Journal articles: 'Taphonomy'

1

Donovan, Stephen K. "Taphonomy." Geology Today 18, no. 6 (November 2002): 226–31. http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.0266-6979.2003.00373.x.

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Palmer, Douglas. "Taphonomy." Endeavour 16, no. 4 (December 1992): 167–72. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0160-9327(92)90043-o.

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Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Susan M. Kidwell, and Robert A. Gastaldo. "Taphonomy and paleobiology." Paleobiology 26, S4 (2000): 103–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300026907.

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Taphonomy plays diverse roles in paleobiology. These include assessing sample quality relevant to ecologic, biogeographic, and evolutionary questions, diagnosing the roles of various taphonomic agents, processes and circumstances in generating the sedimentary and fossil records, and reconstructing the dynamics of organic recycling over time as a part of Earth history. Major advances over the past 15 years have occurred in understanding (1) the controls on preservation, especially the ecology and biogeochemistry of soft-tissue preservation, and the dominance of biological versus physical agents in the destruction of remains from all major taxonomic groups (plants, invertebrates, vertebrates); (2) scales of spatial and temporal resolution, particularly the relatively minor role of out-of-habitat transport contrasted with the major effects of time-averaging; (3) quantitative compositional fidelity; that is, the degree to which different types of assemblages reflect the species composition and abundance of source faunas and floras; and (4) large-scale variations through time in preservational regimes (megabiases), caused by the evolution of new bodyplans and behavioral capabilities, and by broad-scale changes in climate, tectonics, and geochemistry of Earth surface systems. Paleobiological questions regarding major trends in biodiversity, major extinctions and recoveries, timing of cladogenesis and rates of evolution, and the role of environmental forcing in evolution all entail issues appropriate for taphonomic analysis, and a wide range of strategies are being developed to minimize the impact of sample incompleteness and bias. These include taphonomically robust metrics of paleontologic patterns, gap analysis, equalizing samples via rarefaction, inferences about preservation probability, isotaphonomic comparisons, taphonomic control taxa, and modeling of artificial fossil assemblages based on modern analogues. All of this work is yielding a more quantitative assessment of both the positive and negative aspects of paleobiological samples. Comparisons and syntheses of patterns across major groups and over a wider range of temporal and spatial scales present a challenging and exciting agenda for taphonomy in the coming decades.

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Milideo, Lauren E., Russell W. Graham, Carl R. Falk, Holmes A. Semken, and Max L. Christie. "Overprinting of taphonomic and paleoecological signals across the forest–prairie environmental gradient, mid-continent of North America." Paleobiology 44, no. 3 (July 26, 2018): 546–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pab.2018.18.

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AbstractTaphonomic factors may significantly alter faunal assemblages at varying scales. An exceptional record of late Holocene (<4000 yr old) mammal faunas establishes a firm baseline to investigate the effects of scale on taphonomy. Our sample contains 73 sites within four contiguous states (North Dakota, South Dakota, Iowa, and Illinois, USA) that transect a strong modern and late Holocene environmental gradient, the prairie–forest ecotone. We performed detrended correspondence (DCA) and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analyses. Both DCA and NMDS analyses of the data sets produced virtually the same results, and both failed to reveal the known ecological gradient within each state. However, both DCA and NMDS analyses of the unfiltered multistate data set across the entire gradient clearly reflect an environmental, rather than taphonomic, signal. DCA tended to provide better separation of some clusters than did NMDS in most of the analyses. We conclude that a robust mammal data set collected across a strong environmental gradient will document species turnover without the removal of taphonomic factors. In other words, taphonomy exhibits varying scale-dependent effects.

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GÓMEZ LÓPEZ, ANA MARÍA. "On taphonomy: collages and collections at the Geiseltalmuseum." BJHS Themes 4 (2019): 195–214. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/bjt.2019.13.

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AbstractGerman palaeontologist Johannes Weigelt (1890–1948) was the first proponent of taphonomy – the study of the decay, burial and fossilization of plants, animals and other organisms across geological time. Thousands of his fossil specimens, many recovered from coal fields in central Germany, are stored within the Geiseltalmuseum – a palaeontological collection at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, founded by Weigelt in 1934. A significant portion of Weigelt's papers and extensive photographic production related to his taphonomic research are also within the museum's holdings. Amidst these documents, museum curator Dr Meinholf Hellmund and I discovered over forty photo-collages attributable to Weigelt. This visual essay exposes the through-lines between Weigelt's unpublished collages and his academic activities on taphonomy, suggesting the museum archive as a site of ideological fault lines crossing concomitant artistic and scientific production.

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Briggs, Derek E. G. "Experimental Taphonomy." PALAIOS 10, no. 6 (December 1995): 539. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3515093.

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Kidwell, Susan, and Michael LaBarbera. "Experimental Taphonomy." PALAIOS 8, no. 3 (June 1993): 217. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3515143.

