Death of a living organism is a prerequisite for the study of experimental taphonomy.The processes that follow death determine whether or not any organism is likely to be preserved in the fossil record. Although time is a component of fossilisation, it is now realised that many of the essential processes leading to fossilisation take place on a laboratory time scale.
In this way we can determine some of the parameters that are essential in altering an organism into a fossil.
In the beginning there is death....immediately followed by the onset of decay.....
sometimes followed by mineralisation......
rarely followed by fossilisation.
