Question

Which one of the following statements is CORRECT?

• A. Taphonomy refers to the study of fossilization pathways from death of an organism to its recovery as a fossil.
• B. Biostratinomy refers to the study of fossilization pathways from burial of an organism under sediments to its recovery as a fossil.
• C. Biostratinomy is an integral component of biostratigraphy and refers to the characterization of strata based on fossil content.
• D. Taphonomy refers to the study of fossilization pathways from death of an organism to its burial under the sediments.

Hint:

Taphonomy includes all stages of fossilization, from the death of an organism to its recovery as a fossil.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is A

Taphonomy is the study of the process that occurs from the death of an organism to its preservation as a fossil. This includes the processes that occur before and after burial, including decomposition, fossilization, and the physical processes that affect the fossil.

Step 1: Evaluate each option.
- Option (A) is correct because taphonomy involves studying fossilization pathways from the time of an organism's death until its eventual recovery as a fossil.
- Option (B) is incorrect because biostratinomy involves the study of processes from burial to recovery, not the full fossilization process.
- Option (C) is incorrect because biostratinomy is a part of taphonomy but does not describe biostratigraphy, which is concerned with the use of fossils to identify and correlate strata.
- Option (D) is partially correct but incomplete because taphonomy includes not only the burial of organisms but also the processes before and after burial, including fossilization.

Step 2: Conclusion.
Thus, (A) is the correct answer, as it accurately defines taphonomy.