Weathering, trampling, chewing, chemical and physical erosion during digestion and subsurface disintegration can all cause rounding, but abrasion is usually evidence for fluvial transport and reworking. Abrasion of skeletons occurs when they are exposed to moving particles or when the skeletons themselves are moved relative to other particles. The abrasion of particles is directly related to the energy of the environment. Significant abrasion is most often found on skeletal material collected from beaches, or areas of strong currents or wave action.


Constant high energy wave action
will quickly and easily wear away
bone (even rock) material.