Key Subdivisions and Real-World Examples in Palaeontology
The study of fossils is called Palaeontology (also spelt as Paleontology). The definition of palaeontology is that it is the scientific study of prehistoric life on Earth, especially the species that are extinct, and it focuses on the study of fossils by using a variety of chemical, physical, and biological analytics techniques.
The study of fossils includes the determination of the evolution and prehistoric structure of extinct plants, animals, single-celled living organisms, fungi, and bacteria, by analyzing the paleontological evidence from the impressions on the deposited rock strata in which the remains of the species are found. An interesting fact is that the study of fossils of dinosaurs is also called palaeontology which belongs to the branch of geology.
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What is Paleontology About?
Paleontology is the study of ancient life forms and their evolution.
Paleontologists are primarily interested in fossils, organisms that have been preserved by a process called fossilization.
Paleontology has helped us understand how various species evolved over time, including our own human lineage.
Paleontologists can also use these insights to reconstruct what life on Earth was like long ago.
In this article, we will explore the definition of paleontology, evidence for its existence, its subdivisions, and examples from different periods in history where it has been applied to better understand the past.
Paleontological Evidence
Fossils are the geological remains and scientific traces of organisms in the past excavated from the soil. The individual study of fossils is beneficial because the fossils or skeletons contain information about the life of an organism and its environment. An example of paleontological evidence is the presence of rings on the surface of an oyster which represents the number of years of its life. From the shell of this same oyster, paleontologists can tell the climate and conditions in which it developed.
Resin is a sticky substance that drops down the tree and hardens, and sometimes it also traps air bubbles, insects, lizards, or other small organisms. Hence, paleontologists also call this ‘fossil resin’ because it contains the paleontological evidence of ancient substances and can tell a lot about the conditions of the time it was formed.
Some compelling examples of where paleontological research has provided valuable information about the past are as follows:
In 2002, scientists in China discovered a feathered dinosaur, which helped to show that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
Paleontology has also been used to study climate change overtime periods, such as the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum 55 million years ago.
Paleontologists have even been able to identify new species of animals and plants by studying their fossils.
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Deducing palaeontological evidence leads to discoveries about the behavior of an organism as well. For example, a single site contained more than 10,000 fossil skeletons of Hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs), which presented the paleontologists with the social behavior hypothesis of Hadrosaurs that they lived in herds.
Subdivisions of Palaeontology
There are three main subdivisions of palaeontology:
Vertebrate paleontology
Invertebrate paleontology
Paleobotany
Micropaleotology
Vertebrate Palaeontology:
The animals with a backbone or as per the more scientific term “the Vertebrata” are called vertebrates, and the study of fossils of the prehistoric vertebrates is called vertebrate palaeontology.
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An example of vertebrate palaeontological evidence is the discovery from the Pterosaurs’ bones that they could fly, as it was also discovered that Pterosaurs had hollow and light bones, much like modern birds which were found in their reconstructed skeletons.
Invertebrate Palaeontology:
Organisms like mollusks, worms, corals, arthropods like cockroaches, shrimp, crab, echinoderms like sea stars, sponges, etc. are called invertebrates because they don’t have vertebrae or backbones. The paleontological evidence of the invertebrates are the impression of their fossilized soft body parts, remains of their exoskeleton, shells, and even the tracks of their movement in the ocean or sea bed.
An example that shows the importance of invertebrate palaeontology is that in the deserts of Nevada of the USA, palaeontologists found 200-million-year-old invertebrate marine fossils in large quantities that proved certain areas were covered by water during that particular period.
Paleobotany:
The study of fossils or rocks with impressions of ancient plants or parts of plants on them is called Paleobotany. From the preserved fossil data, diversity and evolution can be understood by paleobotanists. Coal balls are found near coal deposits and are the plant remains of the forest or swamps that could not wholly decompose into forming coal but are slowly petrified as rocks.
Micropaleontology:
The study of fossils of organisms smaller than four millimeters is called micropaleontology. These organisms include algae, pollen, protists, etc. Microfossils are short-lived and are observed under the electron microscope. The oldest fossils found by paleontologists are called stromatolites. Cyanobacteria formed in the shallow oceans when the Earth was cooling down. The earliest records of stromatolites created date back 3.5 billion years ago.
In What Historical Period is Paleontology Applied?
