was soon covered up by natural means (mother nature).
Not all excrement becomes fossilized. It takes the right place with the necessary conditions.

Correction:
Time to check back would be in about 150 lifetimes.

Originally Posted by Pasodama

The dinosaur's excrement, that turned to fossil, probably got dropped at just the right place, by happenstance, and was soon covered up by natural means (mother nature).
Not all excrement becomes fossilized. It takes the right place with the necessary conditions.

And that is my question. What sort of "natural means" can do that?

If i wanted to start some fossils today that will be ready in 150 lifetimes, what would I need to do?

Seriously? It only takes 11,000 years for fossils to form?

That is why Fossils are rare, making them of some value. It isn't easy.

I got my coprolite for a $1 a piece. I thought it would be funny to say to my friend i got you a piece of poop.