遗迹化石是地质历史时期生物在沉积物表面和内部所留下的生命活动记录。遗迹化石不仅与生物种类和生活习性密切相关, 还受到环境因子和沉积介质的影响和控制。地质地史时期的软躯体生物很难保存为化石, 而它们生命活动的行为习性都烙印在了遗迹化石里。因此, 遗迹化石成为探索生物与环境相互作用的重要信息载体, 在重建古环境和古生态、探索早期生命演化和理解重大地质转折期底栖生态系对极端环境事件的响应上具有重要意义。本文聚焦于近年来这三大方向遗迹学方面的研究进展, 并对将来遗迹学的发展方向进行了展望。

Trace fossils record the behavioral characteristics of ancient organisms, and their preservations reflect the intimate interaction between organisms’ ethology, habitable substrates, and their living environments. In particular, soft-bodied organisms usually are difficult to be preserved in the fossil records, but their behaviors can be preserved as trace fossils. Thus, trace fossils are pivotal in reconstructing palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological interpretations,deciphering the early evolution of life and the infaunal responses to environmental extremes during mass extinctions. This paper focuses on the advancement of the above mentioned ichnological research topics during the past ten years, and puts forward potential directions in future ichnological studies.

国家自然科学基金(42072004)、中国科学院战略先导科技专项(XDB26000000)、中国科学院人才计划(2018-039)、河南省高等学校青年骨干教师培养计划(2017GGJS056)和河南省高校基本科研业务费专项基金(NSFRF200340)联合资助