Fossils are one of the most immediately recognisable aspects of geology, but in spite of this, their value as a geological tool is less widely appreciated amongst non-geologists.
The occurrence and distribution of fossils provides fundamental information about the age of sedimentary rocks and clues to the environment in which they were formed. Fossil data can show how different sedimentary rock successions in different regions are related, and can be used to identify particular geological units. This geological usefulness has ensured that Biostratigraphy and Palaeontology remain central to many areas of work within BGS, including:
- geological mapping and basin modelling
- hydrocarbons exploration
- civil engineering site investigation
- aquifer modelling
Fossil data also helps to answer globally important questions about
the impact of current changes to climate and environments.
At BGS our work focuses on the applied aspects of palaeontology –
Biostratigraphy - using fossils to date and correlate rock
successions
Palaeoecology - using fossils to understand the environments
in which rocks were formed
Palaeogeography - using fossils to understand the past distribution
of landmasses and oceans
- Fossils and palaeontology - basic principles
- Consultancy - a guide to our expert services
- Laboratories - essential sample preparation facilities in palynology and micropalaeontology
- Palaeontology & biostratigraphy - core expertise
- Specialist training - transferring our knowledge to industry
- BGS palaeontological collections - some of the UK's finest reference collections
- Holostratigraphy - integrating palaeontology with other geological data
- New frontiers - a guide to current work and recent research
- Taxonomy Online - a web-based guide to BGS collections
- Contacts - details of BGS palaeontologists and their areas of expertise
