Glossรกrio de paleontologia
essential terms and definitions for paleontology and dinosaur science.
Modern Paleontology
15 termsTerms related to cutting-edge techniques and concepts in contemporary paleontological research.
Ghost Lineage
A lineage inferred to have existed from phylogenetic evidence but lacking fossil documentation. Ghost lineages โฆ
Laser-Stimulated Fluorescence
A technique using ultraviolet or violet lasers to reveal soft-tissue outlines and feather impressions in โฆ
Collagen Preservation
The survival of original protein fragments in fossilized bone. Collagen sequences have been recovered from โฆ
Finite Element Analysis
A computational engineering method applied to fossil bones to model how forces were distributed during โฆ
Lazarus Taxon
A taxon that appears in the fossil record, disappears for a significant interval, then reappears. โฆ
Ancient DNA
Genetic material recovered from fossil or sub-fossil specimens. Ancient DNA degrades rapidly at ambient temperatures; โฆ
Bayesian Phylogenetics
A statistical approach to phylogenetic inference that incorporates prior probabilities and produces probability distributions over โฆ
Molecular Phylogenetics
Reconstructing evolutionary trees using molecular sequence data rather than or in addition to morphology. Applied โฆ
Parsimony
The principle of preferring the evolutionary tree that requires the fewest evolutionary changes to explain โฆ
3D Photogrammetry
Creating precise three-dimensional digital models of fossils from photographs taken at multiple angles. Photogrammetry enables โฆ
Cladistic Analysis
A method of classification that groups organisms based on shared derived characters. Cladistic analysis of โฆ
Crown Group
The clade comprising the living members of a group, their last common ancestor, and all โฆ
Digital Endocast
A virtual model of the brain and inner ear made from CT scans of the โฆ
Stem Group
All fossil relatives of a living group that fall outside the crown group. Non-avian dinosaurs โฆ
Synchrotron Scanning
High-energy X-ray imaging at particle accelerator facilities that reveals microscopic structures inside fossils non-destructively. Synchrotron โฆ