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Hutchinson, Peter J. "Environmental Taphonomy." PALAIOS 12, no. 5 (October 1997): 403. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3515379.

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Guy, Hervé, Claude Masset, and Charles-Albert Baud. "Infant taphonomy." International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 7, no. 3 (May 1997): 221–29. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/(sici)1099-1212(199705)7:3<221::aid-oa338>3.0.co;2-z.

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CARON, VINCENT, FRANÇOIS-XAVIER JOANNY, JULIEN BAILLEUL, MAXIME PEROT, FRANK CHANIER, and GEOFFROY MAHIEUX. "TAPHOGRAPH: A SPREADSHEET METHOD TO GRAPHICALLY CHARACTERIZE THE TAPHONOMY OF SKELETAL PARTICLES." PALAIOS 37, no. 7 (July 25, 2022): 392–401. http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/palo.2021.009.

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ABSTRACT Taphonomic analysis is a useful tool to assess the intensity of alteration of skeletal remains and to help characterize depositional conditions as well as completeness and resolution of fossil assemblages. We herein introduce TAPHOGRAPH, an Excel spreadsheet script (a R code is also available), for the production of taphonomic diagrams to characterize the taphonomy of skeletal remains. The graphical representation depicts four taphonomic factors (fragmentation, abrasion, bioerosion, and encrustation) as a cumulative curve that allows visualization and comparison of the degree and variability of taphonomic alteration for different hard part types from one or more samples in a single diagram. The TAPHOGRAPH methodology is highly flexible, and can be used to assess the relative influence of mechanical versus biological (versus chemical) taphonomic alteration. The TAPHOGRAPH approach can guide inferences about hydraulic regimes, residence time at the seafloor, and intensity of different taphonomic processes.

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Wilson, Mark V. H., and Douglas G. Barton. "Seven centuries of taphonomic variation in Eocene freshwater fishes preserved in varves: paleoenvironments and temporal averaging." Paleobiology 22, no. 4 (1996): 535–42. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0094837300016511.

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Eocene lake beds of Horsefly, British Columbia, are preserved in varves, or discrete yearly layers representing seasonal changes in the lake. These varves allow study of temporal variation and rates of change in morphological and ecological characters on a very short time scale. One of the most sensitive indicators of the paleoenvironmental conditions on the floor of the lake may be the taphonomic condition of the fishes, which vary between perfectly articulated and completely disarticulated skeletons. Patterns of disarticulation correspond to those produced by scavengers. The taphonomy supports the hypothesis that the lake was warm monomictic, circulating in the winter, at which time scavengers could gain access to the bottom of the lake. Larger-scale environmental events (on the order of hundreds of years) are suggested by the fact that the proportion of well-preserved specimens reached two peaks within the seven centuries of deposition, one peak during the second century and another during the fifth and sixth centuries. These results clearly demonstrate two principles: that taphonomy can be a sensitive indicator of paleoenvironmental conditions, and that temporal averaging can affect the taphonomic properties of this fossil site, and presumably of others with equal or lower time resolution.

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NOE-NYGAARD, NANNA. "Taphonomy in Archaeology." Journal of Danish Archaeology 6, no. 1 (January 1987): 7–52. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0108464x.1987.10589975.

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Mallol, Carolina, and Pascal Bertran. "Geoarchaeology and taphonomy." Quaternary International 214, no. 1-2 (March 2010): 1–2. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2009.10.014.

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Behrensmeyer, Anna K., Susan M. Kidwell, and Robert A. Gastaldo. "Taphonomy and paleobiology." Paleobiology 26, sp4 (December 2000): 103–47. http://dx.doi.org/10.1666/0094-8373(2000)26[103:tap]2.0.co;2.

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Denys, C. "Taphonomy and experimentation." Archaeometry 44, no. 3 (August 2002): 469–84. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1475-4754.00079.

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Andrews, P. "Experiments in Taphonomy." Journal of Archaeological Science 22, no. 2 (March 1995): 147–53. http://dx.doi.org/10.1006/jasc.1995.0016.

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SAITTA, EVAN T., CHRISTOPHER S. ROGERS, RICHARD A. BROOKER, and JAKOB VINTHER. "EXPERIMENTAL TAPHONOMY OF KERATIN: A STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF EARLY TAPHONOMIC CHANGES." PALAIOS 32, no. 10 (October 10, 2017): 647–57. http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/palo.2017.051.

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Masele, Frank. "Zooarchaeology and Taphonomic Aspects of Later Stone Age Faunal Assemblage from Loiyangalani Site in Serengeti National Park, Tanzania." Tanzania Journal of Science 47, no. 3 (August 14, 2021): 1073–85. http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/tjs.v47i3.18.

