paleontology

Paleontology is the scientific study of life in the geological past, reconstructed from fossil remains and other evidence preserved in rocks. It aims to understand the history of life on Earth, including the evolution of organisms, their interactions, and the changes of ancient environments over deep time. The field combines methods from biology, geology, chemistry, and physics to interpret fossils and their contexts.

Fieldwork involves excavating fossils from outcrops and fossil-bearing rocks, while laboratory work includes preparing specimens, dating rocks and fossils, and reconstructing organisms from bones, imprints, or traces. Dating methods establish geological time scales and enable correlation across regions. Researchers use comparative anatomy, functional morphology, and phylogenetic analyses to infer relationships, and imaging techniques such as CT scanning reveal internal structures without damage. Isotopic analyses and sedimentology help reconstruct paleoenvironments and paleoclimates.

Subdisciplines include vertebrate paleontology, which studies animals with backbones; invertebrate paleontology; paleobotany, the study of ancient plants; micropaleontology, which focuses on microfossils; ichnology, which examines trace fossils like footprints and burrows; and taphonomy, the study of fossilization processes. Paleontology contributes to understanding evolutionary history, past ecosystems, and responses to mass extinctions, and it supports practical applications in stratigraphy, petroleum geology, and conservation paleobiology. The discipline advances through new fossil discoveries, methodological innovations, and interdisciplinary research that links biology with Earth science.