Trace Fossils

Trace fossils are evidence of action by living creatures. Examples include locomotion, feeding, nesting, excretions, etc. The division of paleontology that studies trace fossils is called “ichnology.”

Trace Fossil Photos

TRACE FOSSILS                              Period                              Location              Preservation

Acrothoracid barnacle holes in coral Upper Mississippian     KY                          C,2

Bored brachiopods (Inflatia)       Upper Mississippian              KY                          C,1,2

Bored rugose corals                            Middle Devonian         IN,KY                    S,1

Bored stromatoporoids                          ”           ”                   IN,KY                    S,1

Catellocaulis vellata                           Upper Ordovician           KY            C,1 (in bryozoan)

Chondrites sp.                                          ”           ”                  KY                        C,1

Fish coprolite                                Cretaceous                British Columbia     C,2

Sanctum laurentiensis                       Upper Ordovician           KY               C,1 (in bryozoan)

Scalarituba missouriensis                  Middle Mississippian         KY                   P,1 (3-D)

Unidentified 3-D tubular struct.        Middle Devonian                IN                           S,1

Various feeding traces                        Middle Mississippian        KY                       P,1 (3-D)

Various traces                                      Upper Ordovician            KY                          C,2

Various traces                                      Upper Mississippian        KY                          C,2