subfossil

Subfossil is a term used in paleontology and archaeology to describe remains of organisms that are not old enough to be fully fossilized. Subfossils are partially preserved and may retain organic material; they have not undergone complete permineralization or replacement by minerals. The age range is not fixed, but subfossils are typically younger than true fossils, often dating from the late Pleistocene to recent times (tens of thousands of years ago or less).

Preservation depends on environment: bogs, permafrost, caves, dry deserts, and waterlogged sediments can preserve bones, teeth, shells, or even soft tissues. Subfossils may be found with evidence of diet or habitat from isotopic analysis; DNA can be recoverable in some cases.

Common examples include mammoth and other megafaunal bones from late Pleistocene deposits, and human or animal remains preserved in peat bogs, known as bog bodies. Subfossils also include desiccated remains found in caves or arid regions and other materials such as shells or tools that have not yet mineralized fully.

Subfossils are important for understanding recent ecological changes, megafaunal extinctions, prehistoric human subsistence, and climate fluctuations. Dating is typically by radiocarbon methods or other absolute dating techniques applied to the organic remains.

Subfossil vs fossil: fossils are generally mineralized remnants formed over longer geological timescales, whereas subfossils are not fully mineralized and are usually younger.