Fossilness

Fossilness is a term used to describe the degree to which a specimen resembles a fossil or has undergone fossilization. In paleontological contexts, it denotes the preservation quality of organic material, including processes such as mineral replacement, permineralization, carbonization, and the retention of diagnostic morphology. The word can also be used more loosely to convey an antique or archaic appearance in non-biological objects, or as a metaphor for something perceived as long-lasting.

Origin and usage: The term is formed from fossil and the suffix -ness and is not widely standardized. In formal work, scientists generally speak of fossil preservation or the taphonomic state rather than "fossilness."

How fossilness is assessed: High fossilness implies that key features remain intact enough for confident identification and reconstruction, while low fossilness means the specimen is fragmentary or heavily altered. Preservation modes such as permineralization or carbonization contribute to high fossilness in different ways, depending on material and environment.

Determinants: Fossilness is governed by burial conditions, sediment chemistry, oxygen levels, pressure and temperature, and long-term diagenesis. Depositional environments that promote rapid burial and low decay typically yield greater fossilness, whereas scavenging, erosion, and microbial activity reduce it.

Examples and note: Well-preserved plant impressions in fine shales, calcite-replaced bones, and silicified wood are cited as high fossilness examples. The term remains uncommon in formal literature, and many researchers prefer precise terms like "preservation quality" or "fossil preservation state."

See also: fossil preservation, taphonomy, permineralization, carbonization, diagenesis.