The Application of Ichnology to Palaeoenvironmental Reconstruction

Abstract

Ichnology is an important tool for palaeoenvironmental analysis. The first part of this chapter includes a brief review about the development of ichnology as a science, followed by some basic concepts about trace fossils and biogenic sedimentary structures, including their formation and description. Posteriorly the basis of the different proposals to classify the trace fossils are developed including the stratinomic, ethological, biological, and morphological classification, considering too the ichnofabric concept and the particular classification for flysch trace fossils. In the second part, it is explained the relationship between the ichnocoenoses and the substrata, paleobathymetry and oxygen availability, finally it is included the archetypal ichnofacies model that was constructed on the bases of a recurrent set of environmental conditions and the production of similar trace assemblages. Until now in Mexico, the utility of ichnofossils as paleoenvironmental proxies has not been well explored. There is not enough quantity and quality of information, and a lack of very detailed studies, with only turbiditic environments well characterized. Because of this, the development of more ichnological studies and supplementary information about marine invertebrates is considered important and a necessity.