microfossil
noun
mi·cro·fos·sil
ˌmī-krō-ˈfä-səl 
: a small fossil that typically can be studied only microscopically and that may be either a fragment of a larger organism or an entire minute organism
Examples of microfossil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Conceivably, there is still cryptic life on Mars, although astrobiologists would be thrilled to find even a microfossil of something that lived billions of years ago.
—
Joel Achenbach, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Feb. 2023
The less-than-attractive scientific name of this less-than-attractive microfossil calls out its winkled, bag-like body and mouth resembling a crown.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The most complex microfossil consists of a stem with parallel branches on one side that is nearly a centimeter long.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022
At around 1 billion years old, the seaweed microfossil — a type of algae known as Proterocladus antiquus — is the oldest green seaweed known to man.
—Joshua Bote, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2020
The freckles, Virginia Tech researchers say, are actually billion-year-old seaweed microfossils.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 26 Feb. 2020
The scientists discovered the cave while searching for microfossils to buttress their then-radical theory that microbial life flourished on land more than a billion years ago.
—Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2014
All of these microfossils — or the chemical evidence associated with them — are hotly debated.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 Jan. 2018
Paleosols are typically full of pollen and microfossils of simple organisms, such as diatoms, a kind of algae that can indicate climate conditions.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2019
Joel Achenbach, BostonGlobe.com, 21 Feb. 2023
The less-than-attractive scientific name of this less-than-attractive microfossil calls out its winkled, bag-like body and mouth resembling a crown.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 30 Jan. 2017
The most complex microfossil consists of a stem with parallel branches on one side that is nearly a centimeter long.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 14 Apr. 2022
At around 1 billion years old, the seaweed microfossil — a type of algae known as Proterocladus antiquus — is the oldest green seaweed known to man.
—Joshua Bote, USA TODAY, 27 Feb. 2020
The freckles, Virginia Tech researchers say, are actually billion-year-old seaweed microfossils.
—Alaa Elassar, CNN, 26 Feb. 2020
The scientists discovered the cave while searching for microfossils to buttress their then-radical theory that microbial life flourished on land more than a billion years ago.
—Peter Byrne, Quanta Magazine, 24 Apr. 2014
All of these microfossils — or the chemical evidence associated with them — are hotly debated.
—Quanta Magazine, 22 Jan. 2018
Paleosols are typically full of pollen and microfossils of simple organisms, such as diatoms, a kind of algae that can indicate climate conditions.
—Gemma Tarlach, Discover Magazine, 20 May 2019
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'microfossil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Microfossil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/microfossil. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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