Taphonomy
/təˈfɒnəmi/noun
The study of how organisms’ remains change from death through burial, fossilization, and discovery.
Did you know?The term was coined in 1940 by Soviet paleontologist Ivan Efremov to describe the processes that transform once-living organisms into fossils.
Etymological Timeline
Ancient Greek
Greek
τάφος (táphos)
“Tomb, grave, or burial”
Ancient Greek
Greek
νόμος (nómos)
“Law, custom, or an ordering principle”
1940
Russian
тафономия (tafonomiya)
“The study of the laws governing burial and fossil preservation, coined by Ivan Efremov”
20th Century
Scientific English
taphonomy
“The study of postmortem biological and geological processes affecting remains”
Modern English
English
taphonomy
“The science of what happens to organisms between death and their preservation or discovery as fossils”