Trace Fossils

Adolf Seilacher
Trace fossils, also called ichnofossils, are specific structures formed in sedimentary rocks which can record biological activity. Trace fossils reflect the anatomy of their maker. These fossils can indicate the activity and the behaviour of the organism, and can represent different types of both plants and animals.
Some examples of trace fossils can be-

• Tracks
• Footprints
• Burrows
• Coprolites (fossil feces)

Tracks

A track is any type of marking or impression made by the hand or foot of an animal.
Tracks can be classified and discovered based on how many legs they have. Bipedal for two legged, Quadrupedal for four legged.

Corpolites

Corpolites are fossilised feces, which can range in different sizes, some can be as small as small sized pellets, or large ones such as those left by dinosaurs. Corpolites can are very useful types of trace fossils as it is easy to interpret the paleodiet of an organism, basically the dietary system. The corpolite to the left has been identified and interpreted to be as a product of a sauropod (reptile foot) because of it's large size.