Interpreting ecology and behaviour from the vertebrate fossil track record
Interpreting ecology and behaviour from the vertebrate fossil track record
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DOI：
10.1111/jzo.12110
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发表时间：
2014-04-01
影响因子：
2
通讯作者：
Falkingham, P. L.
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Falkingham, P. L.
化石足迹代表了一个直接的窗口，以了解灭绝生物的生活，正在形成和保存在原地。由于足迹形态是由肢体运动，足部解剖和基板的一致性，化石足迹的研究可以提供深入了解生产者，行为和古环境。然而，每个决定因素都受到变化的影响，无论是连续的还是离散的，并且这种变化可能是相互依赖的，使得难以正确地解释轨迹。除了来自轨道形成变量的差异之外，轨道和轨道位置由于时间平均而受到进一步的混淆，甚至在考虑风化、侵蚀和暴露的影响之前。本文提出了一个讨论的因素，可能混淆解释的化石足迹，轨道和tracksites，并回顾了实验研究，试图阐明和消除这些来源的混乱。
Fossil tracks represent a direct window onto the lives of extinct organisms, being formed and preserved in situ. Because track morphology is determined by limb motion, foot anatomy and substrate consistency, studies of fossil tracks can provide insight into producer, behaviour and palaeoenvironment. However, each determining factor is subject to variation, either continuous or discrete, and this variation may be co-dependent, making it difficult to correctly interpret a track. In addition to variance from the track-forming variables, tracks and tracksites are subject to further obfuscation because of time averaging, even before the effects of weathering, erosion and exposure are accounted for. This paper presents a discussion of the factors that may confound interpretation of fossil tracks, trackways and tracksites, and reviews experimental studies that have attempted to elucidate and eliminate these sources of confusion.