Theme Session 16
Fossils and Modern Analogs: Using Modern Organisms to Improve Paleontological Interpretations
Daniel I. Hembree, Ohio University
Brian F. Platt, University of Kansas
Jon J. Smith, University of Kansas
The study of modern organisms is invaluable to the understanding of ancient life and ecosystems. Modern analog studies allow paleontologists to assess a range of questions from the behavioral and environmental significance of ichnofossils to the locomotion styles of vertebrates. This session will cover a broad range of experimental research of modern organisms and their application to paleontologic problems. Topics include organism-substrate interactions, taphonomy, morphology, organism behavior, functional morphology, biomechanics, and kinematics.