Preservation & Taphonomy /
Taphonomy in General
Plant Fossil Preservation and Plant Taphonomy
Collecting Bias: Our Incomplete Picture of the Past Vegetation
Three-Dimensionally Preserved Plant Compression Fossils
Pith Cast and "in situ" Preservation
Bacterial Biofilms (Microbial Mats)
Permineralized Plants and the Process of Permineralization
Upland and Hinterland Floras
Abscission and Tissue Separation in Fossil and Extant Plants
Leaf Litter and Plant Debris
Log Jams and Driftwood Accumulations
Wound Response in Trees
Fungal Wood Decay: Evidence from the Fossil Record
! Teaching Documents about Taphonomy@
Alexa (Alexa Internet, Inc.,
an Amazon.com Company).
Alexa is a Web Information Company, perhaps best known for the Alexa Rank,
the website ranking system which tracks over 30 million websites worldwide.
top ranked sites in category "Science".
! J. Alleon et al. (2016): Early entombment within silica minimizes the molecular degradation of microorganisms during advanced diagenesis. In PDF, Chemical Geology, 437: 98–108. See also here.
P.A. Allison and D.J. Bottjer (eds.), 2011:
Taphonomy Process and Bias Through Time. Book announcement (Springer), updated second edition.
! See also here (in PDF, slow download).
! P.A. Allison and D.J. Bottjer (2011): Taphonomy: Bias and process through time. In PDF. In: P.A. Allison and D.J. Bottjer (eds.), Taphonomy: Process and Bias Through Time, Topics in Geobiology 32.
J. Alroy et al. (2001): Effects of sampling standardization on estimates of Phanerozoic marine diversification. In PDF, PNAS, 98: 6261-6266.The American Geosciences Institute (AGI):
E.P. Anderson (2016): Understanding Soft-Bodied Taphonomy: An Integrated Approach Incorporating Theoretical, Fossil, and Experimental Studies. In PDF, Thesis, University of Colorado, Boulder. See also here.
Department of Geological Sciences, University of Texas, El Paso:
The Science of Historical Geology.
Early Geologists Tackle History's Mysteries.
Time and Geology.
! Life on Earth: What do Fossils Reveal?.
The Proterozoic: Dawn of a More Modern World.
Early Paleozoic Events.
Life of the Paleozoic Part 1.
Life of the Paleozoic Part 2.
Lecture notes, Powerpoint presentations.
Loren E. Babcock et al. (2006): Starting on PDF page 4:
The "Preservation Paradox": Microbes as a
Key to Exceptional Fossil Preservation in the
Kirkpatrick Basalt (Jurassic), Antarctica. PDF file, The Sedimentary Record, 4. See also
Silica-rich hydrothermal water apparently worked to fossilize organic remains rapidly and produce a "freeze-frame" of macroscopic and microscopic life forms. Microbes seem to have played a vital role in this processes.
B. Becker-Kerber et al. (2021):
role of volcanic-derived clays in the preservation of Ediacaran biota from
the Itajaí Basin (ca. 563 Ma, Brazil). Open access,
Scientific Reports, 11.
Note figure 4: Schematic representation of the fossilization pathway.
! A.K. Behrensmeyer, S.M. Kidwell, and R.A. Gastaldo (2000): Taphonomy and paleobiology. Paleobiology 2000. See also here.
J.B. Bennington et al. (2009): Critical issues of scale in paleoecology. PDF file, Palaios, 24: 1-4.
M. Benton (2017): Fossilization of soft tissues. National Science Review, 4: 512–513. See also here (in PDF).
M.J. Benton and D.A.T. Harper:
to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record.
! Companion Website: Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record. On this website you can download the figures in jpeg format at standard resolution (96 dpi) for viewing on screen and at a higher resolution (300 dpi) for downloading. They can also be downloaded as a Powerpoint file for each chapter.
! See also here (in PDF).
For better navigation note the table of contents (in PDF).
