777:
excess of a small fossil—such as teeth—could exaggerate quantity of the species. There was also an amount of confusion as to whether bone fragments should be assembled and counted as one bone or tallied individually. Stock and Howard then devised the
Minimum Number of Individuals (MNI), which estimated the minimum number of animals needed to produce the fossils recorded. For example, if five scapulae from a species were found, it might be difficult to determine whether some of them were paired right and left on one individual or whether each came from a different individual, which could alter census, but it could be said that there must be at least three individuals to produce five scapulae. Three would thus be the MNI. In rare cases where enough of a collection of fossils can be assembled into individuals as to provide an accurate number of individuals, the unit used is Actual Number of Individuals, or ANI.
785:
might have been harvested by prehistoric hunters. For example, a male Wapiti has an average weight of 400 kg, and in a particular study, the MNI of Wapiti was found to be 10. This would create a biomass of 4,000 kg. If the amount of edible meat is estimated at 50 percent, this would result in a meat weight of 2,000 kg. The biggest problem with this method is the debate over "percent of usable meat." Different views on which parts of a species are edible and which are not as well as whether or not primitive butchers would have been able to access and prepare different parts have led to controversy.
781:
population of a species may have weighed. Problems with this measurement include the difference in weight between youngsters and adults, seasonal weight changes due to diet and hibernation, and the difficulty of accurately estimating the weight of a creature with only a skeletal reference. It is also difficult to determine exact age of fossilized matter within a year or a decade, so a biomass might be grossly exaggerated or under exaggerated if the estimated time frame in which the fossils were alive is incorrect.
60:
1739:
31:
808:, writes that paleozoological research can provide data such as extinction rates and causes and "benchmark" peaks and drops in population which can be used to predict future patterns and to design maximally effective methods of controlling these patterns. In addition, paleozoological data can be used to compare current to former population and distribution of a species.
751:
Vertebrate paleozoology refers to the use of morphological, temporal, and stratigraphic data to map vertebrate history in evolutionary theory. Vertebrates are classified as a subphylum of
Chordata, a phylum used to classify species adhering to a rod-shaped, flexible body type called a notochord. They
780:
Another unit commonly used in quantitative paleozoology is biomass. Biomass is defined as the amount of tissue in an area or from a species. It is calculated by estimating an average weight based on similar modern species and multiplying it by the MNI. This yields an estimate of how much the entire
776:
devised special units for quantitative paleozoology and quantitative paleontology. The first unit used, Number of
Identified Species (NISP), specified exact quantity of fossils from a specific species recorded. Stock and Howard determined this unit to be problematic for quantitative purposes as an
768:
Quantitative paleozoology is a process of taking a census of fossil types rather than inventory. They differ in that inventory refers to a detailed log of individual fossils, whereas census attempts to group individual fossils to tally the total number of a species. This information can be used to
784:
A similar measurement to biomass is meat weight. To determine meat weight, MNI is multiplied by the amount of meat an individual is thought to have provided, then multiplied by the percentage of that meat thought to be edible. This gives an estimate of "pounds of usable meat" per individual which
759:
Evolutionary origins of vertebrates as well as the phylum
Chordata have not been scientifically determined. Many believe vertebrates diverged from a common ancestor of chordates and echinoderms. This belief is well supported by the prehistoric marine creature Amphioxus. Amphioxus does not possess
755:
Classes of vertebrates listed in chronological order from oldest to most recent include heterostracans, osteostracans, coelolepid agnathans, acanthodians, osteichthyan fishes, chondrichthyan fishes, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds. All vertebrates are studied under standard evolutionary
760:
bone, making it an invertebrate, but it has common features with vertebrates including a segmented body and a notochord. This could imply that
Amphioxus is a transitional form between an early chordate, echinoderm or common ancestor, and vertebrates.
752:
differ from other phyla in that other phyla may have cartilage or cartilage-like tissues forming a sort of skeleton, but only vertebrates possess what we define as bone.
719:
groups. This is because hard organic parts, such as bones, teeth, and shells resist decay, and are the most commonly preserved and found animal fossils. Exclusively
884:
756:
generalizations of behavior and life process, although there is controversy over whether population can be accurately estimated from limited fossil resources.
230:
556:
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828:
801:. In this context, the paleozoological data used is obtained from recently deceased decomposing matter rather than prehistoric matter.
1768:
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245:
1714:
119:
769:
determine which species were most dominant and which had the largest population at a time period or in a geological region.
1773:
797:. Conservation biology refers to biological study used for conservation, control, and preservation of various species and
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804:
R. Lee Lyman, Professor and Chair
Department of Anthropology at the
1603:
1591:
1576:
1571:
708:
701:
29:
1055:
657:
era onwards, although they do not become common until the Late
676:. Other popularly known animal-derived macrofossils include
1051:
1034:"R. Lee Lyman: Zooarchaeology and Vertebrate Taphonomy"
772:
In the early 1930s, paleontologists
Chester Stock and
1002:"Paleozoology in the Service of Conservation Biology"
743:, as these groups do not produce hard organic parts.
