Final answer:
Taphonomy is the study of the processes that occur between an organism's death and the preservation of its remains as fossils. It is a key aspect of paleontology and biological anthropology for understanding the fossilization process and interpreting the fossil record.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct definition of taphonomy is 'the study of what happens to animal remains between death and recovery as a fossil'. Taphonomy is an important branch of paleontology and plays a critical role in understanding the fossilization process. It deals with the various conditions that affect the preservation of biological remains. The process that leads to fossil formation can involve the preservation of unaltered soft or hard parts, altered hard parts, and trace fossils. Through taphonomy, scientists can learn about the ancient environments and behaviors of extinct organisms based on how their remains have been preserved in the geological record.
Biological anthropologists use principles of taphonomy to chart the evolution of early hominins by studying fossilized remains. On the other hand, primatology is concerned with the study of living and fossil primates, including human primates, and thanatology focuses on the study of death and dying. Taphonomy helps in understanding not just the physical remains but also the circumstances around their preservation, which is essential for reconstructing past ecological systems and behaviors of extinct species.