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Geobios 41 (2008) 1–3

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Editorial
Taphonomy, the understanding of fossilization processes
in paleontology and archeology

Fossils are biosphere entities that have become part of the to taphonomy are a consequence of a very active interest in
lithosphere. Because of this, Paleontology is a discipline taphonomy in the Spanish paleontological community. Pro-
halfway between Biology and Geology and thus, it shares a ceedings of previous meetings were published (Fernández-
variety of methodologies and objectives with other Earth and López, 1990, 1992; Meléndez et al., 1996; Meléndez, 1997; De
Life Sciences. In general, paleontological disciplines are Renzi et al., 2002), and the fifth congress on this subject,
intimately linked with geological or biological matters and find TAPHOS’08, is already planned to be held in Granada.
their counterparts among them. Nevertheless, among all of the TAPHOS’05 gathered nearly one hundred people and was
approaches to the study of fossils, one is genuinely held at CosmoCaixa Museum (Fundació la Caixa) in
paleontological. The transition of organic remains from the Barcelona. The congress consisted of plenary, oral and poster
biosphere to the lithosphere is a process recorded only by sessions. Moreover, a field trip to visit several Miocene and
fossils, and thus taphonomy can arguably be considered as the Quaternary localities in Tarragona and Castelldefels (Barce-
most ‘‘paleontological’’ among paleontological disciplines. lona) was conducted.
The understanding of the fossilization process is paramount for The congress sessions were introduced by three outstanding
taking any further steps in the study of the fossil record, as plenary lectures on time-averaging and temporal resolution of
taphonomy has infiltrated many other paleontological dis- the marine invertebrate fossil assemblages (M. Kowalewski),
ciplines. To pursue an understanding of the fossil record in on the preservation and composition of the Chengjiang biota
terms of its paleoecological or evolutionary significance, we and the flowering of early animal life (D.J. Siveter), and on
first have to understand how ‘‘good’’ our database is. Still, several aspects of vertebrate taphonomy (Y. Fernández-Jalvo).
taphonomic studies go well beyond the objective of assessing During the sessions, participants presented sixty-eight con-
the quality of the fossil record (i.e. the amount of bias or lost tributions, both in oral and poster formats, addressing a variety
information) as they provide us with new and valuable data (i.e. of taphonomic topics (Martinell et al., 2005). It is worthwhile to
information gain) (Thomas, 1986). Studies on death, decay and note the significant contributions on archeo- and actuotaph-
biostratinomic processes give us very important clues for a onomy, which revealed the progress of this subject in
better understanding of paleoecological and paleoenviron- disciplines closely related to paleontology. The fourteen papers
mental aspects, from which applications in stratigraphy and published in this publication are a good sample of the diversity
basin analysis often derive. Meanwhile, fossil-diagenetic of topics discussed during the meeting. Five of the papers
analyses may reveal important information about the transfor- concern different aspects of invertebrate taphonomy. Fernán-
mations of sediments into rocks. Because of all these reasons, dez-López studies internal sedimentary moulds of Jurassic
since Efremov (1940) coined the term, taphonomy has grown to ammonoids and addresses how the detailed analysis of these
become right at the center (or at the base) of paleontology.This taphonomic structures may contribute to paleoenvironmental or
publication is a proof of the broad presence of taphonomy in paleogeographic interpretations. Zamora, Mayoral, Gámez
paleontological studies and its more recent expansion into Vintaned and Espílez interpret the taphonomic history of
archeological research. This collection of papers arises from Cretaceous infaunal echinoids from the thorough study of bored
some of the contributions presented in the 2nd International and encrusted tests. Olóriz, Reolid and Rodríguez-Tovar
Meeting TAPHOS’05/4 Reunión de Tafonomía y Fosilización apply the taphonomic analysis of macroinvertebrate assem-
that took place in Barcelona during June 2005. This meeting blages to the ecostratigraphic interpretation of oolitic and
represented a continuation of those held in Madrid (1990) and spongiolitic limestones of Upper Jurassic shelf deposits. Santos
Zaragoza (1996), both with a mainly Spanish scope, and and Mayoral identify three different stages of colonization on
Valencia (2002), which was open to a more international Miocene bivalve shells from Cacela (Portugal) from both
audience. The four successful editions of this congress devoted ichnological and taphonomic data. Farinati, Spagnuolo and

0016-6995/$ – see front matter # 2007 Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.

doi:10.1016/j.geobios.2007.10.003
2 Editorial / Geobios 41 (2008) 1–3

Fig. 1. Participants in the Meeting at the main entrance of CosmoCaixa (Fundació La Caixa) where sessions took place on June, 2005.

