Geodiversity, palaeodiversity or biodiversity: Where is the place of palaeobiology and an understanding of taphonomy?

摘要

While some authors view biodiversity as an integral part of an over-arching geodiversity, most would see them as separate constructs. If that is the case, then the life-death interface marks the critical boundary between those that study organisms in life and the palaeontologists who try to interpret fossils in terms of their palaeobiology. The interface between life and the fossil record is characterised by the processes of taphonomy and, when fossils are collected, care must be taken to ensure that vital taphonomic information is not lost. This does not appear to be highlighted in the various fossil collecting codes and the avoidance of the loss of taphonomic information during collection should be a key feature of collecting policies and geoconservation in general.