Chitinozoa have been applied widely within the
petroleum industry to aid in the clarification of subsurface stratigraphy.
Oil companies are very interested in microfossils such as chitinozoa
because they are good biostratigraphic indicators.
Paleopalynology is great for relative age dating (biostratigraphy) and for determining past environments (paleoenvironment). Its greatest advantage is the small sample size (about 10 grams), which makes it ideal for studying rock from drill holes, especially in the petroleum industry.