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The paper presents detailed zooarchaeological and taphonomic results on the Later Stone Age (LSA) faunal assemblage. The contributions of various taphonomic agents in the formation of the assemblage are accentuated. The assemblage is well-preserved and the majority of specimens are not highly weathered. Fluvial disturbance did not play a significant role and can be ruled out as a significant taphonomic agent in the formation. Results indicate that LSA humans exploited high-quality nutritional resources mainly of the large-sized animals and aquatic resources as extra sources of meat and fat. The assemblage preserves stone tools butchery marks (cut marks and percussion marks) and carnivore marks (tooth marks) albeit few. Overall, the faunal assemblage exhibits high anthropogenic inputs and marginal carnivore involvement. Keywords: Zooarchaeology; Taphonomy; Later Stone Age; Serengeti National Park; Loiyangalani; Tanzania

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Borrero, Luis Alberto. "Taphonomy of Guanaco Bones in Tierra del Fuego." Quaternary Research 34, no. 3 (November 1990): 361–71. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0033-5894(90)90047-o.

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AbstractGuanaco carcasses are deposited in great quantities in Cabo San Pablo, Tierra del Fuego (Argentina), as a result of winter stress. Taphonomic studies indicate that the gnawing action of foxes on guanaco (Lama guanicoe) carcasses produces only very tenuous marks on the bones. Lack of sustained interest in the carcasses by carnivores results in slow disarticulation. The articulated and disarticulated bones are exposed to heavy trampling by guanacos, a process that produces vertical migration of small/dense bones and fracturing of the most weathered bones. An understanding of this ongoing process is important for local archaeology, since modern bones are migrating into archaeological contexts. A regional approach to taphonomy is the most appropriate instrument to solve this and other related problems.

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Kenchington, Charlotte G., and Philip R. Wilby. "Of Time and Taphonomy: Preservation in the Ediacaran." Paleontological Society Papers 20 (October 2014): 101–22. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1089332600002825.

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The late Neoproterozoic witnessed a revolution in the history of life: the transition from a microbial world to the one known today. The enigmatic organisms of the Ediacaran hold the key to understanding the early evolution of metazoans and their ecology, and thus the basis of Phanerozoic life. Crucial to interpreting the information they divulge is a thorough understanding of their taphonomy: what is preserved, how it is preserved, and also what is not preserved. Fortunately, this Period is also recognized for its abundance of soft-tissue preservation, which is viewed through a wide variety of taphonomic windows. Some of these, such as pyritization and carbonaceous compression, are also present throughout the Phanerozoic, but the abundance and variety of moldic preservation of body fossils in siliciclastic settings is unique to the Ediacaran. In rare cases, one organism is preserved in several preservational styles which, in conjunction with an increased understanding of the taphonomic processes involved in each style, allow confident interpretations of aspects of the biology and ecology of the organisms preserved. Several groundbreaking advances in this field have been made since the 1990s, and have paved the way for increasingly thorough analyses and elegant interpretations.

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Flessa, Karl W., and A. A. Ekdale. "Paleoecology and Taphonomy of Recent to Pleistocene Intertidal Deposits, Gulf of California." Paleontological Society Special Publications 2 (1987): 2–33. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s247526220000469x.

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The purpose of this field trip is to examine sedimentary environments, fauna, and Pleistocene deposits in the northeastern Gulf of California. The coastal area experiences tides of up to 8 meters in amplitude, the Gulf harbors a rich invertebrate fauna, especially molluscs, crustaceans, and echinoderms, and the arid climate of the region makes for a distinctive sedimentary regime. Adjacent fossiliferous Pleistocene deposits provide a glimpse into both ancient habitats and taphonomic processes. In short, the area is an excellent natural laboratory – a laboratory for the study of Recent animal-sediment relations, sedimentary processes, and taphonomy.

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Hedrick, Brandon P., Emma R. Schachner, Gabriel Rivera, Peter Dodson, and Stephanie E. Pierce. "The effects of skeletal asymmetry on interpreting biologic variation and taphonomy in the fossil record." Paleobiology 45, no. 1 (December 31, 2018): 154–66. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/pab.2018.42.

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AbstractBiologic asymmetry is present in all bilaterally symmetric organisms as a result of normal developmental instability. However, fossilized organisms, which have undergone distortion due to burial, may have additional asymmetry as a result of taphonomic processes. To investigate this issue, we evaluated the magnitude of shape variation resulting from taphonomy on vertebrate bone using a novel application of fluctuating asymmetry. We quantified the amount of total variance attributed to asymmetry in a taphonomically distorted fossil taxon and compared it with that of three extant taxa. The fossil taxon had an average of 27% higher asymmetry than the extant taxa. In spite of the high amount of taphonomic input, the major axes of shape variation were not greatly altered by removal of the asymmetric component of shape variation. This presents the possibility that either underlying biologic trends drive the principal directions of shape change irrespective of asymmetric taphonomic distortion or that the symmetric taphonomic component is large enough that removing only the asymmetric component is inadequate to restore fossil shape. Our study is the first to present quantitative data on the relative magnitude of taphonomic shape change and presents a new method to further explore how taphonomic processes impact our interpretation of the fossil record.