Aliotta use ternary taphograms and the analysis of several for this period in this area. Finally, Fernández-Jalvo and
taphonomic attributes to characterize the multiepisodic genesis Marín-Monfort evaluate different preparation procedures of
of two Holocene estuarine ridges in Argentina. fossil and recent vertebrate skeletons in museums from a
The other nine articles address matters related to the taphonomical approach, and suggest criteria to recognize
taphonomy of vertebrate skeletal remains, both fossil and chemical and physical processes under natural conditions
recent. Bartosiewicz analyzes the connection between taph- (Fig. 1).
onomy and paleopathology in archeozoological studies. Gal
studies two Pleistocene bird assemblages from an Hungarian Acknowledgements
cave, one originating from the natural death of young
individuals and the other resulting from the accumulation of The editors would like to acknowledge all the researchers
owl pellets. Lloveras, Moreno and Nadal investigate the who participated in the meeting, and are thankful to the authors
taphonomic signature left by the Spanish Imperial Eagle on who sent their contributions for publication. Reviewers deserve
leporid bones obtained from pellets in order to identify the a special gratitude for the excellent task carried out that ensured
activity of this raptor in Iberian archeological assemblages. the quality of the papers, and also for their implication in the
Mondini applies a model of carnivore taphonomic action in an improvement of the accepted manuscripts. J. Aguirre (Granada,
Argentinean middle Holocene archaeological site where Spain), J. Agustí (Tarragona, Spain), L. Alcalá (Teruel, Spain),
different signals on bones suggest a minimal incidence of P. Andrews (United Kingdom), E. Bernáldez (Sevilla, Spain),
carnivores in the formation of these deposits, although a M. Bertling (Münster, Germany), Z.M. Bochenski (Krakov,
dilution effect could have caused the traces to fade away. Poland), R. Esperante (Loma Linda, U.S.A.), Y. Fernández-
Discriminating between anthropic and natural taphonomic Jalvo (Madrid, Spain), P. Hortolà (Tarragona, Spain), K. Knust
processes affecting pinniped bone assemblages from Argen- (Vienna, Austria), M. Kowalewski (Blacksburg, U.S.A.),
tinean archeological and Recent deposits is the goal of Muñoz R.L. Lyman (Columbia, U.S.A.), T. Matthews (Cape Town,
in his paper. Muñoz, Mondini, Durán and Gasco contribute Sud Africa), G. Meléndez (Zaragoza, Spain), Ch. Neumann
with an example of actuotaphonomy on the remains of an (Berlin, Germany), A. Parras (Santa Rosa, Argentina), A. Pinto
Argentinean guanaco killed by pumas and a comparison to (Madrid, Spain), A. Pisera (Warsaw, Poland), B. Pobiner
similar cases. Montalvo, Melchor, Visconti and Cerdeño (Washington, U.S.A.), S. Walker (Athens, U.S.A.), J. Williams
focus on the taphonomic analysis of a condensed bone (Northampton, United Kingdom) and M. Wilson (Wooster,
assemblage in Late Miocene soils from Argentina where U.S.A.) helped us in this task. We are also specially grateful to
different pre- and post-burial taphonomical histories are Geobios and Dr. S. Legendre for giving us the opportunity to
inferred for microvertebrates (resulting from predator activ- publish these contributions and in particular to Ms. Fabienne
ities) and macromammals (produced by natural and gradual Ongaro for her Editorial assistance. TAPHOS’05 was part of
death processes). Verzi, Montalvo and Deschamps investigate the activities of the Research Team ‘‘Paleobiologia del Neogen
the taphonomic attributes of octodontoid rodent assemblages in Mediterrani’’ and the Spanish Research Project BTE2003-
Late Miocene paleosoils of Argentina, in relation to an 01356. This volume has been partly funded by the Spanish
interpretation of the anagenetic pattern of change in an Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia through the Acción
octodontid rodent lineage; they also identify five new biozones Complementaria CGL2004-23020-E/BTE.
 Editorial / Geobios 41 (2008) 1–3 3

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