Meaning & use
Bioturbation
Last updated
The disturbance and mixing of soil or sediment caused by the burrowing, feeding, or movement of living organisms.
See it in a sentence
Earthworms are major agents of bioturbation, constantly reworking topsoil as they tunnel.
Geologists study bioturbation in ancient rock layers to infer what kinds of organisms once lived there.
A note on using this word
The term combines "bio-" (life) with "turbation" (disturbance) and is central to trace-fossil (ichnology) studies.
Words with a similar meaning
soil mixing
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