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Manning-Berg, Ashley, R. Wood, Kenneth Williford, Andrew Czaja, and Linda Kah. "The Taphonomy of Proterozoic Microbial Mats and Implications for Early Diagenetic Silicification." Geosciences 9, no. 1 (January 14, 2019): 40. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/geosciences9010040.

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The complex nature of growth and decomposition in microbial mats results in a broad range of microbial preservation. Such taphonomic variability complicates both the description of microbial elements preserved within geologic materials and the potential interpretation of microbial biomarkers. This study uses a taphonomic assessment to explore the preservation of different microbial components within silicified microbial mats of the late Mesoproterozoic (~1.0 Ga) Angmaat Formation, Bylot Supergroup, Baffin Island. The Angmaat Formation consists of unmetamorphosed and essentially undeformed strata that represent intertidal to supratidal deposition within an evaporative microbial flat. Early diagenetic silicification preserved microbial communities across a range of environments, from those episodically exposed to persistently submerged. Here, we present the development of a new methodology involving the use of high-resolution image mosaics to investigate the taphonomy of microfossils preserved in these mats. A taphonomic grade is assigned using a modified classification that accounts for both the taphonomic preservation state (good, fair, poor) of individual microfossils, as well as the degree of compaction of the overall mat. We show that although various taphonomic states occur within each of the silicified mats, the overall taphonomic assessment differentiates between well-preserved mats that are interpreted to have been silicified during active growth, to highly degraded and compacted mats that are interpreted to represent preservation during later stages of biological decomposition. These data indicate that even small changes in the timing of silicification may have substantial implications on our identification of microbial biomarkers and, therefore, our interpretation of early Earth ecosystems.

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Vasconcelos, André Gomide, Bruno Machado Kraemer, and Karin Elise Bohns Meyer. "Tafonomia em cavernas brasileiras: histórico e método de coleta de fósseis preservados em solo carbonatado." Terrae Didatica 14, no. 1 (June 5, 2018): 49–68. http://dx.doi.org/10.20396/td.v14i1.8652042.

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Among fossiliferous quaternary deposits, caves are foremost in interest, in relation to richness as well as diversity of fossils preserved therein. The goals of this study are: (i) to review taphonomic research involving paleovertebrates collected in Brazilian caves, and (ii) to propose a controlled collection method for fossils in carbonate soils. The studies about Brazilian paleovertebrate taphonomy in caves began in the XIX century. Until the 1990s, they were conducted in low priority, restricted to taxonomic and paleoenvironmental aspects. After the 1990s, taphonomic studies became more relevant. They were then applied in quaternary deposits in many Brazilian states and used innovative techniques, e.g., chemical analysis and absolute dating methods. Fossil collecting demonstrated satisfactory results in carbonate soils. This technique safely removes bones without causing damage, and spatially reconstructs their location in the substrate, allowing detailed taphonomic interpretations.

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Portillo, Marta, Kate Dudgeon, Montserrat Anglada, Damià Ramis, Yolanda Llergo, and Antoni Ferrer. "Phytolith and Calcitic Spherulite Indicators from Modern Reference Animal Dung from Mediterranean Island Ecosystems: Menorca, Balearic Islands." Applied Sciences 11, no. 16 (August 4, 2021): 7202. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/app11167202.

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This study illustrates the contribution of plant and faecal microfossil records to interdisciplinary approaches on the identification, composition, taphonomy and seasonality of livestock dung materials. The focus is on the taphonomy of opal phytoliths and calcitic dung spherulites embedded within modern faecal pellets collected from pasture grounds and pens from a range of animals, including cattle, sheep and pigs from three different farms and seasons of the year in Menorca (Balearic Islands, Spain) declared a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO. Modern reference materials provide comparative plant and dung microfossil indicators on factors affecting the formation, composition, preservation and decay of animal faeces, as well as on the diverse environmental and anthropogenic aspects influencing these. The reported results show relevant changes in phytolith and spherulite composition according to animal species and age, livestock management, seasonality, and grazing and foddering regimes. Both microfossil records provide fundamental information on taphonomic issues that are understudied, such as the variation in the digestibility among different species, including under investigated animals such as pigs, as well on the seasonality of plant and faecal microfossils that are excreted with dung as an important material for reconstructing human-environment interactions which is commonly overlooked in archaeology.

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Tumarkin-Deratzian, Allison R. "Designing an Upper-Level Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy Course for Undergraduate Geoscience Majors." Paleontological Society Special Publications 12 (2012): 43–58. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200009229.

