Paleobiology (sometimes spelled palaeobiology) is a growing and comparatively new discipline which combines the methods and findings of the natural science biology with the methods and findings of the earth science paleontology. This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Paleontology, palaeontology or palæontology is the study of prehistoric life forms on Earth through the examination of plant and animal fossils. ...

Typical paleobiological (or paleobiologic) research attempts to answer biological questions using geological objects such as fossils found in the field. Both macrofossils and microfossils are typically analyzed, although the 21st-century genetic analysis of D.N.A. and R.N.A. samples offers much promise. Research is a human activity based on intellectual investigation and aimed at discovering, interpreting, and revising human knowledge on different aspects of the world. ... This article includes a list of works cited but its sources remain unclear because it lacks in-text citations. ... FOSSIL is a standard for allowing serial communication for telecommunications programs under DOS. FOSSIL is an acronym for Fido Opus Seadog Standard Interface Layer. ... Field work is a general descriptive term for the collection of raw data in the natural and social sciences, such as archaeology, biology, ecology, environmental science, geology,geography geophysics, paleontology, anthropology, linguistics, and sociology. ... Plant macrofossils are preserved remains large enough to be visible without a microscope. ... For other uses of the term, see Fossil (disambiguation) Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other artifacts such as footprints. ... DNA, the molecular basis for inheritance. ... The structure of part of a DNA double helix Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) is a nucleic acid that contains the genetic instructions for the development and function of living organisms. ... Ribonucleic acid (RNA) is a nucleic acid polymer consisting of nucleotide monomers, that acts as a messenger between DNA and ribosomes, and that is also responsible for making proteins out of amino acids. ...

An investigator in this research field is known as a paleobiologist. Some of the more important research areas of paleobiologists are listed below: Field research stands in opposition to research conducted in a laboratory or academic setting. ...

Paleobotany

• applying the principles and methods of paleobiology to flora, especially green land plants, but also including the fungi and seaweeds (algae). See also prehistoric plants, mycology, phycology and dendrochronology.

Paleobotany (from the Greek words paleon = old and botanikos = of herbs) is the branch of paleontology dealing with the recovery and identification of plant remains from geological contexts, and their use in the reconstruction of past environments and the history of life. ... Simplified schematic of an islands flora - all its plant species, highlighted in boxes. ... Divisions Non-vascular plants (bryophytes) Marchantiophyta - liverworts Anthocerotophyta - hornworts Bryophyta - mosses Vascular plants (tracheophytes) Lycopodiophyta - clubmosses Equisetophyta - horsetails Pteridophyta - true ferns Psilotophyta - whisk ferns Ophioglossophyta - adders-tongues Seed plants (spermatophytes) †Pteridospermatophyta - seed ferns Pinophyta - conifers Cycadophyta - cycads Ginkgophyta - ginkgo Gnetophyta - gnetae Magnoliophyta - flowering plants The embryophytes are the most familiar... For the fictional character, see Fungus the Bogeyman. ... Ascophyllum nodosum exposed to the sun in Nova Scotia, Canada Dead Mans Fingers (Codium fragile) off Massachusetts coast For the band, see; Seaweed (band) For the rock musician, see; Seaweed (musician) Seaweeds are any of a large number of marine benthic algae. ... A seaweed (Laurencia) up close: the branches are multicellular and only about 1 mm thick. ... Prehistoric plants are various groups of plants that lived before recorded history (before about 3500 BC). ... Mycology (from the Greek μύκης, meaning fungus) is the study of fungi, their genetic and biochemical properties, their taxonomy, and their use to humans as a source for tinder, medicinals (e. ... Phycology (or algology), a subdiscipline of botany, is the scientific study of algae. ... The growth rings of an unknown tree species, at Bristol Zoo, England Pinus taeda Cross section showing annual rings, Cheraw, South Carolina Pine stump showing growth rings Dendrochronology or tree-ring dating is the method of scientific dating based on the analysis of tree-ring growth patterns. ...

Paleozoology

• using the methods and principles of paleobiology to understand fauna, both vertebrates and invertebrates. See also vertebrate and invertebrate paleozoology, as well as paleoanthropology.

