Paleontology

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Paleontology
Fossils Fossil Fossil preparation Fossil collecting Index fossil Microfossil Trace fossil Transitional fossil
Geology Geology Absolute dating Relative dating Biochronology Geochronology Geologic formation Geologic record Geologic time scale Geological map Lagerstätte Stratigraphy
Extinction Extinction Extinction event Lazarus taxon Living fossil Pseudoextinction Mass extinction
Evolution Evolution Cladistics Convergent evolution Natural selection Phyletic gradualism Punctuated equilibrium Phylogenetic tree Speciation
History History of paleontology List of years in paleontology
Applications Age of Earth Origin of life History of life Cambrian explosion Ediacaran biota Biogeography Biochronology Biostratigraphy Ecological succession Anagenesis Evolutionary taxonomy Macroevolution Microevolution
Cultural impact Cultural depictions of dinosaurs List of films featuring dinosaurs Dinosaur renaissance Paleoart
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Paleontology,^[a] also spelled as palaeontology^[b] or palæontology,^[c] is the scientific study of the life of the past, mainly but not exclusively through the study of fossils. Paleontologists use fossils as a means to classify organisms, measure geologic time, and assess the interactions between prehistoric organisms and their natural environment. While paleontological observations are known from at least the 6th century BC, the foundation of paleontology as a science dates back to the work of Georges Cuvier in 1796. Cuvier demonstrated evidence for the concept of extinction and how life of the past was not necessarily the same as that of the present. The field developed rapidly over the course of the following decades, and the French word paléontologie was introduced for the study in 1822, which was derived from the Ancient Greek word for "ancient" and words describing relatedness and a field of study. Further advances in the field accompanied the work of Charles Darwin who popularized the concept of evolution. Together, evolution and extinction can be understood as complementary processes which shaped the history of life.

Paleontology overlaps the most with the fields of geology and biology. It draws on technology and analysis of a wide range of sciences to apply them to the study of life and environments of the past, particularly for the subdisciplines of paleobiology and paleoecology that are analogous to biology and ecology. Paleontology also contributes to other sciences, being utilized for biostratigraphy to reconstruct the geologic time scale of Earth, or in studies on extinction to establish both external and internal factors that can lead to the disappearance of a species. Much of the history of life is now better understood because of advances in paleontology and the increase of interdisciplinary studies. Several improvements in understanding have occurred from the introduction of theoretical analysis to paleontology in the 1950s and 1960s that led to the rise of more focused fields of paleontology that assess the changing geography and climate of Earth, the phylogenetic relationships between different species, and the analysis of how fossilization occurs and what biases can impact the quality of the fossil record.

Paleontology is also one of the most high profile of the sciences, comparable to astrophysics and global health in the amount of attention in mass media. Public attention to paleontology can be traced back to the mythologies of indigenous peoples of many continents and the interpretation of discovered fossils as the bones of dragons or giants. Prehistoric life is used as the inspiration for toys, television and film, computer games, and tourism, with the budgets for these public projects often exceeding the funding within the field of paleontology itself. This has led to exploitation and imperialism of fossils collected for institutions in Europe and North America, and also appeals to the public for sponsorships to the benefit of some areas of paleontology at the detriment of others. Since the novel and film Jurassic Park, the focus of paleontology in the public has been on dinosaurs, making them some of the most familiar organisms from the deep past.
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