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Designing and teaching a vertebrate paleontology course for geoscience majors presents several challenges. Students often come to the course with limited or nonexistent biology backgrounds, and therefore may begin the semester anxious about their ability to master course material. Moreover, students may be skeptical about the value of learning vertebrate skeletal anatomy for their future careers as geoscientists. Vertebrate Paleontology and Taphonomy is an upper-level elective for geoscience majors that was intentionally designed to allow students to develop a basic understanding of vertebrate osteology for themselves before focusing on formational histories of vertebrate skeletal accumulations in geological context. The course relies heavily on hands-on exposure to modern and fossil skeletal material, field trips to local museum galleries and collections, cooperative laboratory activities and projects, and analysis of real-world data sets. Students work together with one another and the instructor to make observations on vertebrate fossils, analyze their own data and data from the primary literature, and interpret taphonomic histories of actual vertebrate assemblages. This structure makes success in the course less about ‘learning vertebrate paleontology’ and more about using vertebrate paleontology and taphonomy as a tool to become effective practicing geoscientists.

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Gupta, Neal S., Hong Yang, and Derek E. G. Briggs. "Molecular Taphonomy of Metasequoia." Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History 48, no. 2 (October 2007): 329–38. http://dx.doi.org/10.3374/0079-032x(2007)48[329:mtom]2.0.co;2.

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Davis, Paul G. "The taphonomy of birds." Paleontological Society Special Publications 6 (1992): 82. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200006420.

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The taphonomy of birds can be investigated with actualistic studies complemented by reviewing Konversat Lagerstätten such as Messel, Green River and Solnhofen.Two field sites were chosen in southern Florida: 1, a freshwater (16–23 ppt salinity) environment in which biogenic carbonate muds were being deposited and 2, a marine (30–34 ppt salinity) environment in which pyritous carbonate muds were being deposited. Ninety-six specimens (36 genera, 40 species) were used in this study (these were obtained from a wildlife centre where they died of natural causes). Experiments were set up in both marine and freshwater sites in the following categories: large protected, unprotected; small protected, unprotected. Protected specimens were placed in metal cages coated with small mesh (1.5mm2) nylon netting.The specimens were allowed to degrade under natural conditions. The following variables were recorded daily over a seventy day period: air and water temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind and current speed and direction, salinity, dissolved oxygen content, pH, and water depth. Specimens from each of the eight categories were sampled at day 1, 4, 7, 11, 28, 56, and 70.Scavengers play a major role in the early taphonomic processes. Unprotected specimens were rapidly removed from the study area by large predators such as alligators (Alligator mississippiensis) and American crocodiles (Crocodylus actus), and Turkey vultures (Cathartes aura). Even protected specimens were prone to attack by more “intelligent” large scavengers such as racoons. Smaller predators include crayfish in the freshwater site and the carnivorous gastropods (Crown conch) in the marine environment. The Crown conch was observed to be a voracious feeder and large numbers rapidly strip all flesh from any carcass within reach of the bottom.Decay proceeds rapidly in the warm waters of the field sites. Within the carcasses temperatures approach optimum bacterial temperatures and large bacterial colonies form within muscle blocks after only one day. The initial decay of the muscle fibres is also rapid (one day) as the muscle myofibrils start to break into short lengths and the myoseptum starts to disintegrate, and has totally disappeared after seven to fourteen days (depending on the initial mass of the bird).From graphs showing plots of percentage weight loss (weight loss as a percentage of original weight) versus time decay can be seen to follow an exponential curve ie. most rapid decay occurs early (as soft tissues decay) then weight loss slows down (after 10 days for small specimens and 28 days for large specimens) as by this time nearly all but the most resistant soft tissues have decayed and the weight loss is due to the removal of skeletal matter to the sedimentary record. Feathers are resistant to the initial stages of decay and the primary and secondary feathers remain attached to the wing bones for up to twenty-eight days even when the soft tissues have been totally removed.The results of the decay experiments have provided directly comparable specimens to those that can be found within the fossil record. This comparison of fossil and modern analogues allows a series of taphonomic thresholds to be defined in the fossilisation of birds.

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Sebastián Muñoz, A., and Mariana Mondini. "Neotropical zooarchaeology and taphonomy." Quaternary International 180, no. 1 (March 2008): 1–4. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2007.10.023.

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Bednarik, Robert G. "A taphonomy of palaeoart." Antiquity 68, no. 258 (March 1994): 68–74. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0003598x00046202.

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As one digs back through the archaeological record, art and other evidence of symbolic behaviour becomes scarcer, so it is much disputed just when human marking behaviour and human language began. Is the fading away a real fact of prehistory, or a distorting effect of selective survival?

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Fernández-Jalvo, Y., L. Scott, and P. Andrews. "Taphonomy in palaeoecological interpretations." Quaternary Science Reviews 30, no. 11-12 (June 2011): 1296–302. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2010.07.022.

