The Sedimentology of Palaeontology - How to Accumulate Highly Fossiliferous Deposits

Explore the intricate world of sedimentology and its crucial role in fossilization through this comprehensive lecture by Jon Noad from the University of Adelaide. Delve into the various factors that contribute to the concentration of fossil deposits, examining both accumulation processes and exposure mechanisms. Discover how fecundity, winnowing, deposition rates, and catastrophic events influence fossil preservation across different sedimentary environments, from fluvial to deep marine settings. Analyze case studies, including Dinosaur Provincial Park and North America, to understand the prevalence of exceptional fossil deposits. Investigate the impact of organism robustness, cementation, and weathering profiles on fossil preservation. Learn to recognize patterns in rock types and outcrops that yield the best fossil hunting opportunities, and gain insights into using fossils as sedimentation gauges. Examine specific environments such as fluvial, aeolian, lacustrine, estuarine, and marine settings, and their potential for fossilization. Understand the concept of taphonomy and its significance in paleontology. Conclude with an exploration of notable fossil beds and bone deposits, including the Snyder Quarry and Howe Quarry, to enhance your understanding of sedimentological processes in paleontology.

Intro
The Sedimentology of Palaeontology: how to accumulate highly fossiliferous deposits
Introduction
A note on collecting macrofossils
Pattern recognition really works
What rock type?
The best outcrops for fossil hunting
The eternal question-what rate?
Terrestrial versus Marine
Using fossils as sedimentation gauges
Macrofossil abundance
Feast and famine
Lower energy fluvial environments 1
Classic channel lagi winnowing
High energy fluvial environments
Dataset: Princess South
Aeolian
Lacustrine
Estuarine settings
Significant surfaces at the coast
Shallow marine carbonates
Atlas Medusa
Open marine settings
Open marine case study: Sandakan Formation
Examples of rich fossil beds proximal environments
Examples of rich fossil beds: distal environments
Most likely environments with abundant fossil beds
Concentrating agents across environments
What is taphonomy?
Slopes and currents - outside taphonomic agents
The Snyder Quarry
Howe Quarry, Wyoming
Monospecific bone beds of DPP, Alberta
Interpretation of bone beds
Conclusions