An amateur fossil hunter in Denmark has made a remarkable discovery—a fossilized piece of animal vomit dating back 66 million years.

Peter Bennicke stumbled upon the find while exploring Stevns Klint, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its rich fossil deposits. According to Geomuseum Faxe, where the specimen will be displayed, Bennicke noticed a “strange small cluster of lily pieces in a piece of chalk” and brought it to the museum for further examination.

Scientific Examination

Experts at the museum, including Dutch palaeontologist John Jagt, analyzed the specimen and identified it as regurgitate—a fossilized remnant of an animal’s vomit. Jagt confirmed that the cluster contains at least two species of lily, likely the indigestible parts that an ancient predator regurgitated.

“In technical terms, this type of find is called regurgitalite, and it is crucial for reconstructing ancient ecosystems,” the museum statement explained. “It provides valuable information about which animals ate what.”

Jesper Milàn, curator at Geomuseum Faxe, called the find “truly extraordinary.”

“Lilies are not a particularly nutritious food, as they are mainly made up of calcium plates held together by very few soft tissues,” he explained. “But here we have an animal—most likely a fish—that, 66 million years ago, consumed lilies from the seabed of the Cretaceous Sea and later vomited up the skeletal parts.”

Milàn emphasized that the discovery sheds new light on ancient food chains, offering important insights into predator-prey relationships in the Cretaceous seas.

The fossil is now on display at Geomuseum Faxe, where visitors can witness this unique glimpse into prehistoric life.

ACCOMPLISH MAGAZINE