ERTH 3113 Lecture Notes - Lecture 4: Bioturbation, Diagenesis, Taphonomy

• School: Carleton University
• Department: Earth Sciences
• Course: ERTH 3113
• Professor: Madden

Document Summary

Remains and evidence of once living organisms that have been preserved and recovered from rock sediments. Processes that affect potential fossils from death to burial. Changing of chemical and physical properties of the original materials. Fossilization favoured in certain conditions: tarpits, caves, permafrost. Minerals fill the spaces where tissue used to be. Once embed in rocks still affected by forces of nature: erosion & bioturbation (reworking of rocks by live microorganisms) The study of how bones or other remains become preserved. Welcome to earth 3113 geology of human origins lecture four where we will be discussing fossilization and the geological timescale. We will split these into two main topics looking at first fossils and the fossilization process, and then discuss dating techniques that are used in geology. Specifically, we are asking the following, which factors govern preservation and fossilization potential. What are some of the potential biases in the fossil record.