The Application of ichnology to palaeoenvironmental and stratigraphic analysis

Extract Ichnology is the study of trace fossils, which preserve the activity of animals as recorded by their tracks, trails, burrows and borings. Rather than giving information about the taxonomic affinities of a given type of organism, trace fossils yield information about an animal’s behaviour in response to its environment. Trace fossils are almost always in situ, are commonly specific to a particular suite of environmental conditions, can be readily studied in core and may be common in strata devoid of body fossils. They are invaluable in thorough sedimentological analysis and are thus of great utility to petroleum geologists, sedimentologists and palaeontologists alike. Over the last 30 years or so, ichnology has been a rapidly developing branch of palaeontology that not only has important applications in classical palaeobiology (e.g. Donovan 1994; Bromley 1996), but is also of great value in the more applied disciplines of palaeoenvironmental and stratigraphical analysis. Much progress has been made in the development of this discipline, but there remain many fascinating and challenging issues, particularly in combining ichnology and sedimentology. This book aims to provide a summary of recent progress, with an up-to-date summary of most themes in modern ichnology. The volume stems from the 2003 Lyell Meeting sponsored by The Geological Society, The Palaeontological Association, BP, Shell, Exxon Mobil, Statoil, Total and Amerada Hess. The introductory paper by McIlroy (a) provides a condensed summary of some ichnological themes and frontiers, and outlines a practical approach for the description of trace fossils and identification of key stratigraphic