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Fossil and Fossilization

Interpreting The Fossil Record

The fossil record—the sum of all known fossils—has been extremely important in developing the phylogeny, or evolutionary relations, of ancient and living organisms. The contemporary understanding of a systematic, phylogenetic heirarchy descending through each of the five kingdoms of living organisms has replaced earlier concepts that grouped organisms by such features as similar appearance. It is now known that unrelated organisms can look alike and closely related organisms can look different; thus, terms like "similar" have no analytical power in biology.

In addition to providing important information about the history of Earth, fossils have industrial uses. Fossil fuels (oil, coal, petroleum, bitumen, natural gas) drive industrialized economies. Fossil aggregates such as limestone provide building material. Fossils are also used for decorative purposes. This category of functional use should be distinguished from the tremendous impact fossils have had in supporting evolutionary theory.

See also Dating techniques; Paleontology; Stratigraphy.


Resources

Books

Donovan, Stephen K., ed. The Processes of Fossilization. London: Belhaven Press, 1991.

Pough, Harvey. Vertebrate Life. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001.

Prothero, Donald R. Bringing Fossils to Life, an Introduction to Paleontology. Boston: McGrawHill, 1999.

Rich, Pat Vickers, et al. The Fossil Book: A Record of Prehistoric Life. Mineola, NY: Dover Publishing, 1997.

Other

Edwards, Lucy E. and John Pojeta, Jr. "Fossils, Rocks, and Time" United States Geological Survey August 14, 1997 [cited January 15, 2003] <http://pubs.usgs.gov/gip/fossils/about.html>.


Marjorie Pannell

KEY TERMS

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Bone bed

—High-density accumulation of fossilized bones.

Diagenesis

—The processes to which a dead organism is exposed after burial as it becomes a fossil; for example, compaction and replacement.

External mold

—Fossilized imprint of the exterior portion of the hard part of an organism, left after the fossilized organism itself has been dissolved; related to internal mold, bearing the imprint of the interior portion of the hard part, for example, of a clam shell.

Fossil record

—The sum of fossils known to humans, and the information gleaned from them.

Fossiliferous

—Fossil bearing; usually applied to sedimentary rock strata.

Ichnofossil

—A trace fossil, or inorganic evidence of a fossil organism, such as a track or trail.

Index fossil

—A distinctive fossil, common to a particular geological period, that is used to date rocks of that period; also called indicator species.

Additional topics

Science EncyclopediaScience & Philosophy: Formate to GastropodaFossil and Fossilization - The Fossil Clock, From Biosphere To Lithosphere, From Field To Laboratory, Interpreting The Fossil Record