9: Taphonomy - The Science of Death and Decay
- Page ID
- 22421
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Taphonomy is the subdiscipline of paleontology related to the processes of fossilization. This includes all things that happen to the remains of an organism after it dies until it is observed or collected by a geoscientist. This might include the decay of soft tissues, the separation of skeletal hard parts, and chemical changes to the organism after burial. By studying these processes, we can also uncover clues about the environment in which the organism lived, died, and was preserved.