What is Paleontology?
'''Palæontology''' or '''paleontology''' is the study of [[fossil]]s of living things, and their [[phylogeny]] (evolutionary relationships).<ref>Prothero, Donald R. 2007. ''Evolution: what the fossils say and why it matters''. Columbia University Press, New York. {{ISBN|978-0-231-13962-5}}</ref> It depends on basic sciences such as [[zoology]], [[botany]] and [[historical geology]]. The term '''palaeobiology''' implies that the study will include the palaeo[[ecology]] of the groups in question. In ''palaeozoology'', the [[evolution]] of those [[phyla|animal phyla]] with fossil records are studied. In ''[[palaeobotany]]'', fossil [[plant]]s are studied. In [[historical geology]] the formation, sequence and dating of [[Rock (geology)|rock]] [[strata]] give information about past [[environment]]s. A [[fossil]] is any kind of life that is more than ten thousand years old and preserved in any form that we can study today.<ref>Levin, Harold L. 2005. ''The Earth through time''. 8th ed, Wiley, N.Y. Chapter 4: The fossil record.</ref> The fossil record is always incomplete, and later discoveries may extend the known survival of a group. See [[Lazarus taxon]]. Some palaeontologists study fossils of [[microorganisms]], living things that are too small to see without a [[microscope]], while other palaeontologists study fossils of giant [[dinosaur]]s. *'''Vertebrate palaeontology''': the palaeontology of [[vertebrate]] animals *'''Invertebrate palaeontology''': the palaeontology of [[invertebrate]] animals == Related pages == * [[Lagerstätte]] * [[Paleoanthropology]] * [[Palaeoclimatology]] == References == {{Reflist}} {{authority control}} [[Category:Paleontology| ]] [[Category:Evolutionary biology]] [[Category:Earth sciences]]