ichnofossil

plural ichnofossils

1. biologyA trace fossil; a fossil record that preserves some activity of an organism, but no part of the organism itself.

   For example, an ichnofossil might be the preserved track an animal, or its burrow.

   3 more examples

   Suites of taphonomic factors that influence body fossils and ichnofossils are clearly not identical. Nonetheless, without too much twisting, ichnofossil-lagerstätten can be placed into the same genetic categories.

   2007, Charles E. Savrda, “6: Taphonomy of Trace Fossils”, in William Miller, III, editor, Trace Fossils, Elsevier, page 106

   The only abundant ichnofossils are large and inclined structures in La Cancha Bed (Profile K), interpreted as mammal burrows.

   2010, Eduardo S. Bellosi et al., “21: Ichnofacies Examination of the Sarmiento Formation”, in R. H. Madden, A. A. Carlini, M. G. Vucetich, R. F. Kay, editors, The Paleontology of Gran Barranca, Cambridge University Press, page 313

   Changes in the preservational environment in the thousands or millions of years between the creation of each set of prints results in these different forms of ichnofossil.

   2017 March 22, Elsa Panciroli, “Walking in the footsteps of giants and gerbils: what fossil prints can tell us”, in The Guardian