66 million-year-old fossilised vomit discovered in Denmark – BBC.com
A piece of fossilised vomit dating back to the time of the dinosaurs has been discovered in Denmark.Local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke found the fossil at Stevns Klint – a Unesco-listed coastal cliff in the east of the country.The self-declared “fossil geek” said he came across some unusual-looking fragments which turned out to be pieces of sea lily – an underwater species related to starfish and sea urchins – in a piece of chalk.Mr Bennicke took the fragments to be examined at the Museum of East Zealand, which confirmed the vomit could be dated to the end of the Cretaceous period 66 million years ago – a time when dinosaurs including Tyrannosaurus and Triceratops existed.Jesper Milan, palaeontologist and curator at the museum, told the BBC it was “truly an unusual find” as it helps explain relationships in the prehistoric food chain.”It tells us something about who was eating who 66 million years ago,” he said.During the period fish and sharks would eat sea lilies, which are hard to digest meaning they would then “regurgitate all the chalk bits”, he explained. “This find is a unique glimpse into the everyday situation in the bottom of the Cretaceous sea – the sea during which the dinosaurs lived,” he said. The discovery is also significant for improving our understanding of past ecosystems. Mr Milan said his museum had only sent the information to the local press but the discovery has sparked global interest. “This is the world’s most famous piece of puke ever,” he said. The Danish PM’s tour of three capitals betrayed the nervousness felt in Denmark over Trump’s repeated comments.The EU is challenging a British ban on fishing for sand-eels – a key source of food for seabirds.The move comes after President Donald Trump said he wants to acquire Greenland, an autonomous Danish territory.The president told reporters the island’s 57,000 residents “want to be with us”.In her call with Trump, Mette Frederiksen also reiterated the Greenland PM’s comments that it was “not for sale”Copyright 2025 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.
