microfossils
Microscopic ancient traces
Microfossils are fossil remains too small to study without magnification—typically under one millimeter.
They include the shells of single-celled organisms, pollen grains, and tiny skeletal fragments.
Geologists use microfossils to date rock layers and reconstruct ancient environments: The core sample was rich in microfossils from the Cretaceous period.
Single-celled silica algae
- pollenFloral reproductive grains
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
- zooplanktonDrifting aquatic microorganisms
Too small for eyes
- minuteSixtieth of an hour
- submillimeterLess than one millimeter
- micrometerMillionth of a meter
- nanoscaleBillionth-meter dimension
Study of prehistoric climates
- paleoecologyStudy of prehistoric ecosystems
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
- upwellingDeep water rising surfaceward
- productivityOutput relative to input
Earliest Paleozoic period
- OrdovicianPaleozoic geological period
- SilurianPaleozoic period, mid-range
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CarboniferousCoal-depositing geological period
Permian · Triassic · Jurassic · Cretaceous · Paleozoic · Mesozoic · Cenozoic · Precambrian
Statistical relationship measure
- assemblageCollected group of things
- zonationArrangement in distinct zones
- bioindicatorsLife forms showing environmental conditions
- provenanceRecord of ownership
Mineral hardening of tissue
- sedimentologyStudy of geological deposits
- recrystallizationPurification through dissolving and reforming
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
- testEvaluative examination
diatoms
Single-celled silica algae
- pollenFloral reproductive grains
- sporesAsexual reproductive bodies
- phytoplanktonPhotosynthetic aquatic drifters
microscopic
Too small for eyes
- minuteSixtieth of an hour
- submillimeterLess than one millimeter
- micrometerMillionth of a meter
paleoclimatology
Study of prehistoric climates
- paleoecologyStudy of prehistoric ecosystems
- salinityDissolved mineral concentration
- upwellingDeep water rising surfaceward
Cambrian
Earliest Paleozoic period
- OrdovicianPaleozoic geological period
- SilurianPaleozoic period, mid-range
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
Carboniferous · Permian · Triassic · Jurassic · Cretaceous · Paleozoic · Mesozoic · Cenozoic · Precambrian · Paleogene
correlation
Statistical relationship measure
- assemblageCollected group of things
- zonationArrangement in distinct zones
- bioindicatorsLife forms showing environmental conditions
calcification
Mineral hardening of tissue
- sedimentologyStudy of geological deposits
- recrystallizationPurification through dissolving and reforming
- dissolutionBreaking up completely
- fossilsdinosaur bones, ammonite, amber, ammonites, brachiopod
- paleontologydinosaurs, paleontology, dinosaur bones, mammoth, dinosaur
- Sedimentologygrain size, porosity, permeability, bedding, stratification
- archaeobotanyflotation, ancient crops, ancient grains, cereal grains, flax seeds
- biosignaturesbiosignatures, biomarkers, oxygen, methane, ozone
- paleobotanypetrified wood, fronds, ancient seeds, prehistoric plants, coal plants
microfossilsliving organisms
fossil, micro, fossils, fossilized, fossilize, microorganism, fossilization, fossilizing, microflora