S. Block et al. (2016): Where to Dig for Fossils: Combining Climate-Envelope, Taphonomy and Discovery Models. In PDF, PLoS ONE, 11: e0151090. See also here.
D.J. Bottjer (2016):
past, present, and future. (John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.). See also
Please note chapter "Taphonomy", start on PDF page 39.
D.J. Bottjer et al. (2002): Fossil-Lagerstätten: Jewels of the Fossil Record. In PDF; In: Walter Etter et al.: Exceptional Fossil Preservation: A Unique View on the Evolution of Marine Life. See also here (contents).
Suzanne Bowie, The palaeofiles, Dept. of Earth Sciences University of Bristol: Experimental taphonomy.
! C.E. Brett and J.R. Thomka (2013): Fossils and Fossilisation. Citable reviews in the life sciences (Wiley).
! D.E.G. Briggs and S. McMahon (2016): The role of experiments in investigating the taphonomy of exceptional preservation. Abstract, Palaeontology, 59: 1–11. See also here (in PDF).
! D.E.G. Briggs (2003): The role of decay and mineralization in the preservation of soft-bodied fossils. Abstract, Annual Review of Earth and Planetary Sciences, 31: 275-301.
D.E.G. Briggs (1999): Molecular taphonomy of animal and plant cuticles: selective preservation and diagenesis. PDF file, Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci, 354: 7-17. See also here.
A.D. Butler et al. (2015): Experimental taphonomy of Artemia reveals the role of endogenous microbes in mediating decay and fossilization. In PDF, Proc. R. Soc. B, 282.
N.J. Butterfield et al. (2007):
diagenesis in the Burgess Shale. Free access,
Palaeontology, 50: 537–543.
Note fig. 3: Odontopteris foliage show fibrous white mineral replacing and overgrowing the original carbonaceous compressions.
! Derek Briggs and Peter Crowther (eds.), Earth Pages, Blackwell Publishing:
(PDF files). Snapshot now taken by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
Series of concise articles from over 150 leading authorities from around the world.
Navigate from the content file.
There are no restrictions on downloading this material. Excellent!
Worth checking out:
Part 1. Major Events in the History of Life, Pages 1-92.
Part 2. The Evolutionary Process and the Fossil Record, Pages 93-210.
Part 3. Taphonomy, Pages 211-304.
Part 4. Palaeoecology, Pages 305-414.
Part 5. Taxonomy, Phylogeny and Biostratigraphy, Pages 415-490.
D.R. Broussard et al. (2018):
setting, taphonomy and geochronology of new fossil sites in the
Catskill Formation (Upper Devonian) of north-central Pennsylvania, USA,
including a new early tetrapod fossil. Abstract,
Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology,
511: 168-187. See also
Note fig. 16: Schematic reconstruction of sandy fluvial subenvironments where diverse fossil remains accumulated.
Fig. 17: Depositional model for Catskill Formation strata.
Robyn J. Burnham (2008): Hide and Go Seek: What does presence mean in the fossil record? Abstract, Annals of the Missouri Botanical Garden, 95: 51-71.
! G.C. Cadeée (1991): The history of taphonomy. PDF file. In: Donovan, S.K. (ed.), The Processes of Fossilization. Belhaven Press, London, pp. 3 –21.
E.M. Carlisle et al. (2021):
taphonomy of organelles and the fossil record of early eukaryote evolution. Open access,
Science Advances, 7.
Note fig. 4A: Fossil of a Zelkova leaf from the Miocene Succor Creek Formation showing a chloroplast adpressed to the cell wall.
Centro de Estudios de Almejas Muertas (CEAM) English translation: Center for the Study of Dead Clams, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona. CEAM is an informal organization dedicated to the study of taphonomy.
Cengage Learning (a provider of innovative teaching, learning and research solutions for the academic, professional and library markets worldwide): Taphonomy, Experimental Archaeology, and Ethnoarchaeology. Powerpoint presentation.
