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Biogenic identification and geology

Produced by or derived from living organisms. In geology, biogenic materials include skeletal remains shells, bones, coral , organic matter peat, coal, petroleum precursors , and biologically precipitated minerals biogenic silica from diatoms, biogenic calcite from foraminifera . Biogenic sedimentary rocks such as limestone, chalk, chert, and coal are volumetrically significant in the rock record. Field: sedimentology. Example: The White Cliffs of Dover are composed of biogenic chalk—a soft limestone made almost entirely of coccolith plates from planktonic algae that accumulated on a Cretaceous sea floor.. Related terms: Fossil, Bioclastic, Organic sediment, Chalk.

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  • Fossil

Sources, scope & corrections

These authoritative resources support category-level nomenclature, terminology, identification methods, and safety. When a specimen-specific safety warning appears, the public-health source listed here directly supports that precaution. They are not line-by-line citations for every other property on this entry, and natural specimens vary.

Editorial owner
GeoMiner
Last updated
2026-03-30T15:19:41.970235+00:00
Review status
Published; not independently peer-reviewed
  • USGS Thesaurus — U.S. Geological Survey. Controlled earth-science terminology used to describe USGS information resources.
  • Glossary of Geologic Terms — U.S. National Park Service. Geologic definitions prepared by the NPS Geologic Resources Inventory.

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Common questions

What does Biogenic mean in geology?
Produced by or derived from living organisms. In geology, biogenic materials include skeletal remains shells, bones, coral , organic matter peat, coal, petroleum precursors , and biologically precipitated minerals biogenic silica from diatoms, biogenic calcite from foraminifera . Biogenic sedimentary rocks such as limestone, chalk, chert, and coal are volumetrically significant in the rock record.
What is an example of Biogenic?
The White Cliffs of Dover are composed of biogenic chalk—a soft limestone made almost entirely of coccolith plates from planktonic algae that accumulated on a Cretaceous sea floor.
Which earth-science field uses the term Biogenic?
Biogenic is used in sedimentology.
Which terms are related to Biogenic?
Related terms in this reference are Fossil, Bioclastic, Organic sediment, Chalk.

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