Welcome to KU Ichnology!
Ichnology
is the study of
trace
fossils, the record of
microbe, plant, and animal behavior preserved in rocks.
Ichnology (not to be confused with Ichthyology—the study of
fish) is a major subdiscipline in the field of
paleontology,
which is concerned with the study of ancient life at large.
Ichnology lies at the crossroads of paleontology, biology,
sedimentology, stratigraphy, pedology, and
geomorphology.
Neoichnology—the
study of modern and experimentally produced traces—has
risen to prominence in both continental and marine
sedimentary geology studies as it provides the modern
analogs from which we gain insights as to the relationship
between organisms, their structures, and their relationship
to that specific environment.
Interest in ichnology has swelled over the past few decades
as researchers have rediscovered the wealth of information
pertaining to interpreting geologic history contained
within trace fossils. Trace fossils are used to study the
behavior of ancient organisms and the evolution of
behaviors through time; scientists also use them to study
the characteristics of ancient environments, hydrologic
systems, ecological relationships, and climate change.
This website is dedicated to the presentation of the
breadth of information available about this diverse field
of scientific study. Here we present information on the
basic principles of ichnology, a photo and video gallery of
trace fossils, and a bibliography with access to some
published articles for those with interests in specific
topics. This website also serves as a showcase of the
ichnologic research done here at KU by the IBGS research
group. Keep checking in as we update this page with new
information and new research!
We are currently looking for volunteer translators! Some ichnogenera have been published in other languages and unfortunately, we are not able to translate them. If you are able to read Spanish, French, Portuguese, or Hungarian, and have some basic knowledge of biology and geology, then we would be very happy if you can help us out!
For more information please contact us
here
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