Composite Micropaleontology and Its Application to Tertiary and Near-Recent Stratigraphy

Abstract

whereas an investigation of the total fossil microbiota is more effective. Tertiary sedimentary rocks lend themselves well to paleoecological studies, since many of the faunal and floral elements have modern equivalents, and they occur in assemblages similar to those of living forms. For a fuller understanding of Tertiary sediments, it is important that the ecology of Recent aquatic and terrestrial environments be appreciated. Composite studies have aided in more complete understanding of certain paleoecological problems, in closer stratigraphic correlations, and in the discerning of facies trends.