So there's a big difference between the study of fossil footprints or trace fossils and bones.

研究化石足迹和遗迹化石与骨化石之间有着很大的区别。

Fifty years ago, most paleontologists thought that fossil footprints, which we also call trace fossils, were rare and unimportant.

50 多年前，很多古生物学家认为化石足迹，也名叫“遗迹化石”，是罕见且无价值的。

Trace fossils of termite borings were also found in the same formation.

在同一地层​​中还发现了白蚁钻孔的痕迹化石。

So trace fossils are all given unique names of their own.

所以遗迹化石都被赋予了自己独特的名字。

This is why trace fossils are so important to paleontologists today.

这就是痕迹化石对今天的古生物学家如此重要的原因。

These are collectively called trace fossils, or more formally, ichnofossils.

这些统称为痕迹化石，或更正式地说，遗迹化石。

Trace fossils are literally the fossilized traces of animal activities.

痕迹化石字面意思是动物活动的化石痕迹。

These are known as trace fossils – indications of life from the distant past.

这些被称为痕迹化石——遥远过去生命的迹象。

So, Devil's Corkscrews turned out to be trace fossils made by extinct, burrowing, non-aquatic beavers.

因此，魔鬼的开瓶器原来是由已灭绝的、穴居的、非水生海狸制造的遗迹化石。

At the very end of the Ediacaran, a new type of trace fossil shows up.

在埃迪卡拉纪末期，出现了一种新型遗迹化石。

If you haven't already, check out part 1 and 2 to trace the fossils in our family tree and learn why we're the only humans left.

如果你还没有看，请去查看第一和第二部分以来追溯我们家谱上的化石并了解为什么我们是唯一剩下的人类。

Like all trace fossils, there were probably several types of organisms responsible for making Skolithos.

像所有遗迹化石一样，可能有几种类型的生物负责制造 Skolithos。

Trace fossils made by amoeba-like organisms show up early in Earth's history, but the first definite animal trace fossils show up in the Ediacaran.

类变形虫生物制造的痕迹化石出现在地球历史的早期，但第一个明确的动物痕迹化石出现在埃迪卡拉纪。

This is best seen in the trace fossil Skolithos.

这在痕迹化石 Skolithos 中最为明显。

Instead, they're assigned  their own unique ichnotaxon, which is just a scientific name  for a specific trace fossil.

相反， 它们被分配了自己独特的 ichnotaxon，这只是特定踪迹化石的学名。

Now, the trace fossils from Lark Quarry are footprints, and there are over three thousand of them.

现在，Lark Quarry的遗迹化石就是足迹，足迹有三千多个。

And it's only been in the last few years that scientists have figured out the probable culprit behind these trace fossils – priapulid worms.

直到最近几年，科学家们才找出这些遗迹化石背后可能的罪魁祸首——普里普利德蠕虫。

Due to variables like when they lived and where, an industrial civilization that lasted 100,000 years, that's over three hundred times longer than us they might leave no fossil trace at all.

由于他们生活的年代和地点不同，持续 10 万年的工业文明（人类工业文明的 300 多倍）有可能根本不留下任何化石踪迹。

These work exactly like the binomial names given to all organisms, and they help us group trace fossils into useful categories.

它们的工作原理与赋予所有生物的二项式名称完全相同，它们帮助我们将痕迹化石归类为有用的类别。

Paleontologists can sometimes use these fossilized bones to indirectly study soft tissues using what are known as trace fossils: things like skin patterns left in the mud.

古生物学家有时可以使用这些骨骼化石间接研究软组织，使用所谓的痕迹化石：泥中留下的皮肤图案。