fossil record

Cultural  

1. A term used by paleontologists (see paleontology) to refer to the total number of fossils that have been discovered, as well as to the information derived from them. (See evolution of Earth.)

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Example Sentences

Using a technique known as Approximate Bayesian Computation, the researchers worked backward from the fossil record to estimate how far organisms spread and how intensely they competed for resources.

From Science Daily • Jun. 10, 2026

The oldest skin bones in the fossil record may date back 475 million years.

From Science Daily • May 21, 2026

"This uncertainty is due to limited fossil and ancient genomic data, and to the fact that the fossil record does not always align with expectations from models built using modern DNA," she said.

From Science Daily • Apr. 26, 2026

"The protein remnant finding is exceptional," Mooney said, "it dramatically pushes our understanding of what is possible in terms of soft tissue preservation in the fossil record."

From Science Daily • Apr. 23, 2026

He admitted that one could not see the intermediate stages of a species’ development in the fossil record.

From "Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith" by Deborah Heiligman