Third International Palaeontological Congress (IPC3)

20. From death to data: the taphonomy of skeletons and soft tissues
Keynote speakers: Derek Briggs, Susan Kidwell
Organiser: Paddy Orr, Sarah Gabbott, Mark Purnell & Rudy Raff

This symposium will review current research on understanding taphonomic processes in the broadest sense, treating both biomineralised and non-biomineralised tissues at micro- macro- and mega- scales.

Potential topics include, but are not restricted to:

1. Field and laboratory based experimental studies of the degradation of tissues.
2. Experimental simulations of the processes involved in the replication of non-biomineralised tissues by authigenic minerals.
3. Diagenetic alteration of the chemistry of tissues, including alteration and preservation of the original biomolecules.
4. Case studies of individual taxa or assemblages that consider the biostratinomic and diagenetic processes involved in their fossilisation.
5. Analysis of the temporal and environmental distribution of fossil assemblages, ranging over local, basinal, sequence stratigraphic and global scales.

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