Man discovers 66-million-year-old 'vomit fossil' in 'truly unusual find'
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Scientists have discovered a remarkable 66-million-year-old fossil of regurgitated sea lily remains in Denmark, offering a rare glimpse into ancient marine food chains.
The extraordinary find was made by fossil hunter Peter Bennicke, who uncovered the preserved vomit while splitting open chalk formations.
The fossilised remains date back to the Cretaceous period and contain the skeletal parts of sea lilies, marine invertebrates that lived on the ancient seabed.
The discovery was made along Denmark's Stevns Klint coastal cliff, where Bennicke split open a piece of chalk to reveal the preserved remains.
The extraordinary find was made by fossil hunter Peter Bennicke
Geomuseum Faxe
He brought his find to a local museum, where experts carefully cleaned and examined the specimen.
Museum specialist John Jagt determined that the fossil contained sea lily remains that had been eaten by an animal before being regurgitated, with the indigestible parts preserved for millions of years.
Jesper Milan, curator at Geomuseum Faxe and member of the Danish Wildlife Committee, said it was difficult to determine exactly which creature had produced the ancient regurgitation.
However, he suggested it likely came from a predator that specialised in consuming hard-shelled prey, such as a fish or bottom-dwelling shark.
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"We have found teeth from sharks that were specialised in crushing hard-shelled prey in the same area," Milan told Sky News.
"They are called Heterodontus, it's a relative of the modern Port Jackson shark. That one is high on my list of suspects."
"It is truly an unusual find," Milan explained.
"Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they mainly consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts."
"It is truly an unusual find," Milan said
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"But here is an animal, probably a type of fish, that 66 million years ago ate sea lilies that lived on the bottom of the Cretaceous sea and regurgitated the skeletal parts back up," he added.
Milan also explained that such discoveries provide crucial insights into predator-prey relationships and food chains in the Cretaceous sea.
The fossil has been designated Danekrae DK-1295, marking it as one of Denmark's rare natural treasures.
The specimen will be showcased in a special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe, where visitors can examine the ancient evidence of marine feeding behaviour.
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