Dinosaur poop, specifically.
ThePoozeumis full of dump . And not because it ’s another one of thoseimmersive experiencesor quasi - museums . The newest attraction in Williams , Arizona is a totally licit showcase of the largest aggregation of fossilise dinosaur dirt in the world .
" A lot of it is from dinosaur , but not all of it , " founder and conservator George Frandsen point out . " It ’s anything from dinosaurs and crocodiles to fish and bugs — even termites . The collecting is from all over the worldly concern . "
You ’ll see thousands of coprolite — the scientific term for muck that ’s been fossilized over millions of days , take in minerals from the surrounding deposit that finally supercede molecules of the poop itself while allowing the ancient BM to retain its key signature shape — but the most prized objet d’art is " Barnum , " certified by Guinness World Records as the largest discovered coprolite .
Photo courtesy of The Poozeum
So how do we bonk this is preserve dino dookie and not leftover mud ?
" It was examine , " Frandsen enounce . " I used x - light beam fluorescence on it , which tells you the mineral makeup of an object . So this occur back full of phosphorus and calcium , which does n’t really occur by nature and pointed to it being fossilized dinosaur poop . "
Barnum is nearly 27 inches retentive and , just like two other discovered Tyrannosaurus Rex coprolites , is six column inch wide . " So that leads us to conceive the T - Rex had a butthole that was , if you require to be prescribed about it , about six inches , " Frandsen say .
These poop specimens can also learn us about the creature ' dieting , physiology , and environment . Frandsen realize the provocative and funny nature of his national issue , but also see it as a vehicle for education .
The legacy of the Poozeum dates back to when Frandsen was a paleontology educatee at the College of Eastern Utah in the nineties . He bought his first coprolite at a Moab shop for 20 bucks ( " a lot of money " at the time ) and was straight off hooked . That one piece twist into thousand and his spring up collection coincided with the growth of the cyberspace and the ability to cross oddness down on web site like eBay .
The Poozeum name was first used as an on-line resource for other collectors . finally , it became a pop up - up jaunt exposition that toured museum and science plaza around the country , promote by the notoriety of Guinness naming the collection the largest of its form in the world .
Photo by Rob Kachelriess
The Poozeum was continuously a side gig for Frandsen , who had a corporal chore in the health care industriousness . Now , he ’s full focus his zip on a brick and howitzer version of the Poozeum , built within a historical situation that was originally a " Whiskey Alley " saloon and dosshouse more than a hundred year ago .
graze the exhibits and you ’ll see " Precious " ( a unusually large on-key - to - form coprolite with " a nice crook to it " ) , " Betty Crocker " ( a 52 - million - year - old crocodile dodo that control fossilized poop from an undigested fish ) , coprolites with shark teeth attached , and the only vertebrate fogey known to have feces in this mouth .
The Poozeum even has fossilize fart , preserved when bugs were trapped in Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree rosin and kick out natural gas while dying .
Photo by Rob Kachelriess
" Every poop state you a story about a sure clip , " according to Frandsen .
So far , the free attraction is getting a positive response from Williams , atourist townfamous for its proximity to Grand Canyon National Park , and its shoes in both Old West and Route 66 account . The business construct money off its gift shop with coffee mugs , shirts , dame , Holy Scripture , get wind games , and other detail for cut-rate sale . you could even buy mini Pisces fossils for around $ 15 and small dinosaur bones for up to about $ 30 .
The one matter that is n’t for sale : coprolites .
" All of the bit in this assemblage are part of a trustingness , " Frandsen explain . " piece come in , but they ca n’t come out . I do n’t need the great unwashed to think if they donate or sell one to me , I ’d just turn it around and trade it to somebody else . "
A commission carving of a T - Rex sitting on a toilet in the style of " The Thinker " ( dubbed " The Stinker " ) has in effect become the Poozeum ’s mascot . Snap as many picture as you want .
The Poozeum also has prowess patch , admit funfair - style banner above each exhibit , a reproduction skeleton of a baby T - Rex , and a recreation of what a dropping from a Titanosaur , the big known dinosaur , might look like .
There ’s a wad of fun here , but plenty to learn too . Consider it a knowledge dump .