793:
Paleozoological data is used in research concerning
1707:
1644:
1619:
1527:
1518:
1445:
1395:
1382:
1308:
1102:
608:dealing with the recovery and identification of
27:Branch of paleontology, paleobiology, or zoology
953:
951:
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947:
945:
943:
941:
939:
937:
935:
933:
931:
929:
927:
1067:
885:Taxonomy of commonly fossilised invertebrates
550:
8:
1524:
1392:
1074:
1060:
1052:
557:
543:
42:
1017:
641:Definitive, macroscopic remains of these
1036:. Curators of the University of Missouri
962:. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
995:
993:
977:
975:
973:
971:
969:
923:
50:
892:—indirect evidence of prehistoric life
7:
829:History of invertebrate paleozoology
25:
661:period in the latter half of the
623:) contexts, and the use of these
1738:
1737:
1457:Mammalian anatomy and morphology
58:
1000:Lyman, R. Lee (February 2006).
986:. New York: Wiley-Interscience.
903:covers the subphylum Vertebrata
853:—easily visible fossil evidence
120:List of human evolution fossils
1:
865:—microscopic fossil evidence
596:"animal"), is the branch of
115:List of transitional fossils
231:Mammalian auditory ossicles
1795:
982:Olson, Everett C. (1971).
39:, fish fossil from Wyoming
1769:Subfields of paleontology
1733:
1089:
1006:Evolutionary Anthropology
960:Quantitative Paleozoology
876:—biology and paleontology
845:Invertebrate paleontology
764:Quantitative paleozoology
739:—are consequently rarely
627:in the reconstruction of
428:Invertebrate paleontology
377:Biological classification
357:Introduction to evolution
258:Evolution of various taxa
847:covers most animal phyla
412:Branches of paleontology
400:Timeline of paleontology
1170:Biological anthropology
984:Vertebrate Paleozoology
901:Vertebrate paleontology
747:Vertebrate paleozoology
668:Perhaps the best known
518:Vertebrate paleontology
395:History of paleontology
389:History of paleontology
110:Lagerstätte fossil beds
958:Lyman, R. Lee (2008).
820:, taxonomic kingdom of
806:University of Missouri
438:Molecular paleontology
40:
1699:Alfred Russel Wallace
1609:Water vascular system
836:—a.k.a. guide fossils
178:Timeline of evolution
33:
1774:Subfields of zoology
1560:Cellular respiration
795:conservation biology
789:Conservation biology
195:Organs and processes
105:List of fossil sites
1725:Timeline of zoology
1654:Karl Ernst von Baer
1555:Respiratory pigment
1430:Mineralized tissues
721:soft-bodied animals
529:Paleontology Portal
183:Transitional fossil
153:Geologic time scale
46:Part of a series on
1540:Respiratory system
1528:General physiology
1425:Connective tissues
1019:10.1002/evan.20083
636:ancient ecosystems
572:, also spelled as
90:Fossil preparation
41:
1751:
1750:
1694:Jakob von UexkĂĽll
1640:
1639:
1627:Insect physiology
1520:Animal physiology
1514:
1513:
1506:Insect morphology
1437:Molecular anatomy
1410:Epithelial tissue
1388:Animal morphology
869:Micropaleontology
774:Hildegarde Howard
645:are found in the
567:
566:
493:Paleotempestology
478:Paleoneurobiology
433:Micropaleontology
16:(Redirected from
1786:
1741:
1740:
1669:Jean-Henri Fabre
1525:
1393:
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1024:
1023:
1021:
997:
988:
987:
979:
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559:
552:
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508:Sclerochronology
236:Mosaic evolution
173:Paleoclimatology
143:Extinction event
62:
43:
36:Priscacara liops
21:
1794:
1793:
1789:
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1787:
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1784:
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1779:Paleozoologists
1754:
1753:
1752:
1747:
1729:
1703:
1636:
1632:Fish physiology
1615:
1567:Vascular system
1510:
1448:
1441:
1415:Muscular tissue
1386:
1378:
1364:Platyhelminthes
1339:Xenacoelomorpha
1304:
1143:Lepidopterology
1098:
1085:
1080:
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1039:
1037:
1032:
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1027:
999:
998:
991:
981:
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859:—animal kingdom
814:
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418:Biostratigraphy
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259:
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241:Nervous systems
196:
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163:History of life
158:Geologic record
133:
132:Natural history
125:
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100:List of fossils
70:
28:
23:
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15:
12:
11:
5:
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1664:Charles Darwin
1661:
1659:Georges Cuvier
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1501:Spider anatomy
1498:
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1474:
1469:
1464:
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1449:and morphology
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1420:Nervous tissue
1417:
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1384:Animal anatomy
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1300:Zooarchaeology
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1177:
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1161:
1158:Orthopterology
1155:
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1138:Coleopterology
1131:
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1115:Arthropodology
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989:
965:
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907:Zooarchaeology
