paleontology
Ancient life science
Paleontology is the scientific study of ancient life through fossils—the preserved remains or traces of organisms from past geological periods.
Paleontologists examine bones, shells, footprints, and other evidence to reconstruct extinct species and understand how life evolved over millions of years.
The museum's paleontology department recently unveiled a new dinosaur skeleton.
Unearth by shoveling
- siteDesignated location
- fieldworkResearch conducted on location
- quarryPit for extracting rock
- trowelFlat blade for spreading
brush · matrix · sediment · stratigraphy · trench · grid · screening · preparation
Earliest Paleozoic period
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CarboniferousCoal-depositing geological period
- PermianLate Paleozoic geological period
- PaleozoicEarly complex-life epoch
Cenozoic · trilobite · ammonite · mammoth · mastodon · saber-toothed · megafauna · Pleistocene
Science of categorical arrangement
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
- paleobiologyStudy of ancient organisms
- paleoecologyStudy of prehistoric ecosystems
paleobotany · morphology · comparative anatomy · evolution · dating · radiometric · stratigraphy · classification
Individual for examination
- skeletonInternal supportive framework
- skullHead's bone casing
- boneHard skeletal tissue
- toothCalcified jaw structure
amber · footprint · coprolite · cast · mold · impression · preservation · petrification
Fast predatory dinosaur genus
- BrachiosaurusTall sauropod genus
- ArchaeopteryxPrehistoric transitional flying creature
- SpinosaurusSail-spined Cretaceous theropod
- JurassicDinosaur-dominated geological period
Cretaceous · Triassic · Mesozoic · K-Pg boundary · Gondwana · Pangaea · nesting · hatchling
dig
Unearth by shoveling
trowel · brush · matrix · sediment · stratigraphy · trench · grid · screening · preparation · collection
Cambrian
Earliest Paleozoic period
- DevonianGeologic period, 419-359 million years ago
- CarboniferousCoal-depositing geological period
- PermianLate Paleozoic geological period
Paleozoic · Cenozoic · trilobite · ammonite · mammoth · mastodon · saber-toothed · megafauna · Pleistocene · Ice Age
taxonomy
Science of categorical arrangement
- phylogenyEvolutionary relationships among organisms
- cladisticsClassification by common descent
- paleobiologyStudy of ancient organisms
paleoecology · paleobotany · morphology · comparative anatomy · evolution · dating · radiometric · stratigraphy · classification · vertebrate
specimen
Individual for examination
tooth · amber · footprint · coprolite · cast · mold · impression · preservation · petrification · articulated
Velociraptor
Fast predatory dinosaur genus
- BrachiosaurusTall sauropod genus
- ArchaeopteryxPrehistoric transitional flying creature
- SpinosaurusSail-spined Cretaceous theropod
Jurassic · Cretaceous · Triassic · Mesozoic · K-Pg boundary · Gondwana · Pangaea · nesting · hatchling
- fields of studyart, music, mathematics, history, chemistry
- sciencechemistry, physics, astronomy, electron, genes
- scienceschemistry, physics, astronomy, mathematics, ecology
- academic fieldsmathematics, chemistry, physics, history, philosophy
- disciplineschemistry, physics, mathematics, psychology, sociology
- earth scienceatmosphere, earthquake, volcano, crust, eruption
paleontologybiology
Study of organisms
zoology · botany · wildlife biology · conservation biology · ecology