Could anyone identify my coprolite specimen?

[Battatitan]

Hi everyone

Could anyone help with any information about this 'specimen' (pictures below)?

At least ten years ago my (non-paleontological) family and I visited the dinosaur tracks near Tuba City, Arizona. Being a very young boy at the time I was thrilled to see prehistoric remains pretty much in situ at such close quarters, and gladly accepted the Navajo's identification of a dinosaur coprolite (wow! And it doesn't even smell!)

Now, however, I'm interested to know a little (or a lot) more about it. I'm currently studying A Level Geology (with a view to study Geology at degree level) so my knowledge is somewhat limited! I think it's only recently that wider palaeontology (not just dinosaur toys!) has become a serious passion for me, so any input from you knowledgeable folk will be greatly appreciated!

I appreciate even identifying a coprolite is difficult – less so with my amateur pictures (I'm more than happy to take specific pictures if that will help?) but I gladly welcome any observations (or identifications) you might have: what sort of dinosaur deposited it? Is it even a coprolite?

Thanks for reading and any thoughts you might have   

Above



Moving clockwise





Another view


Close-up detail




'Cross-Section' seen in picture 3




Underside

[Crackington]

Looks like there may be bits of pulverised bone  in it, so a carnivore if so. Have you googled coprolites to see if there are any it resembles?

[SBell]

I've dealt with coprolites a little. My first question, what do you mean 'identify'? As in, to the maker of it? Because that's not normally possible (unless there is something obvious, like massive size or something).

A few other pieces of needed info--what age/stratum is it from? And what was the environment it was found in (lacustrine, terrestrial, marine, etc)? Without those pieces of info there's little to tell. Finally, you will need to identify not only inclusions--any bones, seeds, spores, etc--but also the overall matrix itself.

And then you need to make thin sections of it and look at it under a microscope. Because that's normally the only way to identify something like that, if it isn't in hand. Except with some obvious ones like sharks (they have a shape like the spiral valve) or crocodiles (if there are teeth, the enamel is often digested away).

[Battatitan]

Thanks Crackington and SBell for your help. I'm afraid I'm unable to make thin sections, and not at all knowledgeable to identify the inclusions or matrix, but I can provide the Wikipedia page for Tuba City, near to where I got the specimen. According to this, the town "sits upon the Glen Canyon Group from the early Jurassic (about 180-210 Ma) and on modern superficial Quaternary deposits" and would've been a terrestrial erg in Western Pangaea.
I've included some better pictures taken with a new camera:














And the underside:



Thanks