Michael Charnine, Encyclopedia of Keywords: Science > Earth Sciences > Paleontology > Taphonomy. An annotated link directory.
B. Chauviré et al. (2020): Arthropod entombment in weathering-formed opal: new horizons for recording life in rocks. Open access, Scientific Reports, 10.
Chris (?), Peripatus Home Page, New Zealand:
This page offers a broad range of selected topics from the whole field of paleontology.
What are Lagerstätten?
These expired links are available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
! T. Clements et al. (2019): The Mazon Creek Lagerstätte: a diverse late Paleozoic ecosystem entombed within siderite concretions. In PDF, Journal of the Geological Society, 176: 1–11. See also here.
A.S. Cohen (2011): Scientific drilling and biological evolution in ancient lakes: lessons learned and recommendations for the future. In PDF, Hydrobiologia.J.J. Collins and K. Lindstrom, University of California Museum of Paleontology: Getting Into the Fossil Record. Easy to understand websites.
S. Cotroneo et al. (2016): A new model of the formation of Pennsylvanian iron carbonate concretions hosting exceptional soft-bodied fossils in Mazon Creek, Illinois. In PDF, Geobiology, 14: 543-555. See also here (abstract).
D. Coty et al. (2014): The First Ant-Termite Syninclusion in Amber with CT-Scan Analysis of Taphonomy. Open access, PLoS ONE 9.
Richard Cowen, Department of Geology, University of California, Davis, CA: History of Life, Third Edition. Go to: Preservation and Bias in the Fossil Record.A. Dance (2016): Prehistoric animals, in living color. In PDF, PNAS, 113.
S.A.F. Darroch et al. (2012): Experimental formation of a microbial death mask. In PDF, Palaios, 27: 293-303.
Yannicke Dauphin, Micropaléontologie, Université Paris:
"Biomineralization and Biologicalcalcifications":
Snapshot provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
C.G. Diedrich (2009):
coelacanthid-rich site at Hasbergen (NW Germany):
taphonomy and palaeoenvironment of a first systematic
excavation in the Kupferschiefer (Upper Permian, Lopingian). In PDF,
Palaeobio. Palaeoenv., 89: 67-94.
Mapped taphonomy of plants, invertebrates and fish vertebrates at six different planal levels on a 12 m2 area.
! M. Domínguez-Rodrigo et al. (2011): How Can Taphonomy Be Defined in the XXI Century? In PDF, Journal of Taphonomy, 9: 1-13.
! Ivan Efremov (1940):
new branch of paleontology.
Pan-American Geologist (1940), vol. 74, p. 81-93.
Website provided by Sergei Klimanov, St. Petersburg State University.
The link is to a version archived by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
Encyclopedia of Keywords (www.keywen.com): This is a general encyclopedia that provides basic information on a wide range of subjects in an easily readable and understandable format. Encyclopedia of Keywords > Science > Earth Sciences > Paleontology > Taphonomy. Actually a link directory.
C. Christian Emig, Marseille:
The transition of organisms from the biosphere to
the lithosphere. Go to:
See also here (PDF file, in French).
J. Farmer (1999): Articel starts on page 94, PDF page 110:
Modes in Microbial Fossilization. In PDF;
In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Size Limits of
Very Small Organisms, Space Studies Board, National
Research Council, National Academies Press, Washington,
Snapshot taken by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
A.S. Fernandes (2012): A geobiological investigation of the Mazon Creek concretions of northeastern Illinois, mechanisms of formation and diagenesis. In PDF, thesis, The University of Western Ontario, London, Canada.
Karl W. Flessa, Department of Geosciences, University of Arizona, Tucson: Paleontology. Lecture notes. Provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine. Go to: Taphonomy and preservation, Fossilization, taphonomy & traces. Explained in a nutshell.
M. Foote and D.M. Raup (2010): Fossil preservation and the stratigraphic ranges of taxa. In PDF, Paleobiology, 22: 121-140.
