Macrofossil
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Macrofossils, also known as megafossils, are preserved organic remains large enough to be visible without a microscope.[1] The term macrofossil stands in opposition to the term microfossil. Microfossils, by contrast, require substantial magnification for evaluation by fossil-hunters or professional paleontologists. As a result, most fossils observed in the field and most "museum-quality" specimens are macrofossils.
Varieties
Plant macrofossils
Plant macrofossils include leaf, needle, cone, and stem debris; and can be used to identify types of plants formerly growing in the area. Such botanical macrofossil data provide a valuable complement to pollen and faunal data that can be used to reconstruct the prehistoric terrestrial environment. Algal macrofossils (for instance, brown kelp, sea lettuce and large stromatolites) are increasingly used to analyze prehistoric marine and aquatic ecosystems. The study of these fossils is called paleobotany.[2] Plant macrofossils are increasingly being used along with pollen microfossils to reconstruct past climates.[3]
Vertebrate macrofossils
Vertebrate macrofossils include the teeth, skulls, and bones. Vertebrate macrofossils are used to reconstruct extinct animals, determine their behaviors and how they evolved. Well preserved body fossils are of particular use in helping to reassemble extinct animal body structures.[4]
Invertebrate macrofossils
Invertebrate macrofossils include remains such as shells, tests, faunal armor, and exoskeletons. The bodies of small and soft bodied invertebrates rarely fossilize. Meanwhile large and hard bodied invertebrates more commonly fossilize. The study of these fossils is a subdivision of paleontology called invertebrate paleontology.[4]
Fungi macrofossils
Fungi macrofossils include fungal bodies and filaments. Most fungi fossils are found in amber. [5] Fungi fossils are under-researched compared to animal and plant fossils. Macrofossils of fungi are rarer and are more commonly found as microfossils.[6] The study of these fossils is called paleomycology.
Trace macrofossils
Trace macrofossils are fossilized evidence of animal behavior. These may include tracks, burrows and dung (coprolites).[7] Trace fossils are the primary type of fossils used by paleontologist to reconstruct extinct animal behaviors. The study of these fossils is called Ichnology.[8]
Chemo macrofossils
Chemo-fossils are the fossilized chemical remains of an organism. For example coal is the fossilized chemical remains of extinct plant matter.[9]
Image gallery
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Eocene fossil fish Priscacara liops from the Green River Formation of Utah. -
Rudist bivalves from the Cretaceous of the Omani Mountains, United Arab Emirates. Scale bar is 10 mm. -
The enigmatic Ediacaran lifeform known as Palaeopascichnus is known as a Macrofossil.
References
- ^ "Macrofossil". Merriam Webster. Retrieved 4 March 2017.
- ^ "Paleoecology". Digital Atlas of Ancient Life. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ Birks, H H. "Macrofossil". Science Direct. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ a b "Fossils in Arkansas". www.geology.arkansas.gov. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ "Paleomycology: Discovering the fungal contemporaries of dinosaurs :Cornell Mushroom Blog". Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ "Fossil Record of the Fungi". ucmp.berkeley.edu. Retrieved 2024-03-25.
- ^ Blong, John C.; Whelton, Helen L.; van Asperen, Eline N.; Bull, Ian D.; Shillito, Lisa-Marie (2023). "Sequential biomolecular, macrofossil, and microfossil extraction from coprolites for reconstructing past behavior and environments". Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution. 11. doi:10.3389/fevo.2023.1131294/full. ISSN 2296-701X.
{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link) - ^ Seilacher, D. Bathymetry of trace fossils. Marine Geology.
- ^ Harrison, T M. Hadean Earth. Cham Springer.