Structure and Composition of Fossils
A topical collection in Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This collection belongs to the section "Biomineralization and Biominerals".
Viewed by 17Editors
Interests: biomineralization; mollusc shells; coral skeletons; bone and teeth; mineralogy; organic matrices; SEM; AFM; chromatography; electrophoresis; Infrared and Raman spectroscopy; XANES; electron microprobe; fossilization and diagenesis
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: coral and shell growth-modes at the micrometer and infra-micrometer levels; microstructure and fossilization: fossils as environmental archives; microstructural development of the pearl layers: from early post-grafting stages to nacre biomineralization
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Topical Collection Information
Dear Colleagues,
A fossil is evidence of life preserved in a geologic context, including the preserved remains or traces of an animal, plant, or other organism from a past geologic age. The presence of biominerals in fossils has two main origins: (1) biogenic origin—biominerals were directly produced by the living organism (e.g., teeth or mollusk shells; (2) diagenetic changes resulting from modifications that occurred during the geological history of a preserved organism, as when a plant leaf becomes mineralized after its death.
A third category is the “living fossil”, when an organism is firstly known as fossil record and later discovered in living form.
Fossils are not rare in archaeological and geological sites, whatever the category. They are used for paleoenvironmental reconstructions, paleoclimatology, paleophysiology, and for phylogenetic purposes. Fossil shells and skeletons are also a source of inspiration to create new biomaterials.
Nevertheless, many questions remain regarding the factors that determine the formation, structure, and composition of both biogenic and diagenetic minerals. Consequently, this topical collection on the “Structure and Composition of Fossils” will feature recent advances and reviews related to research focusing on these mineral types.
Dr. Yannicke Dauphin
Dr. Jean-Pierre Cuif
Collection Editors
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Keywords
- biomineralization
- micro and nano-scales
- mechanical property
- bioinspired mineralization
- analytical characterization techniques
- experimental fossilisation
