Ancient reptile was riddled with parasites, fossilized poop reveals

Sign up for CNN’s Wonder Theory science newsletter. “Our results give us new ways to think about the environment and way of life of old animals,” said lead study author Thanit Nonsrirach, a vertebrate paleontologist in the department of biology at Mahasarakham University in Kham Riang, Thailand. However, “it’s plausible that the coprolite originated from an animal similar to crocodiles or one that evolved alongside them, like phytosaurs,” Nonsrirach said. “Studying the remains of parasites in coprolites is important since it provides us with rare insights into ancient parasite-host relationships,” Qvarnström said. “Thanks to the coprolite data, we can investigate when such parasitic relationships arose and how parasites and their hosts may have co-evolved through time.” However, it’s unknown whether carrying the parasites made the reptile sick, Nonsrirach added.