Paleontology

  1. History of Life: Major Groups
    1. Precambrian Life
      1. Origin of Life
        1. Hypotheses for Life's Origin
          1. Earliest Evidence of Life
          2. Stromatolites and Cyanobacteria
            1. Formation and Significance
            2. Ediacaran Biota
              1. Soft-Bodied Organisms
                1. Ecological Roles
              2. Paleozoic Life
                1. The Cambrian Explosion
                  1. Causes and Consequences
                    1. Major Animal Groups
                    2. Marine Invertebrates
                      1. Trilobites
                        1. Brachiopods
                          1. Mollusks
                            1. Cephalopods
                              1. Bivalves
                                1. Gastropods
                                2. Echinoderms
                                  1. Crinoids
                                    1. Blastoids
                                    2. Graptolites
                                      1. Corals
                                        1. Bryozoans
                                        2. The Rise of Fishes
                                          1. Jawless Fishes
                                            1. Armored Fishes
                                              1. Cartilaginous Fishes
                                                1. Bony Fishes
                                                2. Invasion of Land
                                                  1. Early Land Plants
                                                    1. Bryophytes
                                                      1. Vascular Plants
                                                      2. Arthropods on Land
                                                        1. Insects
                                                          1. Myriapods
                                                            1. Arachnids
                                                            2. Tetrapod Origins and Amphibians
                                                              1. Transition from Water to Land
                                                                1. Early Amphibians
                                                              2. The Carboniferous Period
                                                                1. Coal Swamps
                                                                  1. Giant Arthropods
                                                                    1. Evolution of Seed Plants
                                                                      1. Early Reptiles
                                                                      2. The Permian Period and Mass Extinction
                                                                        1. Permian Faunas
                                                                          1. End-Permian Extinction
                                                                        2. Mesozoic Life
                                                                          1. Post-Extinction Recovery
                                                                            1. Early Triassic Faunas
                                                                            2. Marine Reptiles
                                                                              1. Ichthyosaurs
                                                                                1. Plesiosaurs
                                                                                  1. Mosasaurs
                                                                                  2. Pterosaurs
                                                                                    1. Evolution of Flight
                                                                                      1. Diversity and Extinction
                                                                                      2. The Dinosaurs
                                                                                        1. Saurischia
                                                                                          1. Sauropodomorpha
                                                                                            1. Prosauropods
                                                                                              1. Sauropods
                                                                                              2. Theropoda
                                                                                                1. Early Theropods
                                                                                                  1. Maniraptorans
                                                                                                2. Ornithischia
                                                                                                  1. Thyreophora
                                                                                                    1. Stegosaurs
                                                                                                      1. Ankylosaurs
                                                                                                      2. Ornithopoda
                                                                                                        1. Hadrosaurs
                                                                                                          1. Iguanodonts
                                                                                                          2. Marginocephalia
                                                                                                            1. Ceratopsians
                                                                                                              1. Pachycephalosaurs
                                                                                                          3. Origin of Birds
                                                                                                            1. Archaeopteryx and Early Birds
                                                                                                              1. Feather Evolution
                                                                                                                1. Flight Evolution
                                                                                                                2. Origin of Mammals
                                                                                                                  1. Synapsid Evolution
                                                                                                                    1. Early Mammalian Traits
                                                                                                                      1. Mesozoic Mammals
                                                                                                                      2. Mesozoic Plants
                                                                                                                        1. Gymnosperms
                                                                                                                          1. Rise of Angiosperms
                                                                                                                          2. The Cretaceous-Paleogene Extinction Event
                                                                                                                            1. Impact Hypothesis
                                                                                                                              1. Effects on Life
                                                                                                                            2. Cenozoic Life
                                                                                                                              1. Diversification of Mammals
                                                                                                                                1. Placentals
                                                                                                                                  1. Marsupials
                                                                                                                                    1. Monotremes
                                                                                                                                    2. Major Mammalian Groups
                                                                                                                                      1. Ungulates
                                                                                                                                        1. Artiodactyls
                                                                                                                                          1. Perissodactyls
                                                                                                                                          2. Carnivorans
                                                                                                                                            1. Primates
                                                                                                                                              1. Cetaceans
                                                                                                                                                1. Proboscideans
                                                                                                                                                  1. Rodents and Lagomorphs
                                                                                                                                                    1. Bats
                                                                                                                                                      1. Xenarthrans
                                                                                                                                                        1. Megafauna of the Pleistocene
                                                                                                                                                        2. Evolution of Birds
                                                                                                                                                          1. Modern Bird Groups
                                                                                                                                                            1. Flightless Birds
                                                                                                                                                            2. Spread of Grasslands and Co-evolution
                                                                                                                                                              1. Grassland Formation
                                                                                                                                                                1. Grazing Adaptations
                                                                                                                                                                2. Human Evolution
                                                                                                                                                                  1. Early Hominins
                                                                                                                                                                    1. Australopithecines
                                                                                                                                                                      1. Genus Homo
                                                                                                                                                                        1. Cultural Evolution

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                                                                                                                                                                    4. Paleontological Methods

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                                                                                                                                                                    6. Reconstructing Ancient Worlds