Macrofossil

Part of a series on
Paleontology
Fossils Fossilization Trace fossil Microfossil Fossil preparation Index fossil List of fossils List of fossil sites Lagerstätte fossil beds List of transitional fossils List of human evolution fossils
Natural history Biogeography Extinction event Geochronology Geologic time scale Geologic record History of life Origin of life Paleoclimatology Timeline of evolution Transitional fossil
Organs and processes Avian flight Cells Multicells Eyes Flagella Hair Mammalian auditory ossicles Mosaic evolution Nervous systems Sex
Evolution of various taxa Birds Butterflies Cephalopods Cetaceans Dinosaurs Fishes Fungi Humans Insects Mammals Molluscs Plants Reptiles Sea cows Spiders Tetrapods
Evolution Introduction to evolution Common descent Phylogeny Cladistics Biological classification
History of paleontology History of paleontology Timeline of paleontology
Branches of paleontology Biostratigraphy Ichnology Invertebrate paleontology Micropaleontology Molecular paleontology Palaeoxylology Paleobiology Paleobotany Paleoecology Paleogenetics Paleolimnology Paleomycology Paleoneurobiology Paleopathology Paleopedology Paleotempestology Paleozoology Palynology Sclerochronology Taphonomy Vertebrate paleontology
Paleontology Portal Category
v t e

Macrofossils, also known as megafossils, are the preserved remnants of organic beings and their activities that are large enough to be visible without a microscope.^[1] The term macrofossil stands in opposition to the term microfossil. Microfossils, by contrast, require substantial magnification for evaluation by fossil-hunters or professional paleontologists. As a result, most fossils observed in the field and most specimens are macrofossils. Macrofossils come in many varieties and form in various ways depending on their environment and what is being fossilized including plant, fungi and animal remnants.