Fossils are useful in a number of different ways, for each specimen provides some information about when it lived, where it lived, and how it lived.
Fossils are very important, for example, in tracing the development of the plants and animals of our earth. This is possible because the fossils in the older rocks are usually primitive and relatively simple; but a study of similar specimens that lived in later geologic time shows that the fossils become progressively more complex and more advanced in the younger rocks.
Some fossils, for example, the reef-building corals, appear to have always lived under much the same conditions as they live today. Hence, it is reasonably certain that the rocks containing fossil reef corals found in place (that is, where they were originally buried), were deposited in warm, fairly shallow, salt water. By studying the occurrence and distribution of such marine fossils, it is possible to outline the location and extent of prehistoric seas. Moreover, the type of fossils present will frequently give some indication as to the bottom conditions, depth, temperature, and salinity of these ancient bodies of water.
Probably the most important use of fossils is for purposes of correlation—the process of demonstrating that certain rock layers are closely related to each other. By correlating or “matching” the beds containing specific fossils, it is possible to determine the distribution of geologic units of similar age. Some fossils have a very limited vertical or geologic range and a wide horizontal or geographic range. In other words, they lived but a relatively short period in geologic time but were rather widely distributed during their relatively short life. Such fossils are known as index fossils or guide fossils and are especially useful in correlation because they are normally only associated with rocks of one certain age.
Fig. 7. Sketches of two types of micropaleontological slides. (a) Multiple space faunal slide. (b) Single-hole slide.
Microfossils are often very valuable as guide fossils for the petroleum geologist. The micropaleontologist washes the well cuttings from the drill hole and separates the tiny fossils from the surrounding rocks. The specimens are then mounted on special slides (fig. 7) and studied under the microscope. Information derived from these fossils often provides valuable data on the age of the subsurface formation and the possibilities of oil production. Microfossils are particularly valuable in the oil fields of the Gulf Coast region of Texas. In fact, some of the oil-producing zones in this area have even been named for certain key genera of microfossils. For example, the “het” zone of Oligocene age (geologic time scale, Pl. 1) is named for the genus Heterostegina, which is a tiny one-celled animal. Other microfossils, such as fusulinids, ostracodes, spores, and pollens, are also used to identify subsurface formations in many other parts of the State.
Plant fossils are very useful as climatic indicators but are not too reliable for purposes of age determination. They do, however, provide much information about the development of plants throughout geologic time.
