trace fossil
noun
: a fossil (as of a dinosaur footprint) that shows the activity of an animal or plant but is not formed from the organism itself
Examples of trace fossil in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
The existence of lizard-like animals at the time is also supported by the discovery of trace fossils, like reptile tracks and drag marks left behind by the tail in soft mud.
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David Bressan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Sometimes these enigmatic remains turn out to be trace fossils—records of an animal's activity but not part of the animal itself.
—Kristina A. Curry Rogers, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2020
The bird tracks are not the only trace fossils in the rocks.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023
What bees typically leave are trace fossils or ichnofossils — imprints frozen in time of bodies, abandoned or active nests, or old burrows.
—Sarah Derouin, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2023
But the trace fossils—scrapes and scours in the rock—reveal the shape and behavior of animals that lived millions of years before the dinosaurs.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023
Respectively referred to as impression and trace fossils, these types of fossils represent a few of the most prevalent processes of preservation, alongside body fossilization.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2023
In other words, the scientists had discovered the rarest of the rare: trace fossils within a trace fossil.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 6 June 2022
Determining what sort of organism made a trace fossil, including those on the Dave Green paleosurface, can be a challenging task.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023
David Bressan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
Sometimes these enigmatic remains turn out to be trace fossils—records of an animal's activity but not part of the animal itself.
—Kristina A. Curry Rogers, Scientific American, 21 Sep. 2020
The bird tracks are not the only trace fossils in the rocks.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 15 Nov. 2023
What bees typically leave are trace fossils or ichnofossils — imprints frozen in time of bodies, abandoned or active nests, or old burrows.
—Sarah Derouin, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2023
But the trace fossils—scrapes and scours in the rock—reveal the shape and behavior of animals that lived millions of years before the dinosaurs.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023
Respectively referred to as impression and trace fossils, these types of fossils represent a few of the most prevalent processes of preservation, alongside body fossilization.
—Sam Walters, Discover Magazine, 28 Mar. 2023
In other words, the scientists had discovered the rarest of the rare: trace fossils within a trace fossil.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 6 June 2022
Determining what sort of organism made a trace fossil, including those on the Dave Green paleosurface, can be a challenging task.
—Riley Black, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'trace fossil.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1956, in the meaning defined above
Dictionary Entries Near trace fossil
Cite this Entry
“Trace fossil.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/trace%20fossil. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trace fossil
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