Found along the coastline, it is obvious why coprolites such as this were once believed to be fossil fir cones. This one shows evidence of a lot of burrowing activity. On the back side, there is a lot of fracturing. While sometimes it is nice to have a pristine coprolite, in this instance we are lucky it broke. If we look at it under a microscope, we can see thin layers of a different material between the spirals. Near the overlaying spiral, these layers are not worn, and an interesting texture is visible. It is possible that the thin layer is actually the fossilized remains of the spiral valve, itself. If this is the case, this specimen would an intestinal cast making it a cololite rather than a coprolite. However, I'm sure you'll agree; whether pre-poop or post-poop...this is one interesting nugget!