Lesson 2

Taphonomy

The study of all natural processes that involve an organism after it dies, including decay, scavenging, fossilization, and erosion.

Bloat-and-float

A phenomenon where a carcass swells with gases and may float, leading to its transportation by water.

Sedimentary rocks

Rocks that form when mineral and organic particles accumulate and become either cemented or compacted together, commonly housing fossils.

Fluvial deposits

Sedimentary deposits formed by rivers and streams, typically found in ancient river and stream environments.

Lacustrine deposits

Sediments that accumulate in lakes, often preserving soft tissues due to minimal water disturbance.

Permineralization

The process by which minerals fill the empty internal spaces of a bone, preserving it.

Replacement

The gradual decay of original bone while minerals fill the space previously occupied by the bone.

Plastic deformation

A change in the shape of a buried fossil due to pressure that does not revert to its original shape even after the pressure is removed.

Badlands

Arid environments with sparse vegetation and high erosion rates, making them ideal for fossil hunting.

Overburden

The rock and earth that cover a fossil specimen and must be removed during excavation.

Bonebed

An accumulation of the bones of many dinosaurs, often found together in a single location.

Abrasion

The wear or scratching of bone surfaces that indicates transportation distance and potential interactions with carnivores.

Erosion

The process by which material is worn away from the Earth's surface, often revealing fossils.

Fossilization

The process by which living organisms become preserved as fossils, often requiring specific conditions like burial.

Coal

A special type of sedimentary rock that forms from the compressed remains of plants, indicative of former swampy environments.