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Diagenesis of fossils—fossildiagenese

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Paleontology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

The term “Fossildiagenese” was used by Müller (1963) to include those fossilization events that take place after the final burial of organic remains. As thus envisioned, the analysis of “Fossildiagenese” is an important part of work in taphonomy. Most taphonomic factors and processes operate throughout the entire history of organic remains; the use of the term “Fossildiagenese” for post-entombment studies is perhaps unfortunate, since the diagenesis of organic remains can certainly occur before, during, and after final entombment (Purdy, 1968).

Yet final burial isa distinctive event in the total environmental history of some organic remains, for there is a set of fossilization processes requiring an enclosing lithic matrix for their operation—such as the formation of molds. Perhaps the most distinctive of these processes result in the crushing, distortion, or deformation of fossil remains. The principal causes of fossil deformation are tectonic/metamorphic events, and sediment...

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© 1979 Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross, Inc.

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Lawrence, D.R. (1979). Diagenesis of fossils—fossildiagenese. In: Paleontology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31078-9_46

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-540-31078-9_46

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-87933-185-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-540-31078-5

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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