J.R. Foster et al. (2018): Paleontology, taphonomy, and sedimentology of the Mygatt-Moore Quarry, a large dinosaur bonebed in the Morrison Formation, western Colorado—Implications for Upper Jurassic dinosaur preservation modes. In PDF, Geology of the Intermountain West. See also here and there.
Deborah Freile, New Jersey City University:
Geology. An investigative course of geological and biological aspects of Earth History
as developed through the use of fossil evidence and the principles of stratigraphy,
geochronology, and the geology of structures.
PowerPoint slides for lecture, e.g.:
F. Gäb et al. (2020): Experimental taphonomy of fish - role of elevated pressure, salinity and pH. Open access, Scientific Reports, 10.R.R. Gaines et al. (2012): Mechanism for Burgess Shale-type preservation. In PDF, PNAS, 109: 5180-5184.
! Robert A. Gastaldo, Department of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine:
Notes for a course in paleobotany.
This website provides information about:
Taphonomy: Physiological, Necrological, and Traumatic processes,
Taphonomy: Biogeochemical Processes of Plant Fossilization and Preservational Modes,
Biostratinomic Processes in Volcaniclastic Terrains,
Biostratinomic Processes in Fluvial-Lacustrine Terrains,
Biostratinomic Processes in Coastal-Deltaic Terrains,
Biostratinomic Processes in Peat Accumulating Environments, and
Biostratinomic Processes in Marginal Marine Settings.
Robert A. Gastaldo, Department of Geology, Colby College, Waterville, Maine: A Brief Introduction to TAPHONOMY. About: Gastaldo, Savrda, & Lewis. 1996. Deciphering Earth History: A Laboratory Manual with Internet Exercises. Contemporary Publishing Company of Raleigh, Inc. ISBN 0-89892-139-2.
Geological Society of America (GSA): Northeastern Section - 37th Annual Meeting (March 25-27, 2002) Springfield, Massachusetts: Taphonomy: Insight into Stratigraphy, Sedimentology, and Evolution. Abstracts.
Stephen Jay Gould Archive (sponsored by Art Science Research Laboratory):
! B16: History of Earth and Life. A kittenish website. Difficult to set a link, click "Stephen Jay Gould" on the right hand side. Go to:
Lab 1: The Invertebrate Phyla,
! Lab 2: The Fossil Record,
Lab 3: Communities through Time, and
Lab 4: Variation and Evolution (PDF files). See also:
B16: History of Earth and Life, Source Books.
These expired links are now available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
A. Gutiérrez et al. (2021): Taphonomy of experimental burials in Taphos-m: The role of fungi Revista Iberoamericana de Micología. See also here (in PDF).
D. Hauptvogel and J. Sisson:
Story of Earth: An Observational Guide.
A Manual for Historical Geology. A downloadable book! Worth checking out:
Chapter 6: Fossil Preservation.
! S.M. Holland (2016): The non-uniformity of fossil preservation. In PDF, Phil. Trans. R. Soc., B 371. See also here (abstract).
Thomas R. Holtz and John W. Merck, Department of Geology,
University of Maryland:
Invertebrate Paleontology -
Principles of Paleontology.
Lecture notes. Go to:
Snapshots provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
! G. Horváth et al. (2019): How did amber get its aquatic insects? Water-seeking polarotactic insects trapped by tree resin. Free access, Historical Biology, DOI: 10.1080/08912963.2019.1663843.
! M. Iniesto et al. (2016): Involvement of microbial mats in early fossilization by decay delay and formation of impressions and replicas of vertebrates and invertebrates. Open access, Scientific Reports, 6.
The International Plant Taphonomy Meeting. The International Plant Taphonomy Meetings are informal workshops focusing on recent developments in the science of plant taphonomy. Abstracts available from 1999-2004 and from 2008. A version archived by Internet Archive Wayback Machine.
