Abstract
A quantitative model describes the relationship between the average size of biostratigraphic gaps and the size, shape, and number of fossils in a volume of rock: where fossil distribution is random, the mean vertical distance between neighboring fossils exposed in cross-sections (V) should be approximated by the relationship 1/Na(w) where Na is the number of fossils exposed per unit area and w is the width of section observed. Because the number exposed (Na) is itself a function of volumetric fossil abundance (Nv), fossil shape (K), and fossil size (x), we can go further and relate gaps to these factors as well. Thus, V = 1/(Nv)(k)(x)(w). Testing and analysis of this model reveal that: (1) Gap size decreases (and so biostratigraphic resolution increases) as abundance, sphericity, and size of fossils increase; this is because each of these proportionately increases the probability of fossil exposure by a random cross-sectional slice. (2) The hollow curve nature of the function means that where volumetr...
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