SONIFICATION OF PALEONTOLOGIC DATA: HEARING FOSSIL SHAPES

Paleontologists tend to be very visually oriented. Taxonomically and/or evolutionarily significant patterns in fossil shapes almost always are detected solely by sight. As a useful additional approach to analyzing the shapes of various kinds of fossils, sonification (i.e., representation of digital data via sound) can enable auditory perception of morphologic patterns in fossils that may or may not be visually apparent.

Sonified data are employed widely in some other fields, including diagnostic applications in cardiology and automobile mechanics, as well as analytical applications in earthquake seismology and down-hole geophysical measurements. Sonification also holds promise in paleontological studies. Ammonoid sutures, for example, are sonified easily, and their taxonomically characteristic twists and turns may be perceived readily with one’s ears.

Trace fossils, ranging from simple meandering trails (e.g., Helminthoida) to complex anastomosing burrow systems (e.g., Thalassinoides), are especially promising sonification objects. By listening to sonified trails, the paleontologist may be able to perceive geometric details of the meander patterns established by a crawling organism. By listening to sonified burrow systems, the paleontologist may be able to discern repetitive patterns of branching and re-joining of burrow tunnels created by an infaunal animal. Sonification experiments using empirical trace fossil data demonstrate that a myriad of musical variations may occur in harmony within the overall geometric framework of a burrow system. Both the interpretation of sonified trace fossils and the forward modeling of idealized trace fossils may aid in the recognition of particular burrowing behaviors by infaunal animals.