Final Answer:
Taphonomy informs paleontologists about the processes that affect organisms from death to fossilization. It was originally developed to study the transformation of organic remains into fossils, providing insights into the bias and alterations that occur post-mortem during the fossilization process.
Step-by-step explanation:
Taphonomy, derived from the Greek words "taphos" (meaning burial) and "nomos" (meaning law), is a field of paleontology that investigates the various processes that impact organic remains from the time of death to fossilization. This includes decay, scavenging, transport, and burial. Originally developed in the mid-20th century, taphonomy emerged as a response to the realization that not all biological remains had an equal chance of becoming fossils. The study of taphonomy allows paleontologists to interpret the biases and modifications that occur during the fossilization process, helping them distinguish between biological signals and taphonomic artifacts when analyzing the fossil record.