Abstract
Discrete structures produced by biogenic activity on the sediment surface or within the sediment are literally traces of ancient organisms and hence are called trace fossils. They differ from body fossils in that they are formed by an animal’s behavioral activity in response to the substrate and other paleoecological paramaters rather than being part of an animal’s body (also see Section 4.5). Synonyms include “ichnofossil” and “lebensspuren.” Four characteristics of trace fossils that affect their value in geologic investigation are (1) long time range, (2) narrow facies range, (3) no secondary displacement, and (4) relatively great abundance in rocks with few body fossils.
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© 1987 R. C. Lindholm
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Lindholm, R.C. (1987). Trace fossils. In: A Practical Approach to Sedimentology. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7683-5_4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7683-5_4
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-011-7685-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7683-5
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