A Complete Educational Resource
Paleontology is the scientific study of life through geological time — from the earliest microbial traces to the mammals of the Ice Age. Explore fossils, deep time, careers, researchers, and the remarkable history of life on Earth.
The Discipline
Paleontology is far broader than popular culture suggests. It encompasses vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology, paleobotany, micropaleontology, paleoecology, taphonomy, biostratigraphy, and paleoanthropology. Its practitioners work at the intersection of biology, geology, chemistry, and ecology.
The fossil record is an imperfect but extraordinary archive — one that documents the origins of photosynthesis, the colonization of land, the rise and fall of dominant animal groups, and the environmental conditions that shaped every chapter of life's history on Earth.
Deep Time Overview
Hadean / Archean
4.5–2.5 Ga
Formation of Earth; earliest life
Proterozoic
2.5–0.54 Ga
Eukaryotes; Ediacaran biota
Paleozoic
541–252 Ma
Cambrian explosion; first forests
Mesozoic
252–66 Ma
Dinosaurs; first flowering plants
Cenozoic
66 Ma–Present
Mammals diversify; human origins
Core Topics
Paleontology is the scientific study of life through geological time, using fossils to reconstruct ancient organisms, environments, and evolutionary processes.
Fossils are the preserved remains or traces of organisms from past geological ages. Learn how they form, the many types that exist, and what they reveal about ancient life.
Earth is approximately 4.54 billion years old. The geologic time scale divides this vast span into eons, eras, periods, and epochs defined by significant events in the history of life.
Paleontology encompasses many specialized subfields — from vertebrate and invertebrate paleontology to paleobotany, micropaleontology, paleoecology, taphonomy, and more.
Five major mass extinction events have dramatically reset the course of life on Earth. Understanding their causes and aftermaths is central to both paleontology and modern conservation science.
Paleontology careers span academia, museums, fossil preparation labs, field work, science communication, collections management, and education. The paths are diverse and often interdisciplinary.
Notable Scientists
UC Berkeley / UCMP
Professor, Department of Integrative Biology; Director, UCMP
Charles Marshall studies the history of biodiversity and the tempo of evolutionary events, including the Cambrian explosion. His work integrates the fossil record with evolutionary theory and comparative genomics.
Official profileUniversity of Chicago
Robert R. Bensley Distinguished Service Professor of Organismal Biology and Anatomy
Neil Shubin is best known for co-discovering Tiktaalik roseae, a 375-million-year-old fish that documents the evolutionary transition from aquatic to terrestrial vertebrates. His research bridges paleontology and developmental biology.
Official profileSmithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Senior Research Geologist, Department of Paleobiology
Kay Behrensmeyer is a pioneer of modern taphonomy — the science of how organisms become fossils. Her long-term research in the Turkana Basin, Kenya has significantly advanced our understanding of hominin evolution and African paleoenvironments.
Official profileYale University / Yale Peabody Museum
G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor of Geology and Geophysics
Derek Briggs is a world authority on Cambrian Burgess Shale-type faunas and the processes of exceptional fossil preservation. His research has transformed understanding of Cambrian animal diversity and early animal evolution.
Official profileEducation
These institutions are recognized for their significant contributions to paleontological research and training. This is not a ranked list.
UC Berkeley's UCMP is one of the world's premier paleontological research institutions, with exceptional collections and faculty spanning all major subfields. Graduate training integrates the museum's unparalleled resources.
Museum: University of California Museum of Paleontology (UCMP)
KU's vertebrate paleontology program is among the strongest in North America, with distinguished faculty, major field programs, and deep ties to the KU Natural History Museum's world-class collections.
Museum: KU Biodiversity Institute and Natural History Museum
The University of Chicago has a long and distinguished tradition in paleobiology, with faculty such as Neil Shubin bringing integrative approaches that connect paleontology, developmental biology, and genomics.
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