Paleozoology (Greek: paleon = old and zoon = animal) is the branch of paleontology dealing with the recovery and identification of animal remains from archeological (or even geological) contexts, and their use in the reconstruction of past environments and economies. ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life of any particular region or time. ... Typical classes Petromyzontidae (lampreys) Placodermi - extinct Chondrichthyes (cartilaginous fish) Acanthodii - extinct Actinopterygii (ray-finned fish) Actinistia (coelacanths) Dipnoi (lungfish) Amphibia (amphibians) Reptilia (reptiles) Aves (birds) Mammalia (mammals) Vertebrata is a subphylum of chordates, specifically, those with backbones or spinal columns. ... Invertebrate is a term that describes any animal without a spinal column. ... Vertebrate paleontology seeks to discover the behavior, reproduction and appearance of extinct spined animals, through the study of their fossilized remains. ... A Classification of Invertebrate Paleontology Kingdom Protoctista Phylum Protozoa Subphylum Sarcomastigophora Class Sarcodina Subclass Rhizopoda Order Foraminifera Suborder Allogromiina Suborder Textulariina Suborder Fusulinina Suborder Miliolina Suborder Rotaliina Subclass Actinopoda Order Radiolaria Kingdom Monera Division Schizomycophyta (bacteria) Division Cyanophyta (cyanobacteria) Kingdom Animalia Phylum Porifera (sponges) Phylum Coelenterata / Cnidaria Phylum Bryzoa Phylum... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

Micropaleobiology

• applying paleobiologic principles and methods to archaea, bacteria, protists, microscopic pollen/spores, and perhaps someday viruses. See also microfossils, palynology, and microorganisms.

Micropaleontology, the study of microfossils, is a branch of paleontology. ... Phyla Crenarchaeota Euryarchaeota Korarchaeota Nanoarchaeota Archaea are a major division of microorganisms. ... Phyla Actinobacteria Aquificae Chlamydiae Bacteroidetes/Chlorobi Chloroflexi Chrysiogenetes Cyanobacteria Deferribacteres Deinococcus-Thermus Dictyoglomi Fibrobacteres/Acidobacteria Firmicutes Fusobacteria Gemmatimonadetes Lentisphaerae Nitrospirae Planctomycetes Proteobacteria Spirochaetes Thermodesulfobacteria Thermomicrobia Thermotogae Verrucomicrobia Bacteria (singular: bacterium) are unicellular microorganisms. ... Typical phyla Rhodophyta (red algae) Chromista Heterokontophyta (heterokonts) Haptophyta Cryptophyta (cryptomonads) Alveolates Pyrrhophyta (dinoflagellates) Apicomplexa Ciliophora (ciliates) Excavates Euglenozoa Percolozoa Metamonada Rhizaria Radiolaria Foraminifera Cercozoa Amoebozoa Choanozoa Many others; classification varies The Kingdom Protista or Protoctista is one of the commonly recognized biological kingdoms, including all the eukaryotes except for... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... SEM image of pollen grains from a variety of common plants: sunflower (Helianthus annuus), morning glory (Ipomoea purpurea), prairie hollyhock (Sidalcea malviflora), oriental lily (Lilium auratum), evening primrose (Oenothera fruticosa), and castor bean (Ricinus communis). ... This article is about a biological reproductive structure; for the video game, see Spore (video game). ... Groups I: dsDNA viruses II: ssDNA viruses III: dsRNA viruses IV: (+)ssRNA viruses V: (-)ssRNA viruses VI: ssRNA-RT viruses VII: dsDNA-RT viruses A virus (from the Latin noun virus, meaning toxin or poison) is a microscopic particle (ranging in size from 20 - 300 nm) that can infect the... For other uses of the term, see Fossil (disambiguation) Fossils are the mineralized remains of animals or plants or other artifacts such as footprints. ... Pollen under microscope Palynology is the science that studies contemporary and fossil palynomorphs, including pollen, spores, dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, chitinozoans and scolecodonts, together with particulate organic matter (POM) and kerogen found in sedimentary rocks and sediments. ... A cluster of Escherichia coli bacteria magnified 10,000 times. ...

Paleobiochemistry

• using the methods and principles of organic chemistry to detect and analyze molecular-level evidence of ancient life, both microscopic and macroscopic.

Biochemistry is the study of the chemical processes and transformations in living organisms. ... Organic chemistry is a specific discipline within chemistry which involves the scientific study of the structure, properties, composition, reactions, and preparation (by synthesis or by other means) of chemical compounds consisting of primarily carbon and hydrogen, which may contain any number of other elements, including nitrogen, oxygen, halogens as well... Molecular biology is the study of biology at a molecular level. ... A microscope (Greek: micron = small and scopos = aim) is an instrument for viewing objects that are too small to be seen by the naked or unaided eye. ... Macroscopic is commonly used to describe physical objects that are measurable and observable by the naked eye. ...

Paleoecology

• examining past ecosystems, climates, and geographies so as to better comprehend prehistoric life.

Paleoecology uses data from fossils and subfossils to reconstruct the ecosystems of the past. ... A coral reef near the Hawaiian islands is an example of a complex marine ecosystem. ... Prehistoric life is a term used to refer to diverse organisms that inhabited Earth from the origin of life about 3. ...

Paleotaphonomy

• analyzing the post-mortem history (for example, decay and decomposition) of an individual organism in order to gain insight on the behavior, death and environment of the fossilized organism.

