research interests – history of palaeontology

My interest in the history of ichnology is fueled by the desire to understand the roots of this fascinating field and its evolution over time. Although ichnology, as we know it today, emerged as a coherent discipline in the nineteenth century, the curiosity about traces extends back to ancient civilizations. From prehistoric times to the European Renaissance, humans have recognized and pondered over fossil and recent traces. This journey from empirical observations to the structured study of ichnology highlights a significant chapter in scientific development, marked by cultural contributions globally.

Selected papers

• Baucon A., Bordy E., Brustur T., Buatois L., Cunningham T., De C., Duffin C., Felletti F., Gaillard C., Hu B., Hu L., Jensen S., Knaust D., Lockley M., Lowe P., Mayor A., Mayoral E., Mikulas R., Muttoni G., Neto de Carvalho C., Pemberton S., Pollard J., Rindsberg A., Santos A., Seike K., Song H., Turner S., Uchman A., Wang Y., Yi-ming G., Zhang L., Zhang W. 2012. A history of ideas in ichnology. In: Bromley R.G., Knaust D. Trace Fossils as Indicators of Sedimentary Environments. Developments in Sedimentology, vol. 64: 3-43. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-444-53813-0.00001-0
• Baucon, A. 2010. Da Vinci’s Paleodictyon: the fractal beauty of traces. Acta Geologica Polonica, 60(1): 3-17.
• Baucon, A. 2010. Leonardo da Vinci, the founding father of ichnology. Palaios 25(6):361-367. http://dx.doi.org/10.2110/palo.2009.p09-049r
• Baucon A. 2009. Ulisse Aldrovandi: the study of trace fossils during the Renaissance. Ichnos 16(4): 245-256. https://doi.org/10.1080/10420940902953205
• Baucon, A. 2008. Italy, the Cradle of Ichnology: the legacy of Aldrovandi and Leonardo. In: Avanzini M., Petti F. Italian Ichnology, Studi Trent. Sci. Nat. Acta Geol., 83: 15-29