Invertebrate paleontology
Invertebrate paleontology is sometimes described as invertebrate paleozoology or invertebrate paleobiology.
Whether it is considered to be a subfield of paleontology, paleozoology, or paleobiology, this discipline is the scientific study of prehistoric invertebrates by analyzing invertebrate fossils in the geologic record.
Bryozoan fossils in an Ordovician oil shale from Estonia. Field of view is 15 cm across.
Aviculopecten subcardiformis; an extinct pectenoid from the Logan Formation (Lower Carboniferous) of Wooster, Ohio (external mold).
Paleontology, also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch. It includes the study of fossils to classify organisms and study their interactions with each other and their environments. Paleontological observations have been documented as far back as the 5th century BC. The science became established in the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier's work on comparative anatomy, and developed rapidly in the 19th century. The term has been used since 1822 formed from Greek παλαιός, ὄν, and λόγος.
A paleontologist at work at John Day Fossil Beds National Monument
The preparation of the fossilised bones of Europasaurus holgeri
Analyses using engineering techniques show that Tyrannosaurus had a devastating bite, but raise doubts about its running ability.
Cambrian trace fossils including Rusophycus, made by a trilobite