Taphonomy is the study of the fate of the remains of organisms after they die. ... The term post mortem means after death. It is also short for postmortem examination, or autopsy. ... This page may meet Wikipedias criteria for speedy deletion. ... “Spoilage” redirects here. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... A fossil Ammonite Fossils (from Latin fossus, literally having been dug up) are the mineralized or otherwise preserved remains or traces (such as footprints) of animals, plants, and other organisms. ...

Paleoichnology

• analyzing the tracks, borings, trails, burrows, impressions, and other trace fossils left by ancient organisms (for example, scolecodonts) in order to gain insight into their behavior and ecology.

Ichnology is the branch of paleontology dealing with the study of fossilized footprints, tracks and burrows. ... Fox tracks in snow Racoon tracks Animal tracks are the imprints left behind in soil, snow, mud, or other ground surfaces that an animal walk across. ... Bioerosion describes the erosion of hard ocean substrates by living organisms by a number of mechanisms. ... A burrow is a hole or tunnel dug into the ground by an animal to create a space suitable for habitation, temporary refuge, or as a byproduct of locomotion. ... A fossilized dinosaur footprint at Clayton Lake State Park, New Mexico. ... Prehistoric life is a term used to refer to diverse organisms that inhabited Earth from the origin of life about 3. ... Scolecodonts are the jaws of polychaete annelids (worms). ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ...

Stratigraphic paleobiology

• studying long-term secular changes, as well as the (short-term) bed-by-bed sequence of changes, in organismal characteristics and behaviors. See also stratification, sedimentary rocks and the geologic time scale.

This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... It has been suggested that Clade be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Stratification gooberini went to lousville to dance on a praire and then he went down the hill to hang out with jarry. ... Two types of sedimentary rock: limey shale overlaid by limestone. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ...

Evolutionary developmental paleobiology

• examining the evolutionary aspects of the modes and trajectories of growth and development in the evolution of life -- clades both extinct and extant. See also adaptive radiation, cladistics, evolutionary biology, and phylogenetic tree.

Evolutionary developmental biology (evolution of development or informally, evo-devo) is a field of biology that compares the developmental processes of different animals in an attempt to determine the ancestral relationship between organisms and how developmental processes evolved. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... This timeline of the evolution of life outlines the major events in the development of life on the planet Earth. ... A clade is a term belonging to the discipline of cladistics. ... In biology and ecology, extinction is the ceasing of existence of a species or group of species. ... Extant means still existing. It is the opposite of extinct, and can be applied to species, cultures and works of culture (e. ... Four of the 13 finch species found on the Galápagos Archipelago, and thought to have evolved by an adaptive radiation that diversified their beak shapes to adapt them to different food sources. ... It has been suggested that Clade be merged into this article or section. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... A phylogenetic tree, also called an evolutionary tree or a tree of life, is a tree showing the evolutionary interrelationships among various species or other entities that are believed to have a common ancestor. ...

Paleobiologists

The founder or "father" of modern paleobiology is said to be Baron Franz Nopcsa (1877 to 1933), a turn-of-the-century Balkan scientist. He is also known as Baron Nopcsa, Ferenc Nopcsa, and Franz Nopcsa von Felsö-Szilvás. He initially termed the discipline "paleophysiology." Baron Nopcsa Baron Franz Nopcsa von FelsÅ‘-Szilvás (also Baron Nopcsa, Ferenc Nopcsa, Nopcsa Ferenc, Baron Franz Nopcsa, and Franz Baron Nopcsa) (May 3rd, 1877 to April 25, 1933) was a Hungarian-born aristocrat, adventurer, scholar, and paleontologist. ... ... Baron Nopcsa Baron Franz Nopcsa von FelsÅ‘-Szilvás (also Baron Nopcsa von Felsö-Szilvás, Baron Nopcsa, Ferenc Nopcsa, Nopcsa Ferenc, Baron Franz Nopcsa, and Franz Baron Nopcsa) (May 3, 1877 to April 25, 1933) was a Hungarian-born aristocrat, adventurer, scholar, and paleontologist. ... Baron Nopcsa Baron Franz Nopcsa von FelsÅ‘-Szilvás (also Baron Nopcsa von Felsö-Szilvás, Baron Nopcsa, Ferenc Nopcsa, Nopcsa Ferenc, Baron Franz Nopcsa, and Franz Baron Nopcsa) (May 3, 1877 to April 25, 1933) was a Hungarian-born aristocrat, adventurer, scholar, and paleontologist. ... ...

