New Carnegie exhibit a literal load of crap

The Scoop…The Scoop on Poop Carnegie Museum of Natural History Through May 4 4400 Forbes Ave. 412-622-3131 Free with student ID

The Carnegie Museum of Natural History houses and preserves many valuable items. “The Scoop on Poop” exhibit, specifically the coprolites, is sure to stay preserved for quite some time.

The “Touch a Coprolite!” board is certain to amuse the exhibit’s targeted demographic. Created by the exhibits department of Clyde Peeling’s “Reptiland” in Allenwood, Pa, “The Scoop on Poop” is like a Pixar movie – aimed at children, with laughs and an underlying message for all.

“Notice how everything is placed lower?” asked Ellen James, manager of media relations. “It’s so kids can reach. Petite people, too.”

Imagine the scene – several small children stand puzzling over the display. Coprolite? They look at each other. What? A parent reads the accompanying plaque – “Coprolites, fossilized poop, can tell scientists what a dinosaur ate 80 million years ago!” It’s not surprising that the exhibit is housed in a room where giggles can ricochet off carpeted walls.

The exhibit is interactive, with pushable buttons that bring video screens and games to life. Just as archaeologists use coprolites to learn about the lives of dinosaurs, modern scientists and conservationists can gather information about living animals.

Because animal scat is so distinctive, analyzing an animal’s droppings can be used to gather DNA samples, to measure the animal’s stress levels and to discern the sex of the animal. Traditionally, to discover such information a scientist would trap and collar and animal, or dissect one. The unobtrusive study of fecal matter saves time and animal lives – a big plus for those on the endangered species list.

In the animal kingdom, poop marks territory, helps some animals to attract a mate, holds dwellings together and acts as a source of nutrients for rabbits. Some insects and spiders have even evolved to resemble bird droppings so that they avoid being eaten.

For humans, the uses of poop are almost as numerous, with natural fertilizer taking first place. The feces of fish-eating seabirds off the islands and rocks of Peru are so nutrient-rich that they were once guarded by the Incan Empire.

Cattle dung is used by the Massai and Samburu people of East Africa to waterproof their houses. And the use of biogas as an alternative fuel is growing. Biogas is produced by sealing ground-up manure in vats then heating it to speed up the bacteria’s digestion. In the absence of oxygen the manure ferments, producing methane, which is burned to create heat or electricity.

In a world that’s showing more and more signs of abuse, poop almost beats out composting in its efficient and sustainable qualities – it stabilizes ecological habits, plants trees (via animal digestive tracts) and provides shelter and fertilizer for animals and humans alike.

Poop is even used by a Seattle-based company to create a line of products that compensates Indonesian farmers for damage caused to their crops by wild elephants. And, while the smell of burning poop might be unpleasant to the western world, it is an abundant source of fuel in Africa, Asia and India.

“The Scoop on Poop” exhibit is sponsored in part by Purina Tidy Cats cat litter – no joke. It runs until May 4 and is free to Pitt students with a valid ID. Though you may have to bend your knees a bit, “The Scoop on Poop” is well worth a gander.