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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
There is evidence through trace fossils that burrows date back 540 million years.
—Emilie Le Beau Lucchesi, Discover Magazine, 24 Oct. 2024
But equally exciting are the numerous trace fossils—physical impressions made during the life of an animal—that have been uncovered.
—Jeanne Timmons, Ars Technica, 7 July 2024
Sometimes these enigmatic remains turn out to be trace fossils—records of an animal's activity but not part of the animal itself.
—Kristi Curry Rogers, Scientific American, 1 Feb. 2024
Researchers must consider skeletal anatomy, bone histology, the behavior of living relatives, and trace fossils, the new paper argues.
—Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 29 Apr. 2024
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.
—David Bressan, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2024
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
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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 30 Nov. 2024.
More from Merriam-Webster on trace fossil
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about trace fossil
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