Final answer:
It is false that individual species' ecologies can be easily inferred from trace fossils. These fossils provide insights into paleoenvironments through ichnofacies but do not typically allow for the identification of specific species.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that it is easy to infer the ecology of individual species from the trace fossils they left behind is false. While trace fossils, such as burrows, traces of movement, coprolites, and gastroliths, provide valuable insights into past environments and behaviors of organisms, they do not usually allow us to identify the specific species that created them. Instead, trace fossils can be grouped into assemblages, known as ichnofacies, which help us to understand the paleoenvironment that these organisms inhabited. These ichnofacies can indicate environmental factors such as water depth, salinity, energy, and turbidity, as well as the nature of the substrate. By examining different types of burrows and the traces left behind in the geological record, scientists can make inferences about the ancient habitats and the life forms that dwelled there, but identifying individual species based solely on trace fossils is challenging.
Additionally, the association of fossils and their usefulness in geologic dating, known as biostratigraphic correlation, depends on comparing fossil assemblages from one rock layer to another. However, correlating specific species to trace markers requires a more direct relationship than is typically available.