Vertebrate Paleontology

  1. The Fossil Record and Geological Time
    1. Taphonomy
      1. Death and Initial Decay
        1. Biological Decay Processes
          1. Scavenging and Disarticulation
            1. Environmental Factors
            2. Transport and Burial
              1. Fluvial Transport
                1. Aeolian Transport
                  1. Mass Wasting Events
                    1. Rapid Burial Scenarios
                      1. Sedimentary Environments
                      2. Diagenesis and Fossilization
                        1. Permineralization
                          1. Replacement
                            1. Carbonization
                              1. Pyritization
                                1. Recrystallization
                                  1. Molds and Casts
                                    1. Exceptional Preservation
                                    2. Taphonomic Biases
                                      1. Preservation Bias
                                        1. Collection Bias
                                          1. Temporal Bias
                                            1. Environmental Bias
                                              1. Taxonomic Bias
                                            2. Types of Vertebrate Fossils
                                              1. Body Fossils
                                                1. Skeletal Elements
                                                  1. Bones
                                                    1. Teeth
                                                      1. Scales
                                                        1. Otoliths
                                                        2. Soft Tissue Preservation
                                                          1. Skin Impressions
                                                            1. Feather Impressions
                                                              1. Muscle Tissue
                                                                1. Internal Organs
                                                                2. Preservation States
                                                                  1. Articulated Skeletons
                                                                    1. Associated Remains
                                                                      1. Disarticulated Elements
                                                                        1. Isolated Specimens
                                                                      2. Trace Fossils
                                                                        1. Locomotion Traces
                                                                          1. Trackways
                                                                            1. Individual Footprints
                                                                              1. Swimming Traces
                                                                              2. Feeding Traces
                                                                                1. Bite Marks
                                                                                  1. Tooth Marks
                                                                                    1. Gastroliths
                                                                                    2. Dwelling Traces
                                                                                      1. Burrows
                                                                                        1. Nests
                                                                                          1. Dens
                                                                                          2. Physiological Traces
                                                                                            1. Coprolites
                                                                                              1. Regurgitalites
                                                                                                1. Urolites
                                                                                              2. Chemical Fossils
                                                                                                1. Biomolecules
                                                                                                  1. Proteins
                                                                                                    1. Amino Acids
                                                                                                      1. Lipids
                                                                                                      2. Isotopic Signatures
                                                                                                        1. Carbon Isotopes
                                                                                                          1. Nitrogen Isotopes
                                                                                                            1. Oxygen Isotopes
                                                                                                        2. The Geologic Time Scale
                                                                                                          1. Hierarchical Structure
                                                                                                            1. Eons
                                                                                                              1. Hadean
                                                                                                                1. Archean
                                                                                                                  1. Proterozoic
                                                                                                                    1. Phanerozoic
                                                                                                                    2. Eras
                                                                                                                      1. Paleozoic
                                                                                                                        1. Mesozoic
                                                                                                                          1. Cenozoic
                                                                                                                          2. Periods
                                                                                                                            1. Cambrian through Quaternary
                                                                                                                            2. Epochs
                                                                                                                              1. Subdivision of Periods
                                                                                                                              2. Ages and Stages
                                                                                                                              3. Major Boundaries and Events
                                                                                                                                1. Mass Extinction Events
                                                                                                                                  1. Adaptive Radiations
                                                                                                                                    1. Climate Changes
                                                                                                                                      1. Geochemical Anomalies
                                                                                                                                    2. Stratigraphy and Correlation
                                                                                                                                      1. Lithostratigraphy
                                                                                                                                        1. Rock Units and Formations
                                                                                                                                          1. Lithofacies Analysis
                                                                                                                                            1. Sequence Stratigraphy
                                                                                                                                            2. Biostratigraphy
                                                                                                                                              1. Fossil Assemblage Zones
                                                                                                                                                1. Range Zones
                                                                                                                                                  1. Concurrent Range Zones
                                                                                                                                                    1. Index Fossil Criteria
                                                                                                                                                    2. Chronostratigraphy
                                                                                                                                                      1. Time-Rock Units
                                                                                                                                                        1. Global Boundary Stratotype Sections and Points
                                                                                                                                                          1. International Stratigraphic Chart
                                                                                                                                                          2. Magnetostratigraphy
                                                                                                                                                            1. Magnetic Polarity Reversals
                                                                                                                                                              1. Magnetozones
                                                                                                                                                                1. Correlation with GPTS
                                                                                                                                                              2. Geochronology
                                                                                                                                                                1. Relative Dating Methods
                                                                                                                                                                  1. Stratigraphic Principles
                                                                                                                                                                    1. Biostratigraphic Correlation
                                                                                                                                                                      1. Cross-cutting Relationships
                                                                                                                                                                      2. Absolute Dating Methods
                                                                                                                                                                        1. Radiometric Dating
                                                                                                                                                                          1. Radiocarbon Dating
                                                                                                                                                                            1. Uranium-Lead Dating
                                                                                                                                                                              1. Potassium-Argon Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                1. Argon-Argon Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                  1. Rubidium-Strontium Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                  2. Other Dating Methods
                                                                                                                                                                                    1. Fission Track Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                      1. Luminescence Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Amino Acid Racemization
                                                                                                                                                                                      2. Paleomagnetic Dating
                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Magnetic Reversals
                                                                                                                                                                                          1. Apparent Polar Wander Paths
                                                                                                                                                                                            1. Magnetostratigraphic Correlation

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                                                                                                                                                                                        1. Foundations of Vertebrate Paleontology

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                                                                                                                                                                                        3. Field and Laboratory Methods