Trace fossils of Alabama: Life in the coal age

Abstract

Fossils are rocks which have naturally-preserved evidence of ancient plants and animals. Body fossils of ancient animals, especially vertebrates, are considered extremely important for what they can tell us about anatomical structure. Trace fossils, on the other hand, are the preserved traces of animals that were engaged in a daily activity, such as walking, swimming, jumping, burrowing, or resting. Trace fossils were originally impressed in wet mud or sand and then preserved in solid rock. Coal mining or construction can sometimes expose the preserved traces. Trace fossils are important for what they can tell us about how ancient animals behaved. Walker County is a remarkable source of trace fossils in Alabama. This chapter describes what trace fossils are, how they form, how they are exposed, and the types of traces found in Alabama coal mines.