Paleontology

The study of prehistoric life, the evolution of organisms and how they interact with each other in their environment is called paleontology. Biology and geology are techniques used in paleontology which involves biochemistry, mathematics, ecology, anthropology, archaeology and engineering.

Paleontology has some sub-disciplines which are specialized and have historical interests in ecology and the environment, one of them being ancient climates. By studying an archaeological site, scientists are able to identify animal and plant fossils in order to discover what people who lived there ate and the climate can be analyzed to discover exactly when the site was inhabited by humans. For example, geochemical marks on rocks could assist in the discovery of when life first arose on earth and analysis of carbon isotope ratios may help to identify changes in the climate.

Paleontology is a historical science that tries to explain the causes of experiments instead of observing the effects similar to the process that most science theories are based upon. Their missions are to collect, research and care for the fossilized remains of past life and to promote the public understanding of extinct and modern life on earth.

Molecular phylogenetics helps to reconstruct family trees by comparing DNA and RNA. Engineering techniques have been used to analyze how ancient organisms might show how fast Tyrannosaurus could move and how strong its bite was. Paleontology even helps astrobiology, developing base models to see if there is life on other planets, and it can provide techniques for detecting any evidence of life.

Paleontology can be summarized as the study of what fossils tell about the ecologies of the past, evolution and the exciting facts about where humans are in the world.