66-million-year-old vomit fossil discovered in Denmark

Some discoveries are hard to stomach — literally.

A quirky and fascinating new addition to Denmark’s natural history has been uncovered — a 66-million-year-old vomit fossil.

The fossil, officially named Danekræ DK-1295, was found at Stevns Klint in eastern Denmark by local fossil hunter Peter Bennicke. “Danekræ” are rare natural treasures of Denmark. They must be evaluated by the national Danekræ committee of the Natural History Museum of Denmark before receiving the designation, according to the University of Copenhagen and National History Museum Denmark.

Bennicke made the discovery after noticing a strange collection of sea lily fragments embedded in chalk and brought it to Geomuseum Faxe in November, according to Jesper Milàn, museum curator at Geomuseum Faxe. After a cleaning and analysis by Dutch sea lily expert John Jagt, it was determined that the clump contained remains from at least two species of sea lilies, the museum said.

Regurgitalites, or fossilized vomit, are rare but invaluable to scientists studying ancient ecosystems as they reveal what predators ate and how food chains functioned millions of years ago, the museum said.

Milàn said that the sea lilies were likely consumed by a Cretaceous-era predator, possibly a fish, that later spat out the indigestible parts.

“It is truly an unusual find. Sea lilies are not a particularly nutritious diet, as they mainly consist of calcareous plates held together by very few soft parts,” Milàn stated in a Østsjællands Museum news release.

Visitors can see this unusual relic of prehistoric dining habits during a special exhibition at the Geomuseum Faxe.