Taphonomy: A resource guide - Carol Smith Home Page

GUIDES AND HANDBOOKS
Fossil Guides
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Arduini, P., and Giorgio Teruzzi; Horenstein, S., editor (1986). Simon & Schuster’s guide
to fossils. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Introduction includes sections on fossilization processes and taphonomy. Provides
280 color photographs of significant plant and animal fossils, including their
stratigraphic position and geographical distribution.
✮ Mayr, H. (1992). A guide to fossils. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.
This field guide to fossil identification includes over 500 color photographs, with
concise descriptions of fossil structure, stratigraphic and geographic distribution, and
fossilization conditions. Includes introductory discussions on the formation,
emplacement and preservation of fossils.
Thompson, I. (1982). National Audubon Society field guide to North American fossils.
New York: Knopf.
An all-photographic field guide to the fossils of North America (north of Mexico).
Includes nearly 500 full-color photographs identifying fossils of all types, as well as
fossil-bearing sediments and common fossil outcrop formations.
Regional Field Guides
Regional taphonomy field guides are often published as the outcome of field trips associated with a society’s
annual meeting. A small sample of available guides.
Darby, D.A. (1983). Sedimentology, diagenesis and stratigraphy of pleistocene coastal
deposits in southeastern Virginia. Norfolk, VA: Old Dominion University.
Field trip associated with the Fifteenth annual Virginia Geologic Field Conference,
November 12, 1983.
Flessa, K.W., (ed.). (1987). Paleoecology and taphonomy of recent to Pleistocene
intertidal deposits, Gulf of California. Washington, DC: Paleontological Society.
“Prepared for Field Trip Number 5 sponsored by the Geological Society of America
and the Paleontological Society at their joint annual meeting, Phoenix, Arizona,
1987.”