J.B.C. Jackson and K.G. Johnson (2001): Measuring Past Biodiversity. In PDF, Science, 293.
Robert Wynn Jones:
Applied Palaeontology. (Cambridge University Press). Go to:
! Fossils and fossilisation. In PDF.
Journal of Taphonomy (Prometheus Press). The Journal of Taphonomy is proposed as a venue for publishing the highest quality, data-rich articles on taphonomic research, in all its diversity, from the analysis of burial processes affecting micro-organisms to the study of processes conditioning the modification and preservation of macro-organisms in natural and/or human-created settings.
J.A. Karr and M.E. Clapham (2015): Taphonomic biases in the insect fossil record: shifts in articulation over geologic time. In PDF, Paleobiology.
C.G. Kenchington and P.R. Wilb (2015): Of time and taphonomy: preservation in the Ediacaran. In PDF. See also here.
Hobart & Wm Smith Colleges, Geneva, NY:
! Fossils and Their Preservation. See also here.
! Susan M. Kidwell and Steven M. Holland (2002): The Quality of the Fossil Record: Implications for Evolutionary Analyses. PDF file, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 33: 561-588.
S.M. Kidwell (2001): Major biases in the fossil record, p. 299-305. PDF file, In: Paleobiology II, A Synthesis (D.E.G. Briggs and PR Crowther, eds.). Oxford: Blackwell.
! S.M. Kidwell and K.W. Flessa (1995): The quality of the fossil record: Populations, species, and communities. PDF file, Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 26: 269-299.
! S.M. Kidwell et al. (1986): Conceptual framework for the analysis and classification of fossil concentrations. PDF file, Palaios, 1: 228-238.
MICHAL KOWALEWSKI and MICHAEL LABARBERA Actualistic Taphonomy: Death, Decay, and Disintegration in Contemporary Settings. Abstract, Palaios, 2004; v. 19; no. 5; p. 423-427.
V.A. Krassilov (2003):
palaeoecology and global change.
PDF file (35.6 MB), Russian Academic Monographs No. 1, 464 p., (Pensoft), Sophia.
Worth checking out: "Taphonomy" starting on PDF page 18.
Bruce S. Lieberman and Roger Kaesler (2010):
Evolution and the Fossil Record. Book announcement (Wiley-Blackwell),
including table of contents.
The history of life and the patterns and processes of evolution are especially emphasized, as are the interconnections between our planet, its climate system, and its varied life forms. The book does not just describe the history of life, but uses actual examples from life’s history to illustrate important concepts and theories.
! Available in PDF from here. See especially:
! PDF page 38: "Taphonomy."
PDF page 74: "Introduction to Evolution."
PDF page 123: "Extinctions: The Legacy of the Fossil Record."
PDF page 137: "The Permo-Triassic Mass Extinction—Causes and Consequences."
PDF page 227: "Life, Climate, and Geology."
PDF page 236: "Life Influencing Geology: the Form and Shape of Rivers and the Rocks they Leave Behind."
PDF page 242: "Plants, Oxygen, and Coal: More Examples of Life Affecting the Atmosphere and Geology."
Don Lindsay, Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado, Boulder: Does Science Know How Fossils Form?. A brief taphonomy bibliography.
R. Lockwood and L.R. Chastant (2006): Quantifying taphonomic bias of compositional fidelity, species richness, and rank abundance in molluscan death assemblages from the upper Chesapeake Bay. In PDF, Palaios, 21: 376–383. See also here.
R.L. Lyman (2010): What Taphonomy Is, What it Isn´t, and Why Taphonomists Should Care about the Difference. In PDF, Journal of Taphonomy, 8.
A.C. Mancuso and C.A. Marsicano (2008): Paleoenvironments and taphonomy of a Triassic lacustrine system (Los Rastros Formation, central-western Argentina). In PDF, Palaios, 23: 535–547. See also here.