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Kowalski, Kazimierz. "Taphonomy of bats (Chiroptera)." Geobios 28 (January 1995): 251–56. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0016-6995(95)80172-3.

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Locatelli, Emma R., Simon A. F. Darroch, Victoria E. McCoy, Ross P. Anderson, Elizabeth G. Clark, and Pincelli M. Hull. "Experimental Taphonomy of Foraminifera." Paleontological Society Special Publications 13 (2014): 122–23. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s2475262200012636.

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GUPTA, NEAL S., DEREK E. G. BRIGGS, and RICHARD D. PANCOST. "Molecular taphonomy of graptolites." Journal of the Geological Society 163, no. 6 (December 2006): 897–900. http://dx.doi.org/10.1144/0016-76492006-070.

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Marín-Arroyo, A. B., R. Madgwick, J.-P. Brugal, and M. Moreno-García. "New Perspectives on Taphonomy." International Journal of Osteoarchaeology 22, no. 5 (August 26, 2011): 505–8. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/oa.1270.

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Alfsdotter, Clara, and Anna Kjellström. "A Taphonomic Interpretation of the Postmortem Fate of the Victims Following the Massacre at Sandby Borg, Sweden." Bioarchaeology International 3, no. 4 (May 21, 2020): 262–82. http://dx.doi.org/10.5744/bi.2019.1016.

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In the ringfort Sandby borg (A.D. 400–550) on Öland, Sweden, remains of 26 unburied humans were excavated between 2010 and 2016. Several of the skeletons display traces of lethal interpersonal violence. This study pres¬ents taphonomic analyses of unburied bodies, a situation seldom encountered archaeologically. The depositional context allows us to investigate human taphonomy in interaction with natural agents both “indoors” and “out¬doors.” A set of various techniques, including documentation of preservation via zoning, weathering stages, frac¬ture analysis, and archaeothanatology, were applied to understand the perimortem and postmortem fate of the human remains. The results of the taphonomic analysis showed no indications of manipulation postmortem. Expected differences in preservation between in-and outdoor skeletons were not observed. Perimortem fire al¬terations were interpreted as the result of burning hearths and smoldering roofs. The analysis indicates that the bodies have decomposed in voids. New observations for “unconfined void” taphonomy are presented. The ab¬duction of limbs could be the result of bloating and, hence, indicate a primary deposit of bodies. Atypical lack of splaying of bones might be caused by decomposition in unconfined voids, possibly allowing quicker drainage of putrefaction liquids than in confined voids such as coffins. These observations suggest that processes behind decomposition in voids are not completely understood archaeologically, and might challenge interpretations of mortuary treatment from human remains. In der Wallburg Sandby borg (400-550 n. Chr.) auf Öland, Schweden, wurden die Überreste von 26 nicht bestat¬teten Menschen gefunden, die zu einem großen Teil Spuren von tödlicher Gewalteinwirkung aufwiesen. In dieser Studie werden die Ergebnisse taphonomischer Untersuchungen von nicht bestatteten menschlichen Überresten präsentiert, auf die man im archäologischen Kontext nur selten trifft. Diese Art der Niederlegung und Auffindung erlaubt es uns die Taphonomie von menschlichen Überresten unter natürlichen Einflüssen von sowohl ”drinnen—im Haus” als auch ”draußen—außer Haus” zu untersuchen. Mehrere unterschiedliche Methoden wurden angewendet um sowohl das perimortale als auch das postmortale Schicksal der menschli¬chen Überreste zu verstehen, darunter Dokumentation der bewahrten Knochenteile, Stadien der Verwitterung, Bruchanalysen und Archäothanatologie. Die Ergebnisse der taphonomischen Untersuchungen zeigten keine postmortalen Veränderungen. Die erwarteten Unterschiede im Zustand der drinnen und draußen bewahrten Skeletten ließen sich nicht bestätigen. Perimortale Veränderungen der verbrannten Knochen wurden als Resul¬tat von aktiven Feuerherden und brennenden Dächern gedeutet. Die Analyse spricht dafür, dass die Körper in Hohlräumen verwesten. Neue Beobachtungen von Taphonomie in ”unbegrenzten Hohlräumen” werden eben¬falls präsentiert. Die Abduktion von Körpergliedern kann auf Aufblähungen beruhen, und spricht damit für eine primäre Niederlegung von Körpern. Der atypische Mangel an verteilten Knochenmaterial kann durch die Verwesung in unbegrenzten Hohlräumen verursacht worden sein, und damit einen schnelleren Abfluss von Verwesungsflüssigkeit erlauben, als es in begrenzten Hohlräumen wie z. B. Särgen der Fall ist. Diese Ergebnisse sprechen dafür, dass Verwesungsprozesse in Hohlräumen archäologisch noch nicht vollständig zu verstehen sind, und daher die Deutung wie menschliche Überreste behandelt wurden in Frage stellen können.

