Published as: Key, Marcus M., Jr., and Patrick N. Wyse Jackson. Use of Fossil Bryozoans as Provenance Indicators for Dimension Stones. Studi Trentini di Scienze Naturali 94 (2014): 131-38. For more information on the published version, visit Museo delle Scienze's Website.

This study reviews the literature of case studies and incorporates our own research of using fossil bryozoans as provenance indicators for historic building stones. Fossil bryozoans of different ages and clades can be effectively used to determine the provenance of dimension stone from a variety of historic periods. The bryozoan case studies included in this report span their stratigraphic range from the Ordovician to the Neogene. The bryozoans came from five dif­ferent orders: trepostome, cryptostome, cystoporate, fenestrate, and cheilostome. The use of these dimension stones ranged as far back as 5,000 years ago. The improved searchable online paleontologic databases allow for more efficient use of fossil bryozoans to constrain the stratigraphic and paleogeographic distribution of source rocks. Though generally underutilized in provenance studies of historic dimension stone, it is clear that if more attention was paid to bryozoans, an increased understanding of the lithologic nature of these materials could be gained by the architectural, conservation and construction communities.

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