! R.E. Martin (1999): Taphonomy: A Process Approach (provided by Google Books). Cambridge Paleobiology Series, Cambridge University Press.
R.E. Martin et al. (1999): Taphonomy as an environmental science. In PDF, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 149.
R.C. Martindale and A.M. Weiss (2020): “Taphonomy: Dead and fossilized”: A new board game designed to teach college undergraduate students about the process of fossilization. In PDF, Journal of Geoscience Education, 68: 265-285.
! X. Martinez-Delclòs et al. (2004): Taphonomy of insects in carbonates and amber. In PDF, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 203: 19-64. See also here.
S. McMahon et al. (2018): A Field Guide to Finding Fossils on Mars. Open access, Journal of Geophysical Research: Planets, 123: 1012–1040.
J.R. Moore (2012): Do terrestrial vertebrate fossil assemblages show consistent taphonomic patterns?. In PDF, Palaios, 27: 220-234. See also here (abstract).
G.R. Morton (2003): Non Catastrophic and Modern Fossilization. Provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine. See also here
! A.D. Muscente et al. (2017): Exceptionally preserved fossil assemblages through geologic time and space. Abstract, Gondwana Research, 48: 164-188. See also here (in PDF).
A. Nel et al. (2014): Exceptionally preserved insect fossils in the Late Jurassic lagoon of Orbagnoux (Rhone Valley, France). Open access, PeerJ.
S.A. Newman et al. (2019):
preservation of muscle tissue in quartz sand and kaolinite. Abstract,
Palaios, 34: 437–451.
See also here (in PDF).
John Nudds and Paul Selden (2008): Fossil-Lagerstätten. In PDF, Geology Today, Vol. 24.
Nuke ODP, Spain: Geologist Online. Go to: Science: Earth_Sciences: Paleontology: Taphonomy. A link directory.
P.J. Orr et al. (2016): “Stick ‘n’ peel”: Explaining unusual patterns of disarticulation and loss of completeness in fossil vertebrates. Abstract, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 457: 380-388. See also here and there.
G.L. Osés et al. (2016): Deciphering the preservation of fossil insects: a case study from the Crato Member, Early Cretaceous of Brazil. PeerJ., 4: e2756.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory,
to understand lecture notes.
Snapshot provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
See especially: Fossils. Powerpoint presentation.
The Paleontological Research Institution, Ithaca, NY:
Hyde Park Mastodon Research,
Snapshot provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
M.V. Pardo Alonso, Taphos 2002, Valencia, Spain: CURRENT TOPICS ON TAPHONOMY AND FOSSILIZATION. Book Review. This book, entitled "Current Topics on Taphonomy and Fossilization" results from a general call for papers to be presented in the International Conference Taphos 2002, 3rd Meeting on Taphonomy and Fossilization, Valencia, February 14-16, 2002.
L.A. Parry et al. (2018):
Fossils Are Not Simply Rotten Carcasses –
Toward a Holistic Understanding of Exceptional Fossil
Exceptional Fossil Preservation Is Complex and Involves the Interplay of Numerous Biological and
Abstract, BioEssays, 40: 1700167. See also here (in PDF).
Note figure 1: The long journey from live organism to fossil. "... soft-bodied fossils have passed through numerous filters prior to discovery that remove, modify, or preserve anatomical characters. ..."
"... Although laboratory decay experiments reveal important aspects of fossilization, applying the results directly to the interpretation of exceptionally preserved fossils may overlook the impact of other key processes that remove or preserve morphological information".
Imogen Poole, Pim F. van Bergen, Johan Kool, Stefan Schouten and David J. Cantrill: Molecular isotopic heterogeneity of fossil organic matter: implications for δ13Cbiomass and δ13Cpalaeoatmosphere proxies. PDF file, Organic Geochemistry 35(11-12) (2004) 1261-1274 (via Virtual Journal Geobiology, volume 3, Issue 9, September 2004, section 2B).
