Knowra Paleoecology Paleoecology Paleoecology reconstructs relationships between ancient organisms and their environments using fossils and geological evidence. It combines biological and geological records to study past ecosystems.
Taphonomy : The study of how organisms decay, become fossilized, and enter the geological record. It explains how preservation filters the ecological evidence available to paleoecologists.
Pollen analysis : The study of fossil pollen and spores to reconstruct past vegetation and environments. Pollen records often reveal surrounding plant communities beyond the fossils of larger organisms.
Burgess Shale : A Middle Cambrian fossil deposit in British Columbia renowned for its exceptionally preserved marine organisms. Its diverse fossils reveal an ancient marine community and its ecological structure.
Mass extinction : A geologically brief interval in which a large share of Earth's species disappear worldwide. Fossil communities reveal the scale and ecological consequences of mass extinctions.
Fossil : Preserved remains, traces, or other evidence of ancient organisms. Fossils provide direct evidence of organisms in past environments.
Trace fossil : A preserved sign of organismal activity, such as a footprint, burrow, or feeding mark. Traces record behavior and habitat use even when bodies are absent.
Messel pit : A German Eocene fossil site preserving diverse plants and animals, including delicate soft tissues. Its exceptionally preserved fossils document a warm, forested ecosystem.
Historical ecology : The study of how human and natural systems change through time using historical and environmental evidence. Paleoecology extends ecological baselines beyond written records.
Sedimentology : The study of sediment, its formation, transport, deposition, and transformation into rock. Sediments preserve environmental clues that help place fossils in context.
Fossil assemblage : A group of fossils preserved together in a geological deposit. The composition of an assemblage can indicate community structure and environmental conditions.
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