Taphonomy is a branch of
paleontology that consists of the study of the
biases of the process of
fossilization.
Taphonomists study organisms after they die, and the variety of factors which determine whether the organism's remains will be incorporated into the fossil record or merely decay. The study of the remains of recently deceased creatures enables us to better understand fossils, and what these fossils can tell us about the conditions of world during prehistoric times.