Paleontology
Paleontology, the study of fossils, or plant and animal remains from past geologic time. Many fossils are millions of years old. Paleontology, therefore, deals with forms of life that existed in the remote past. The name of the science comes from the Greek paleo, ancient, and onta, existing things.
Paleontology has two main branches. One is paleobotany, the study of plant fossils. The other branch, the study of animal fossils, is sometimes called paleozoology but is traditionally called, simply, paleontology. Major fields of paleozoology are invertebrate paleontology, the study of fossils of animals without backbones; and vertebrate paleontology, the study of fossils of animals with backbones.
Paleoanthropology is the study of fossil humans and humanlike creatures. It is jointly a field of vertebrate paleontology and of anthropology, the study of human beings.
Paleopathology is the study of the diseases of ancient populations. Paleopathologists examine remains of ancient peoples for characteristic disease traits.
Many paleontologists are employed by oil companies to identify rock formations by the fossils they contain. Others study fossil collections in museums, direct preparation of fossils for display, or teach in colleges.
By comparing fossils from various periods of geologic time, paleontologists learn how plants and animals evolved. Work of this kind has disclosed, in great detail, the history of life on earth.
The study of fossils was considered a part of geology until the 19th century, when the work of Georges Cuvier and others established paleontology as a distinct science.