Trace fossils: footprints, burrows and fossil poop
Trace fossils record behavior not bodies, from dinosaur stampedes to 3.6-million-year human footprints.
Behavior preserved without any bones
Trace fossils preserve actions like walking, digging and eating, recording speed, weight and herd behavior that skeletons alone can never reveal to scientists today. in total today for sure
Lark Quarry in Australia holds 3300 dinosaur footprints made 95 million years ago, capturing a stampede where small bipeds fled a large 6-meter predator across mud.
Footprints, dung and homes reveal daily life
Laetoli in Tanzania preserves 70 human footprints 3.6 million years old, showing upright walking 1.2 million years before big brains evolved in our genus. in total today for sure
Coprolites or fossil dung reveal fish scales and plant fibers eaten 250 million years ago, while spiral burrows 3 meters deep show ancient shrimp homes and parental care.
- Trace fossils show behavior not bodies
- Lark Quarry has 3300 dinosaur tracks
- Laetoli footprints are 3.6 million years old
- Coprolites reveal diets 250 million years ago
- Burrows reached 3 meters deep