E.C. Raff et al. (2008): Embryo fossilization is a biological process mediated by microbial biofilms. In PDF, PNAS, 105.
Authored by the The Rhynie Chert Research Group, University of Aberdeen, with contributions and support by the Palaeobotanical Research Group, University of Münster, Germany, the Centre for Palynology, University of Sheffield, The Natural History Museum, London, and The Royal Museum, National Museums of Scotland: The Biota of Early Terrestrial Ecosystems, The Rhynie Chert. A resource site for students and teachers covering many aspects of the present knowledge of this unique geological deposit (including a glossary and bibliography pages). Go to: Taphonomy of the Rhynie Chert, and Silicification and the Conversion of Sinter to Chert.
Sue Rigby, Geology, Geophysics, Environmental Geoscience,
Grant Institute, University of Edinburgh:
! Fossilization. Powerpoint presentation.
N. Robin et al. (2015): Calcification and Diagenesis of Bacterial Colonies. In PDF, Minerals, 5: 488-506.
G.N. Sadovnikov (2011): On Quantitative and Semiquantitative Analysis of the Paleozoic-Mesozoic Nonmarine Paleoecosystems. In PDF, Paleontological Journal, 45: 105-111.
E.T. Saitta et al. (2018): Sediment-encased maturation: a novel method for simulating diagenesis in organic fossil preservation.Abstract, Palaeontology, Palaeontology, 2018, pp. 1–16. See also here (in PDF).
! J.D. Schiffbauer et al. (2014): A unifying model for Neoproterozoic–Palaeozoic exceptional fossil preservation through pyritization and carbonaceous compression. Open access, Nature Communications, 5. See also here.
J.D. Schiffbauer and M. LaFlamme (2012): Lagerstätten through time: A collection of exceptional preservational pathway from the terminal Neoproterozoic through today. In PDF, Palaios.
Sabine Schmidt, Gravity Research Group,
Institut für Geowissenschaften, Christian-Albrechts-Universität zu Kiel, Germany:
Now provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine. Go to: Biostratonomie: Fossildiagenese. Scroll down to: "Die Erhaltung von Pflanzen" (in German).
Scholastic Science World: Fossils. Powerpoint presentation. The nuts and bolts of fossil preservation.
J.W. Schopf (1999), article starts on PDF page 105: Fossils and Pseudofossils: Lessons from the Hunt for Early Life on Earth. In PDF; In: Proceedings of the Workshop on Size Limits of Very Small Organisms, Space Studies Board, National Research Council, National Academies Press, Washington, DC. See also here.Sciencedirect.com: ScienceDirect Topic Pages. These pages provide concept definitions and subject overviews. Each synopsis provides a series of short, authoritative, excerpts from highly relevant book chapters. These topic summaries are derived from Elsevier encyclopedias, reference works and books.
Science Online Center: Earth_Sciences - Paleontology - Taphonomy. An annotated link directory.
A. Seilacher et al. (1985):
ecological and temporal patterns of fossil Lagerstätten.
Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London, B, Biological sciences, 311: 5-23.
! See also here (in PDF).
J.O. Shaw et al. (2021): Disentangling ecological and taphonomic signals in ancient food webs. Open access, Paleobiology, 2021: 1–17; DOI: 10.1017/pab.2020.59.
Roy Shepherd, Discovery Fossils, UK: What is a fossil? Easy to understand introduction.
! P.W. Signor III and J.H. Lipps (1982): Sampling bias, gradual extinction patterns and catastrophes in the fossil record. In PDF, Geological Society of America. This expired link is available through the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
! C. Smith (2005): Taphonomy: A resource guide (in PDF).
R.M.H. Smith and J. Botha-Brink (2014): Anatomy of a mass extinction: Sedimentological and taphonomic evidence for drought-induced die-offs at the Permo-Triassic boundary in the main Karoo Basin, South Africa. In PDF, Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 396. See also here (abstract).