Paleontology is a field that has been studied for centuries, with new discoveries being made all the time. It can be applied in any period of history where there is evidence of past life.
Some Examples of Palaeontology
The Paleozoic era (570-251 million years ago) – During this period, many large animals evolved including fish, amphibians, reptiles, and mammals.
The Mesozoic era (251-65 million years ago) – During this period, dinosaurs evolved and became the dominant animals on Earth. Palaeontology has been particularly useful for understanding how they lived and evolved over millions of years.
The Cenozoic era (65 million years ago to the present day) – After an extinction event wiped out most life at the end of the Mesozoic era, a new wave of evolution occurred, resulting in many modern mammals including primates that lead to our own human lineage developing. Paleontologists have been able to use fossils from this time period to understand where humans originated from and what we were like as a species long ago.
Fun Facts
The most useful fossils for correlation are the shell fossils such as that of brachiopods or lamp shells and trilobites.
In the Earth’s layer of sedimentary rocks, almost all fossils are found.
Sedimentary rocks are formed of single flat layers called strata.
Bones, teeth, horns, etc. do not decompose such as the fleshy parts because the protected layers of sediments surround them.
FAQs on Palaeontology: Exploring Life’s Ancient Past
1. What exactly is the study of palaeontology?
Palaeontology is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth as based on fossils. These are the preserved remains or traces of plants, animals, fungi, and other organisms from the past. It helps us understand how life evolved and how Earth's environments have changed over millions of years.
2. What is the difference between 'palaeontology' and 'paleontology'?
There is no scientific difference between the two terms. The variation is simply a matter of spelling preference based on location. 'Palaeontology' is the traditional British spelling, while 'paleontology' is the more common American spelling. Both refer to the exact same field of study.
3. What is a fossil and how does one form?
A fossil is any preserved evidence of life from a past geological age, such as bones, shells, footprints, or even impressions of leaves. Fossilization most often occurs when a plant or animal dies and is quickly buried by sediment, like sand or mud. Over millions of years, minerals in the surrounding ground slowly replace the organic material, creating a rock-like copy of the original organism.
4. What are the main branches of palaeontology?
Palaeontology is a broad field that is often divided into more specific branches. The main types include:
- Vertebrate Palaeontology: The study of fossils of animals with backbones, such as dinosaurs, mammals, and fish.
- Invertebrate Palaeontology: The study of fossils of animals without backbones, like insects, corals, and shellfish.
- Paleobotany: The study of fossil plants, which helps us understand ancient ecosystems.
- Micropaleontology: The study of microscopic fossils, such as pollen and plankton.
5. How does palaeontology provide evidence for evolution?
Palaeontology provides the most direct evidence for evolution. The fossil record shows a clear progression of life forms over time. Scientists can find transitional fossils, which are fossils that have features of both an ancestral group and its descendant group. For example, the fossil of Archaeopteryx shows features of both dinosaurs and modern birds, supporting the idea that birds evolved from dinosaurs.
6. Is palaeontology the same as archaeology?
No, they are different fields. Palaeontology focuses on the study of all ancient life, from dinosaurs to prehistoric plants, using fossils. In contrast, archaeology focuses specifically on past human life and culture by studying human-made artefacts like tools, pottery, and buildings. The key difference is the focus on ancient life versus past human societies.
7. Why don't we find fossils of every ancient organism?
Fossilization is an extremely rare event. Most organisms decompose or are eaten before they can be fossilized. An organism's chances of becoming a fossil are much higher if it has hard parts (like bones, teeth, or shells) and is buried rapidly in sediment. Soft-bodied creatures like jellyfish or worms are rarely preserved, which is why the fossil record gives an incomplete picture of past life.
8. How can palaeontology tell us about past climates?
Fossils act as excellent clues to ancient environments. For example, finding fossils of tropical plants and crocodiles in areas that are now cold, like Canada or Siberia, indicates that these regions had a much warmer climate in the past. Similarly, the types of fossilised pollen found in sediment layers can tell scientists about the dominant plant life and the climate conditions that supported it.
9. What modern technology do palaeontologists use?
Modern palaeontology uses advanced technology to analyse fossils. Instead of just hammers and chisels, scientists now use tools like CT scanners and X-rays to look inside fossils without breaking them. They use 3D printers to create exact replicas of bones for study and can even analyse chemical isotopes in fossils to determine an animal's diet or the temperature of the water it lived in.
