Macrofossil

Macrofossil

Macrofossils (occasionally spelled "macro-fossil") are preserved organic remains large enough to be visible without a microscope. Most fossils discussed in the article Fossil are macrofossils.

Macrofossil contrasted with Microfossil

The term macrofossil stands in opposition to the term "micro"fossil (a.k.a. "micro-fossil"). Microfossils, by contrast, require substantial magnification for evaluation by fossil-hunters or professional paleontologists. As a result, most fossils observed in the field and most "museum-quality" specimens are macrofossils.

Plant macrofossils

Plant macrofossils include leaf, needle, cone, and stem debris; and can be used to identify types of plants formerly growing in the area. Such botanical macrofossil data provide a valuable complement to pollen and faunal data that can be used to reconstruct the prehistoric terrestrial environment. Algal macrofossils (for instance, brown kelp, sea lettuce and large stromatolites) are increasingly used to analyze prehistoric marine and aquatic ecosystems.

Animal macrofossils

Animal macrofossils include the teeth, skulls, and bones of vertebrates, as well as such invertebrate remains as shells, tests, faunal armor, and exoskeletons. Fossilized dung (that is, coprolites) are also macrofossils.


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  • macrofossil — noun Date: 1937 a fossil large enough to be observed by direct inspection …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • macrofossil — /mak reuh fos il/, n. a fossil large enough to be studied and identified without the use of a microscope. Cf. microfossil. [1935 40; MACRO + FOSSIL] * * * …   Universalium

  • macrofossil — noun Any fossil large enough to be examined without a microscope …   Wiktionary

  • macrofossil — mac·ro·fossil …   English syllables

  • macrofossil — |makrō+ noun Etymology: macr + fossil : a fossil large enough to be observed by direct inspection compare microfossil * * * /mak reuh fos il/, n. a fossil large enough to be studied and identified without the use of a microscope. Cf. microfossil …   Useful english dictionary

  • Paleozoology — Paleozoology, also spelled as palaeozoology (Greek: παλαιον, paleon = old and ζωον, zoon = animal), is the branch of paleontology or paleobiology dealing with the recovery and identification of multicellular animal remains from geological (or… …   Wikipedia

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  • Charnia — Temporal range: Ediacaran, 575–545 Ma[1] …   Wikipedia

  • Paleobotany — Paleobotany, also spelled as palaeobotany (from the Greek words paleon = old and botany , study of plants), is the branch of paleontology or paleobiology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and… …   Wikipedia

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