Ichnology

Abstract

Ichnologists use ichnofossils to interpret paleoecological aspects of sedimentary environments. The underpinnings of ichnology depend upon associating animal activities preserved as biogenic sedimentary structures with physico-chemical parameters, such as hydraulic energy, food-resource availability, salinity, oxygenation, temperature and water turbidity. As such, the ichnological literature commonly focusses on these themes, but expansions on these concepts are presented in Seilacher (2007), Buatois and Mángano (2011) and Bromley (2012). There are several ways that trace fossils are used to interpret sedimentary environments, but the most broadly applied are: (1) recognizing and interpreting ichnofacies, (2) identifying and classifying ichnofabrics, (3) using trace fossils to refine process sedimentology, and (4) recognizing omission suites for stratigraphic purposes. Ichnofossils are useful throughout the Phanerozoic to document the presence of animals living within and on sediment and to interpret their activities.