Fossils and Palaeontology
Trace fossils in sandstone © BGSFossils are the preserved remains of animals or plants. Most commonly only the hard shells or skeletal parts of an animal, or the most durable parts of plants, are preserved as fossils. In some circumstances the original soft animal or plant tissue may be preserved, but these are very rare indeed.
Trails, tracks, burrows, worm casts and feeding traces of a variety of animals in soft sediments are commonly preserved, and in some environments the imprints of soft-bodied animals may also be preserved. The term trace fossil is applied to such remains.
Palaeontology is the study of ancient life. The recognition of distinctive fossils, and fossil assemblages, is an essential tool in the identification, relative dating and correlation of rock units.
Palynology is the study of fossilised plant remains. In common with animal fossils, these remains allow identification and relative dating of the strata, but are also essential for identifying palaeoenvironments that are conducive to the formation of fossil fuels including coal, oil and gas. Palaeoecology is the study of the associations of coexisting fossil species. Like modern ecology, this enables interpretation of contemporary environments and ecosystems.
Palaeoecological interpretations can be made from many fossil assemblages, but most valuable are those in which the fossilised organisms are preserved in their life positions as complete fossilised ecosystems.
Palaeontology and palaeoecology together offer important links between geo- and bio-diversity. It is worth recalling that the vast majority of biological species are extinct and reside within the fossil record.
