Paleoecology

Paleoecology is the study of interactions between organisms and/or interactions between organisms and their environments across geologic timescales. As a discipline, paleoecology interacts with, biology, geology, ecology, and paleontology. Paleoecology uses data from fossils and subfossils to reconstruct the ecosystems of the past. It involves the study of fossil organisms and their associated remains, which can help elucidate both the natural history of organisms and the environmental context in which they lived.

History

The history of paleoecology is closely tied to the history of paleontology, with the development of methods to reconstruct the paleoenvironment in which ancient organisms lived. The first to attempt to document the climate of past geological periods was the French scientist Jean-Baptiste Lamarck in the early 19th century.

Methods

Paleoecologists use a variety of methods to infer ancient environments. These include the study of plant and animal fossils, as well as the analysis of sediments, including the distribution and nature of sedimentary rocks, and the isotopic and elemental composition of organic and inorganic materials.

Applications

Paleoecology has a number of important applications. It can be used to reconstruct past environments, to understand the processes and events that have shaped the earth's ecosystems over time, and to predict future changes in the environment.

See also

• Paleontology
• Paleobiology
• Paleoclimatology
• Paleogeography
• Paleobotany
• Paleoanthropology

References

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External links

• Paleoecology.info
• UCMP Berkeley's page on paleoecology

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