Thin sections show a two dimensional cut through fossils which can make identifying them even more challenging than it would be in hand sample. This chapter provides a starting point for identifying ...Thin sections show a two dimensional cut through fossils which can make identifying them even more challenging than it would be in hand sample. This chapter provides a starting point for identifying fossils by providing several summary diagrams and numerous photographs.
We classify a diverse range of organisms as microfossils and count anything that is generally less than 2 mm in size and best studied with a microscope. Common microfossils not covered elsewhere in t...We classify a diverse range of organisms as microfossils and count anything that is generally less than 2 mm in size and best studied with a microscope. Common microfossils not covered elsewhere in this chapter include radiolarians, diatoms, foraminifera, ostracods, and conodonts.
The overwhelming majority of fossils come from invertebrates that have hard skeletal material. The most common and easily recognized are sponges, corals, brachiopods, bryozoans, mollusks (bivalves, g...The overwhelming majority of fossils come from invertebrates that have hard skeletal material. The most common and easily recognized are sponges, corals, brachiopods, bryozoans, mollusks (bivalves, gastropods, and cephalopods), certain arthropods, and echinoderms.