THE STUDY OF TRACE FOSSILS AS A COMPONENT OF PALEONTOLOGICAL EDUCATION

Trace fossils have contributed very positively to paleontology throughout much of its history as a science. For example, the first dinosaur discovery in North America was of dinosaur tracks found by Pliny Moody 200 years ago; in contrast, dinosaur bones were not described until more than 50 years later. Despite this long history, trace fossils are still treated as an afterthought in paleontological education, in the sense that body fossils are featured as primary evidence and trace fossils are either a minor additional component or neglected altogether. This lack of equal footing for trace fossil evidence is likely a result of its primary association with sedimentology rather than paleontology, but is also related to the uncertainty of linking tracemakers with their traces in the fossil record. In other words, stating that a trace fossil is attributed to a “worm-like” tracemaker is difficult to justify teaching with any conviction, whereas species names are easily provided for body fossils by students and educators alike. Nevertheless, trace fossils and ichnology can be integrated with body fossil evidence in paleontological education so that they are not so estranged from one another. Tips for teaching about trace fossils and ichnology include the following: (1) placing an emphasis on how trace fossils reflect a combination of anatomy, substrate, and behavior of ancient organisms, hence they can be used to test hypotheses of functional morphology, habitat selection, and evolutionary trends in behavioral ecology; (2) Using modern ichnology exercises, such as tracking animals or studying other traces in terrestrial and aquatic environments, which can give instant lessons in uniformitarianism; (3) In classroom situations, a combination of viewing photographs and drawing hand samples of trace fossils can provide much more meaningful experiences than simply looking at line drawings of them in a textbook; and (4) field trips to trace-fossil bearing strata can enhance an appreciation for their paleontological value and demonstrate to students how trace fossil are much more likely to be found than body fossils in most strata because of their sheer abundance. Examples of these tips will be given to test their utility as teaching tools in paleontology.