Paleontology

Paleontology is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth as revealed by the fossil record. A discipline that bridges biology and geology, it involves the discovery and analysis of fossils—the preserved remains, imprints, or traces of organisms from past geological ages—to understand the evolution, anatomy, and ecology of ancient life. By examining this evidence, paleontologists reconstruct ancient ecosystems and piece together the evolutionary relationships between extinct and modern species, providing a deep-time perspective on the development of life.

  1. Introduction to Paleontology
    1. Defining Paleontology
      1. Study of Ancient Life
        1. Interdisciplinary Nature
          1. Applications in Science and Society
            1. Relationship to Biology
              1. Relationship to Geology
                1. Integration with Other Sciences
                2. History of Paleontology
                  1. Early Discoveries and Interpretations
                    1. Fossils in Ancient Cultures
                      1. Pre-Scientific Explanations
                      2. Key Figures and Milestones
                        1. Georges Cuvier and Catastrophism
                          1. Charles Lyell and Uniformitarianism
                            1. Mary Anning and Early Fossil Discoveries
                              1. Richard Owen and Dinosaur Naming
                              2. The Dinosaur "Bone Wars"
                                1. Othniel Charles Marsh
                                  1. Edward Drinker Cope
                                    1. Impact on Paleontology
                                    2. Modern Paleontological Thought
                                      1. Evolutionary Theory and Paleontology
                                        1. The Modern Synthesis
                                          1. Technological Advances
                                        2. Branches of Paleontology
                                          1. Vertebrate Paleontology
                                            1. Study of Fossil Vertebrates
                                              1. Major Discoveries
                                              2. Invertebrate Paleontology
                                                1. Study of Fossil Invertebrates
                                                  1. Importance in Biostratigraphy
                                                  2. Paleobotany
                                                    1. Study of Fossil Plants
                                                      1. Plant Evolution and Paleoecology
                                                      2. Micropaleontology
                                                        1. Study of Microfossils
                                                          1. Applications in Oil Exploration
                                                          2. Paleoecology
                                                            1. Reconstruction of Ancient Environments
                                                              1. Methods and Approaches
                                                              2. Taphonomy
                                                                1. Processes of Fossilization
                                                                  1. Biases in the Fossil Record
                                                                  2. Ichnology
                                                                    1. Study of Trace Fossils
                                                                      1. Behavioral Interpretations

                                                                  Go to top

                                                                  Next

                                                                  2. The Fossil Record and Fossilization