Selena Y. Smith et al. (2009): Virtual taphonomy using synchrotron tomographic microscopy reveals cryptic features and internal structure of modern and fossil plants. PDF file, PNAS, 106: 12013-12018. See also here (abstract).
C.M. Soja (1999): Using an experiment in burial taphonomy to delve into the fossil record. PDF file, Journal of geoscience education.
S. Aaron Spriggs, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO: Taphonomy: Death Is A Sure Bet, Fossilization Is A Long Shot. Provided by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
B.A. Stankiewicz et al.: Molecular taphonomy of arthropod and plant cuticles from the Carboniferous of North America: implications for the origin of kerogen. Journal of the Geological Society, June 1, 1998; 155(3): 453 - 462.A.L. Stigall et al. (2008): Taphonomy of Lacustrine Interbeds in the Kirkpatrick Basalt (Jurassic), Antarctica. Abstract, Palaios, 23: 344-355.
C.E. Syme and S.W. Salisbury (2018): Taphonomy of Isisfordia duncani specimens from the Lower Cretaceous (upper Albian) portion of the Winton Formation, Isisford, central-west Queensland. Free access, R. Soc. open sci., 5:
TAPHOS 2011, Institute of Geosciences, University of Tübingen. The programme (in PDF) can be downloaded here and there.
Teaching Biology, Random Posts on Biological Topics (by Marc Srour, Enalia Physis Environmental Research Center, Cyprus): Taxonomic Bias in the Fossil Record: Is it really an issue?
! R.C. Terry (2009): Palaeoecology: Methods. Abstract. See also here (in PDF), and there.
! Q. Tian et al. (2020): Experimental investigation of insect deposition in lentic environments and implications for formation of Konservat Lagerstätten. Abstract, Palaeontology, 63: 565-578. See also here (in PDF).
! A.M.F. Tomescu et al. (2016): Microbes and the fossil record: selected topics in paleomicrobiology. Abstract, in: Hurst C. (ed.) Their World: A Diversity of Microbial Environments. Advances in Environmental Microbiology, vol 1: 69-169. See also here (in PDF).
T.P. Topper et al. (2018): Characterization of kerogenous films and taphonomic modes of the Sirius Passet Lagerstätte, Greenland. Open access, Geology, 46: 359-362.
! P.F. van Bergen et al. (1995): Resistant biomacromolecules in the fossil record. Abstract, Acta botanica neerlandica. See also here (in PDF).
Mike Viney, The Virtual Petrified Wood Museum: Fossils. In PDF.
Roger M. Wells Jr. et al., Department of Geology, State University of New York, Cortland, NY: The Invertebrate Paleontology Tutorial Web Site. Lecture notes. Go to: Taphonomy & Preservation, and Forms of Preservation.
University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada:
Lecture Resources. Go to:
Fossils and their preservation.
Friedrich Widdel and Ralf Rabus (2001):
biodegradation of saturated and aromatic hydrocarbons. PDF file,
Current Opinion in Biotechnology, 12: 259-276.
The link is to a version archived by the Internet Archive´s Wayback Machine.
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Taphonomy, and Fossilisationslehre (in German).
! M.V.H. Wilson (1988): Taphonomic processes: Information loss and information gain In PDF, Geoscience Canada.
Ewan Wolff, Montana State University Geoscience Education Web Development Team: Advances in Paleontology. Go to: Taphonomy: The Study of Preservation.
K.J. Wu (2019):
Swimming School of 50-Million-Year-Old Fish, Caught in the Act.
A slab of limestone might hold a snapshot of collective behavior in an ancient species.
Unbelievable. Any doubts (?!).
K.E. Zeigler et al. (2005):
analysis of a fire-related Upper Triassic
vertebrate fossil assemblage from north-central New Mexico. PDF file;
New Mexico Geological Society, 56th Field Conference Guidebook, Geology of
the Chama Basin, 2005, p. 341-351.
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