taphonomy: Meaning and Definition of

ta•phon•o•my

Pronunciation: (tu-fon'u-mē), [key]
— n. Paleontol., Anthropol.
  1. the circumstances and processes of fossilization.
  2. the study of the environmental conditions affecting the preservation of animal or plant remains.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.