고생물학 용어사전
essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.
Fieldwork & Excavation
15 termsTerms related to fossil discovery, excavation techniques, and specimen preparation.
Type Specimen
The original specimen used to define and name a new species. The holotype is the …
Plaster Jacket
A protective shell of burlap and plaster applied around fossils in the field to prevent …
Taphonomic Bias
The systematic distortion of the fossil record due to preservation factors. Large-bodied, heavily-built animals are …
Disarticulated
A fossil assemblage in which bones have been separated from their anatomical positions before or …
Articulated Skeleton
A fossil skeleton found with bones still in their natural anatomical positions. Far more informative …
Bone Bed
A concentration of fossil bones in a single geological layer. Mass death assemblages at bone …
Impression Fossil
A fossil formed when an organism leaves an imprint in sediment that later hardens to …
Associated Skeleton
A set of bones found together and inferred to belong to the same individual, though …
CT Scanning
Computed tomography used to image the internal structure of fossils without damaging them. Reveals brain …
Microfossil
A fossil that requires magnification to study, typically less than 1 mm in size. Dinosaur …
Mold and Cast
A mold fossil preserves the shape of an organism as a negative impression; a cast …
Permineralization
The most common form of fossilization, in which minerals carried by groundwater fill the pore …
Preparation
The careful removal of rock matrix from a fossil using tools ranging from dental picks …
Quarry Map
A detailed spatial record of fossil positions, orientations, and rock layers at an excavation site. …
Screen Washing
A field technique in which sediment is washed through fine mesh screens to recover tiny …