See Also

• Adaptive radiation
• Evolution
• Fossil
• Geologic time scale -- ends with the eras and periods of prehistoric life
• List of fossil sites (with lengthy link directory)
• Prehistoric life (with brief link directory)
• Timeline of evolution -- describes the eras and periods of prehistoric life

Four of the 13 finch species found on the Galápagos Archipelago, and thought to have evolved by an adaptive radiation that diversified their beak shapes to adapt them to different food sources. ... This article is about evolution in biology. ... FOSSIL is a standard for allowing serial communication for telecommunications programs under DOS. FOSSIL is an acronym for Fido Opus Seadog Standard Interface Layer. ... // For other uses, see time scale. ... List of fossil sites: // Afar Depression, Ethiopia, Pliocene Awash River, Afar Depression, Ethiopia, Australopithecus afarensis, Lucy, Pliocene, 3. ... Prehistoric life is a term used to refer to diverse organisms that inhabited Earth from the origin of life about 3. ... This timeline of the evolution of life outlines the major events in the development of life on the planet Earth. ...

References

• Derek E.G. Briggs and Peter R. Crowther, eds. (2003). Palaeobiology II. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing. ISBN 0-632-05147-7 and ISBN 0-632-05149-3. The second edition of an acclaimed British textbook.

• Robert L. Carroll (1998). Patterns and Processes of Vertebrate Evolution. Cambridge Paleobiology Series. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 9788521478090 and ISBN 052147809X. Applies paleobiology to the adaptive radiation of fishes and quadrapeds.

• Matthew T. Carrano, Timothy Gaudin, Richard Blob, and John Wible, eds. (2006). Amniote Paleobiology: Perspectives on the Evolution of Mammals, Birds and Reptiles. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226094782 and ISBN 978-0226094786. This new book describes paleobiological research into land vertebrates of the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.

• Robert B. Eckhardt (2000). Human Paleobiology. Cambridge Studies in Biology and Evolutionary Anthropology. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0521451604 and ISBN 9780521451604. This book connects paleoanthropology and archeology to the field of paleobiology.

• Brian Keith Hall and Wendy M. Olson, eds. (2003). Keywords and Concepts in Evolutionary Biology. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674009045 and ISBN 9780674009042.

• David Jablonski, Douglas H. Erwin, and Jere H. Lipps (1996). Evolutionary Paleobiology. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226389111. A fine American textbook.

• Masatoshi Nei and Sudhir Kumar (2000). Molecular Evolution and Phylogenetics. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0195135857 and ISBN 978-0195-135855. This text links DNA/RNA analysis to the evolutionary "tree of life" in paleobiology.

• Donald R. Prothero (2004). Bringing Fossils to Life: An Introduction to Paleobiology. New York: McGraw Hill. ISBN 0073661708 and ISBN 978-007366-1704. An acclaimed book for the novice fossil-hunter and young adults.

• Mark Ridley, ed. (2004). Evolution. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0199267944 and ISBN 9781-405-103459. An anthology of analytical studies in paleobiology.

• Raymond Rogers, David Eberth, and Tony Fiorillo (2007). Bonebeds: Genesis, Analysis and Paleobiological Significance. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 0226723704 and ISBN 9780226723709. A new book regarding the fossils of vertebrates, especially tetrapods on land during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras.

• Thomas J.M. Schopf, ed. (1972). Models in Paleobiology. San Francisco: Freeman, Cooper. ISBN 0877353256 and ISBN 978-0877353256. A much-cited, seminal classic in the field discussing methodology and quantitative analysis.

• Thomas J.M. Schopf (1980). Paleoceanography. Cambridge, Massachusetts: Harvard University Press. ISBN 0674652150 and ISBN 9780674652156. A later book by the noted paleobiologist. This text discusses ancient marine ecology.

• J. William Schopf (2001). Cradle of Life: The Discovery of Earth's Earliest Fossils. Princeton: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0691088640. The use of biochemical and ultramicroscopic analysis to analyze microfossils of bacteria and archaea.

• Paul Selden and John Nudds (2005). Evolution of Fossil Ecosystems. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. ISBN 978-02267-46418 and ISBN 022-6746410. A recent analysis and discussion of paleoecology.

• Paul Tasch (1980). Paleobiology of the Invertebrates. New York: Wiley. ISBN 0471-052728 and ISBN 9780471-052722. Applies statistics to the evolution of sponges, cnidarians, worms, brachiopods, bryozoa, mollusks, and arthropods.

• Shuhai Xiao and Alan J. Kaufman, eds. (2006). Neoproterozoic Geobiology and Paleobiology. New York: Springer Science+Business Media. ISBN 978-1-4020-5201-9. This new book describes research into the fossils of the earliest multicellular animals and plants, especially the Ediacaran period invertebrates and algae.

• Bernard Ziegler and R. O. Muir (1983). Introduction to Palaeobiology. Chichester, England: E. Horwood. ISBN 0470275529 and ISBN 9780470275528. A classic, British introductory textbook.