Paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology (pronounced: /ˌpeɪli.ɒnˈtɒlədʒi/) is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. This includes the study of body fossils, tracks, burrows, cast-off parts, fossilised feces (coprolites), palynomorphs and chemical residues.
Etymology
The term "paleontology" originates from the Greek words palaios (παλαιός), meaning "old, ancient", ont (ὄν, ὄντος), meaning "being, creature" and logia (λογία), meaning "speech, thought, study".
Related Terms
- Fossil: Any preserved remains, impression, or trace of a living thing of a former geological age, such as a skeleton, footprint, etc.
- Stratigraphy: A branch of geology concerned with the study of rock layers (strata) and layering (stratification).
- Evolution: The process by which different kinds of living organisms are thought to have developed and diversified from earlier forms during the history of the earth.
- Extinction: The state or process of a species, family, or larger group being or becoming extinct.
- Geology: The science that deals with the earth's physical structure and substance, its history, and the processes that act on it.
- Biostratigraphy: The branch of stratigraphy which focuses on correlating and assigning relative ages of rock strata by using the fossil assemblages contained within them.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Paleontology
- Wikipedia's article - Paleontology
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