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Lefebvre, Rémi, Ronan Allain, Alexandra Houssaye, and Raphaël Cornette. "Disentangling biological variability and taphonomy: shape analysis of the limb long bones of the sauropodomorph dinosaur Plateosaurus." PeerJ 8 (July 23, 2020): e9359. http://dx.doi.org/10.7717/peerj.9359.

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Sauropodomorph dinosaurs constitute a well-studied clade of dinosaurs, notably because of the acquisition of gigantism within this group. The genus Plateosaurus is one of the best-known sauropodomorphs, with numerous remains from various localities. Its tumultuous taxonomic history suggests the relevance of addressing its intrageneric shape variability, mixed with taphonomic modifications of the original bone shape. Here we investigate quantitatively the morphological variation of Plateosaurus occurring at the genus level by studying the shape variation of a sample of limb long bones. By means of 3D geometric morphometrics, the analysis of the uncorrelated variation permits separation of the variation estimated as obviously taphonomically influenced from the more biologically plausible variation. Beyond the dominant taphonomic signal, our approach permits interpretation of the most biologically plausible features, even on anatomical parts influenced by taphonomic deformations. Those features are thus found on a quantitative basis from the variation of samples containing fossil specimens, by taking the impact of taphonomy into account, which is paramount in order to avoid making biologically ambiguous interpretations.

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Pawłowska, Kamilla, and Lisa-Marie Shillito. "An Integrated Zooarchaeological and Micromorphological Perspective on Midden Taphonomy at Late Neolithic Çatalhöyük." Open Archaeology 8, no. 1 (January 1, 2022): 436–59. http://dx.doi.org/10.1515/opar-2020-0215.

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Abstract The disposal of cultural material at Çatalhöyük, Turkey (7100–5950 cal BCE) has created substantial midden deposits between buildings and within abandoned houses. These consist of a variety of materials, including environmental remains such as eggshell, mollusks, seeds, phytoliths, charcoal, fecal material, along with artefacts including pottery, figurines, beads, and lithics. Animal bone and human bone also form a significant component. Understanding the taphonomy of these deposits and their formation processes is essential in order to interpret the activities represented. Here we present a taphonomic analysis of middens from the TP Area of the site (Late Neolithic, Final Phase), in terms of natural and cultural alterations to bone, through a combination of zooarchaeological analysis, with micromorphological analysis of associated sedimentary contexts. Comparisons with studies of the earlier middens enable us to account for post-depositional processes, and the implications they have for interpreting past activities and waste management practices. Integrating sediment micromorphological analysis enables refinement of the taphonomic interpretations from the analysis of faunal remains and highlights the advantages of a multi-proxy approach.

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Allison, Peter A. "Taphonomy Has Come of Age!" PALAIOS 6, no. 4 (August 1991): 345. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3514962.

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Pike, Edward M. "Amber Taphonomy and Collecting Biases." PALAIOS 8, no. 5 (October 1993): 411. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/3515016.

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Schweitzer, Mary Higby, Wenxia Zheng, and Nancy Equall. "Environmental Factors Affecting Feather Taphonomy." Biology 11, no. 5 (May 3, 2022): 703. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/biology11050703.

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The exceptional preservation of feathers in the fossil record has led to a better understanding of both phylogeny and evolution. Here we address factors that may have contributed to the preservation of feathers in ancient organisms using experimental taphonomy. We show that the atmospheres of the Mesozoic, known to be elevated in both CO2 and with temperatures above present levels, may have contributed to the preservation of these soft tissues by facilitating rapid precipitation of hydroxy- or carbonate hydroxyapatite, thus outpacing natural degradative processes. Data also support that that microbial degradation was enhanced in elevated CO2, but mineral deposition was also enhanced, contributing to preservation by stabilizing the organic components of feathers.

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Child, A. M. "Microbial Taphonomy of Archaeological Bone." Studies in Conservation 40, no. 1 (February 1995): 19. http://dx.doi.org/10.2307/1506608.

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Child, A. M. "Microbial taphonomy of archaeological bone." Studies in Conservation 40, no. 1 (February 1995): 19–30. http://dx.doi.org/10.1179/sic.1995.40.1.19.

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Martin, Ronald E., Susan T. Goldstein, and R. Timothy Patterson. "Taphonomy as an environmental science." Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 149, no. 1-4 (June 1999): vii—viii. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/s0031-0182(98)00187-4.

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Denys, Christiane, and Jean Philip Brugal. "General to specific Quaternary taphonomy." Historical Biology 30, no. 6 (July 2, 2018): 717. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2018.1429856.

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Kusmer, Karla D. "Taphonomy of owl pellet deposition." Journal of Paleontology 64, no. 4 (July 1990): 629–37. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0022336000042669.

