Palaeontology

(QBB 2042)
May-August 2017

Module 2. Types of fossils

A.P. Dr Jos Antonio GMEZ VINTANED

<jose.gamez@utp.edu.my> <gamezv@gmail.com>

Room: 16-03-27. Phone: 05-368-7122. Mobile: 019-

5571190.
Correspondence between
geochronologic and
chronostratigraphic units
Geochronological Chronostratigraphical
(time) (rock bodies)
Eon Eonothem
Era Erathem
Period System
Epoch Series
Age Stage
Chron Chronozone
 What is a fossil?

A fossil is any remain of any organism of the past,

or
A fossil is any remain of ancient life.

There are four main types:

Moulds and Ethological Chemofossils

Body fossils
replicae structures
PALAEONTOLOGY
- Four main types of fossils:
Body fossils
Moulds and replicae (natural ones)
Ethological (=biogenic) structures
Chemofossils
Corals
(Order Rugosa)
Body fossils
Recent brachiopods
(Order Terebratulida)

Fossil brachiopods
(Order Spiriferida)
(Devonian Period)

Body fossil
(pyritized)
 Graptolites
Phylllum Hemichordata
Subphyllum Pterobranchia
Class Graptolithoidea
(Palaeozoic Era)
Body fossils
 Body fossils (limonitized)

Limonitized, spiral graptolite in black shale

 Rhabdinopora

Life reconstruction of graptolite colonies

Schistoscolex Soft body fossil
PALAEONTOLOGY
- Four main types of fossils:
Body fossils
Moulds and replicae (natural ones)
Ethological (=biogenic) structures
Chemofossils
 Inner mould
with a few
remains of
the limonitized
body fossil
Formation of an ammonite body fossil and moulds
 Inner moulds
with remains of
the limonitized
body fossils
Conocorhyphe heberti

Inner mould
with a thin
remain of
the limonitized
body fossil
 Advanced Stratigraphy (QAM 52403)
Biostratigraphy-Biochronology
7-10 October 2014

PALAEONTOLOGY
- Four main types of fossils:
Body fossils
Moulds and replicae (natural ones)
Ethological (=biogenic) structures
Chemofossils
Possible producers of ethological structures

ALL living
organisms
 540 Ma

Vertical burrows made by littoral worms. Skolithos. Cambrian. Spain.

 130 Ma

Trackway of
ornithopod
dinosaur.
Cretaceous.
Northern Spain
Footprint of theropod dinosaur. Cretaceous. U.S.A.
 Cruziana semiplicata
(upper Cambrian)

Trilobites at work
(producing several types of
ethological structures)

Resting Furrowing Coming out the substrate Walking Striding

 Ethological structure
Diplichnites
 Body fossil

Eurypterid
 Ethological structure (locomotion)

Palmichnium
(locomotion track of
an eurypterid)
 Spirhorhaphe

Deep sea (abyssal) spiral trace fossil.

Eocene. N Spain 50 Ma
 Rusophycus

Resting trace of a
trilobite.
Upper Cambrian.
NE Spain

500 Ma
 Psammichnites (lower Cambrian, Spain)
Gregarious organisms

Ethological structure (locomotion + feeding)

 Ethological structure (feeding)

Dactyloidites (lower Cambrian, Spain)

 Phycodes pedum
(Trace fossil elected in 1992 as
the index fossil for the
Proterozoic/Phanerozoic
boundary)

Ethological structure (feeding)

 Modern cyanobacterial mat
 Ethological structures (modern stromatolites)
 Ethological structures (modern stromatolites)
0 Ma
A legacy for future palaeontologists?

0 Ma (Year 1969)
 Advanced Stratigraphy (QAM 52403)
Biostratigraphy-Biochronology
7-10 October 2014

PALAEONTOLOGY
- Four main types of fossils:
Body fossils
Moulds and replicae (natural ones)
Ethological (=biogenic) structures
Chemofossils
 Chemofossils (Cenozoic amber)
mofossils (oil and gas)
 Chemofossils (coal)
 Chemofossils
(stable
isotopes)