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837:
831:
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655:Neoproterozoic
653:period of the
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483:Paleopathology
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468:Paleolimnology
465:
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443:Palaeoxylology
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362:Common descent
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168:Origin of life
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18:Paleozoologist
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1684:Konrad Lorenz
1682:
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1679:Carl Linnaeus
1677:
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1674:William Kirby
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1582:Blood vessels
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1494:Shark anatomy
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1354:Aschelminthes
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1301:
1298:
1296:
1293:
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1288:
1286:
1283:
1281:
1278:
1276:
1275:Neuroethology
1273:
1271:
1268:
1265:
1262:
1260:
1257:
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1250:
1247:
1245:
1241:
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1226:
1223:
1221:
1218:
1215:
1214:Testudinology
1212:
1210:
1207:
1205:
1201:
1198:
1196:
1195:Helminthology
1193:
1191:
1188:
1186:
1183:
1181:
1178:
1176:
1173:
1171:
1168:
1165:
1164:Myriapodology
1162:
1159:
1156:
1154:
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1149:
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1144:
1141:
1139:
1135:
1132:
1130:
1127:
1124:
1120:
1116:
1113:
1111:
1110:Anthrozoology
1108:
1107:
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1101:
1095:
1092:
1091:
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1070:
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985:
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891:
890:Trace fossils
888:
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870:
867:
864:
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858:
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852:
849:
846:
843:
841:
840:Invertebrates
838:
835:
834:Index fossils
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672:group is the
671:
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656:
652:
648:
647:fossil record
644:
639:
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621:archeological
618:
615:remains from
614:
611:
610:multicellular
607:
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595:
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1764:Paleozoology
1550:Gas exchange
1489:Fish anatomy
1484:Bird anatomy
1344:Ambulacraria
1290:Paleozoology
1289:
1285:Parasitology
1204:Batrachology
1185:Ethnozoology
1180:Cnidariology
1038:. Retrieved
1028:
1012:(1): 11–19.
1009:
1005:
983:
959:
874:Paleobiology
863:Microfossils
851:Macrofossils
803:
792:
783:
779:
771:
767:
758:
754:
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717:invertebrate
715:of numerous
670:macrofossils
667:
640:
632:environments
602:paleobiology
598:paleontology
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585:
574:Paleozoology
573:
569:
568:
498:Paleozoology
497:
458:Paleoecology
448:Paleobiology
201:Avian flight
138:Biogeography
95:Index fossil
80:Trace fossil
52:Paleontology
34:
1720:Post-Darwin
1597:Capillaries
1535:Respiration
1295:Planktology
1280:Ornithology
1264:Primatology
1220:Ichthyology
1200:Herpetology
1175:Bryozoology
1153:Myrmecology
1148:Melittology
1129:Carcinology
1119:Arachnology
896:Vertebrates
880:Paleobotany
698:bony fishes
690:brachiopods
686:echinoderms
682:crustaceans
629:prehistoric
453:Paleobotany
274:Cephalopods
269:Butterflies
85:Microfossil
1758:Categories
1715:Pre-Darwin
1689:Thomas Say
1646:Zoologists
1620:By species
1359:Arthropoda
1324:Ctenophora
1270:Nematology
1254:Felinology
1234:Teuthology
1229:Conchology
1225:Malacology
1134:Entomology
918:References
799:ecosystems
741:fossilized
706:Vertebrate
678:trilobites
617:geological
588:"old" and
503:Palynology
372:Cladistics
211:Multicells
1545:Breathing
1397:Histology
1259:Hippology
1240:Mammalogy
1209:Ophiology
1123:Acarology
733:nematodes
729:flatworms
725:jellyfish
723:—such as
674:dinosaurs
663:Paleozoic
651:Ediacaran
649:from the
643:metazoans
619:(or even
513:Taphonomy
423:Ichnology
367:Phylogeny
351:Evolution
339:Tetrapods
284:Dinosaurs
279:Cetaceans
1743:Category
1587:Arteries
1472:Elephant
1447:Anatomy
1374:Annelida
1369:Mollusca
1349:Chordata
1334:Cnidaria
1329:Placozoa
1319:Porifera
1249:Cynology
1244:Cetology
1190:Ethology
1103:Branches
1040:12 April
818:Animalia
812:See also
694:mollusks
659:Devonian
533:Category
329:Sea cows
324:Reptiles
314:Molluscs
221:Flagella
1708:History
1405:Tissues
1094:Outline
1083:Zoology
912:Zoology
857:Metazoa
824:Fossils
737:insects
625:fossils
606:zoology
586:palaeon
582:παλαιόν
334:Spiders
309:Mammals
304:Insects
69:Fossils
1312:groups
1310:Animal
735:, and
713:shells
711:, and
702:sharks
665:era.
613:animal
319:Plants
299:Humans
289:Fishes
1604:Heart
1592:Veins
1577:Lymph
1572:Blood
1462:Human
709:teeth
604:, or
578:Greek
294:Fungi
264:Birds
206:Cells
1042:2012
634:and
594:zoon
590:ζῷον
226:Hair
216:Eyes
1477:Cat
1467:Dog
1014:doi
246:Sex
1760::
1010:15
1008:.
1004:.
992:^
968:^
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20:)
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