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Remains derived from owl pellets are a major source of small-animal remains in paleontological and archaeological sites. Pellet remains are examined here to further develop workable strategies for extracting taphonomic information from microvertebrate assemblages. Study of the remains of three wild owl species yielded characteristic patterns of bone fragmentation and skeletal element representation. At the assemblage level, owl-derived assemblages are shown to differ quantitatively from other assemblages. The possible variability to be expected in owl-derived assemblages is examined and the patterns are contrasted with those produced by other depositional agents. The patterns can be useful in the identification of owl-deposited remains in some assemblages; however, overlap with patterns produced by other mechanisms may complicate analysis.

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Brett, Carlton E., Heather A. Moffat, and Wendy L. Taylor. "Echinoderm taphonomy, taphofacies, and Lagerstätten." Paleontological Society Papers 3 (October 1997): 147–90. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s1089332600000243.

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Taphonomic study of echinoderms provides useful information on sedimentary conditions before, during, and after burial. Taphonomic studies of Recent echinoderms indicate that much skeletal disarticulation occurs within a few days after death. However, experiments also indicate that within a short period after death echinoderm carcasses remain rather resistant to disarticulation, and thus may be transported a considerable distance by currents; following periods of a few hours of decay, more delicate portions of echinoderm skeletons are readily disarticulated. Some skeletal modules (e.g., crinoid pluricolumnals) may resist disarticulation for periods of months in quiet- and or cool-water environments. Anoxia promotes intact preservation by excluding scavenging metazoans. Echinoderm ossicles may undergo minor abrasion and/or corrosion if left exposed, and less dense stereom corrodes much more rapidly than dense plates, such as echinoid spines. However, heavily abraded ossicles may indicate prefossilization and reworking.Various groups of echinoderms (e.g., pelmatozoans, asterozoans, echinoids) have differing propensities for degradation and, therefore, produce different arrays of preserved fossil material primarily depending upon the relative rates of burial, bottom-water oxygenation, and turbulence. Echinoderms may be divided into three groups based upon the relative ease of skeletal disarticulation. Type 1 echinoderms include weakly articulated forms (e.g., asteroids and ophiuroids) that rapidly disintegrate into individual ossicles. Type 2 includes those echinoderms whose bodies contain portions in which are more tightly sutured, as well as portions in which the ossicles are somewhat more delicately bound (e.g., crinoids, regular echinoids). Such echinoderms display more varied taphonomic grades from fully intact to mixtures of isolated ossicles and articulated modules. Type 3 comprises those echinoderms (e.g., irregular echinoids) in which major portions of the skeleton are so resistant to disarticulation that they may be broken across sutures rather than coming apart at plate boundaries.Comparative taphonomy of particular types of echinoderm skeletal remains leads to recognition of distinctive taphofacies that characterize particular depositional environments. Taphofacies include two types of characteristic modes of fossil preservation: event taphonomic signatures and background taphonomic signatures. Depending upon normal conditions of environmental energy and rates of sedimentation, the background condition of various types of echinoderms for a given facies may range from articulated, unabraded skeletal modules (in Types 2 and 3) to highly corroded and/or abraded ossicles. Conversely, the occurrence of fully intact fossil echinoderms provides unambiguous evidence of rapid and deep burial of benthic communities. Such well-preserved fossil assemblages can provide a wealth of information regarding the paleobiology of echinoderms, as well as the nature of the depositional events and burial histories.This paper presents a preliminary classification and characterization of background and event aspects of echinoderm taphofacies for carbonate- (9 taphofacies, including reefs and hardgrounds) and siliciclastic-dominated (5 taphofacies) environments. In each case, we recognize a spectrum of echinoderm taphofacies that coincides with a gradient of environments, ranging from nearshore, high energy shoreface through proximal and distal storm-influenced shelf, to deeper ramp and dysoxic basinal settings. Most taphofacies also feature particular styles of obrution (smothered bottom) Lagerstätten. These range from scattered lenses of articulated fossils in some high energy sandstone and grainstone facies to bedding planes of articulated, pyrite coated specimens in dark shales. We classify and discuss the genesis of these types of Lagerstätten and list typical examples. Finally, we present a simple model that integrates the occurrence of various echinoderm taphofacies with concepts of cyclic and sequence stratigraphy.

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Trueman, Clive N. "Chemical taphonomy of biomineralized tissues." Palaeontology 56, no. 3 (April 27, 2013): 475–86. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/pala.12041.

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Reinhard, Karl, Morgana Camacho, Breyden Geyer, Samantha Hayek, Chase Horn, Kaitlin Otterson, and Julia Russ. "Imaging coprolite taphonomy and preservation." Archaeological and Anthropological Sciences 11, no. 11 (November 2019): 6017–35. http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s12520-019-00946-w.

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50

Crux, Jason. "Trace fossils: Biology and taphonomy." Marine and Petroleum Geology 8, no. 1 (February 1991): 119. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0264-8172(91)90057-8.

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Journal articles on the topic 'Taphonomy'

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