Time-averaging and temporal resolution in Recent marine shelly faunas

Abstract

Paleoecological and paleoenvironmental studies have a rich tradition of actualistic work on Recent biotas and environments. Ever since Lyell (and before) geologists have examined present–day sedimentary environments and faunas in an effort to interpret the environments and life of the past. After all, if the present is notthekey to the past, it is at leastakey to the past. However, there is no similarly long tradition of studying the Recent in an effort to gain insight into issues of the temporal resolution of fossil assemblages.