{
  "id": 850582,
  "title": "Why fossilized feces from ancestors of modern animals help us understand Earth’s early ecosystems",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/why-fossilized-feces-from-ancestors-of-modern-animals-help-us-850582",
  "topic": "science",
  "section": "Science",
  "published": "2026-08-14T08:00:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "CBC News",
    "slug": "cbc-news-cbc",
    "url": "https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/fossil-feces-cambrian-ocean-ecosystems-9.7305871"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": null,
  "summary": "A study of fossilized feces, known as coprolites, from 540 million years ago found fecal matter likely played a significant role in an explosion of biodiversity in the early Cambrian period. Paleontologists say these fossils can tell us a lot about ancient animals and the ecosystems they inhabited.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "CBC News",
        "title": "Why fossilized feces from ancestors of modern animals help us understand Earth’s early ecosystems",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/14/why-fossilized-feces-from-ancestors-of-modern-animals-help-us",
        "published": "2026-08-14T08:00:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}