faunal
FAW-nul
Definition
Relating to the animals, or animal life, of a specific region or geological period.
Etymology
Derived from the Latin 'Faunus,' the Roman god of the forest, plains, and fields, which was extended in the 19th century to refer to the collective animal life of a given area or time.
In the news
In the article, it describes the 'law of faunal succession,' which identifies rock layers based on the specific fossils of ancient animals found within them. This principle allowed William Smith to map geological strata across great distances.
The man who drew the first geological map of an entire country spent twenty-eight years surveying it, sold his fossil collection to the British Museum to cover his debts, went to debtors' prison anyway, and walked home in 1819 to find bailiffs had taken his house
Read the full article ↗ScienceBlog.com