Paleontology is a growing and relatively new field that combines the methods and findings of biology in the life sciences with the methods and findings of paleobiology. It is sometimes referred to as terrestrial biology.
Paleontology uses biological field research of current organisms and fossils dating back millions of years to answer questions of the molecular evolution and evolutionary history of life. In this scientific research, macrofossils, microfossils and fossil remains are usually analyzed. However, in the twenty-first century biochemical analysis of DNA and RNA samples offers a lot of hope, similar to the biosynthesis of an phylogenetic tree.
Paleontology includes:
- Paleobotany: applies the principles and methods of paleobiology to plants.
- Animal Paleontology: Uses paleobiological methods and principles to understand animals.
- Microfossils: applies ancient principles and methods to archaea, bacteria, protists, and pollen.
- Paleovirology: examines the evolutionary history of viruses on viral time scales.
- Paleochemistry: The methods and principles of organic chemistry are used to discover and analyze evidence at the molecular level for ancient life.
- Paleoecology: This science studies past ecological, climatic, and geographic systems to better understand prehistoric life.
- Paleontology: analyzes the postmortem history of an organism in order to gain insight into the behavior, death, and environment of a fossilized organism.
- Archeology: analyzes the impact of animals, animal erosion, traces, burrows and impressions.
- Stratigraphic palaeontology: studies changes according to the geologic time scale.
- Evolutionary developmental biology: examines the evolutionary aspects of patterns and pathways of growth and development during the development of life.