Paleontology is a science that studiesfeatures of the structure and life activity of organisms that existed in the geological past, from the remaining fossil remains, traces of life and oricotocenosis.
It can also be described as a science,which deals with the study of all manifestations of life available for research in past ecological periods at all levels of life (organism, population, biogeocenosis).
The object of the study allows us to state thatpaleontology is a biological science that is closely connected with geology, which makes extensive use of research results and at the same time serves as an indispensable source of information about the environment of life. It is this relationship that determines the integrity of paleontology, which tracks together with other factors the evolution of the development of living nature in the distant geological past.
As already mentioned, the science of paleontology studiesextinct organisms that lived in the geological past. That is, the purpose of the study involves the elucidation of all aspects of their existence. This, in particular, the structure (morphology) and taxonomy; distribution in space and time; ways and patterns of evolution; way of life and habitat.
All tasks are interrelated.Thus, the very study of morphological features is not an end in itself, but is in close connection with the systematization of organisms. A strictly scientific system can not be built without studying evolutionary aspects, and the paths of historical development of groups of animals and plants can not be traced without information about the consistent arrangement of their residues in the layers and the influence of environmental factors on organisms. Morphofunctional analysis gives an idea of the relationship of a way of life with the morphology of beings. Thus, the ultimate and most important task of paleontology is the cognition of the evolution of the organic world in the historical development of the Earth.
Paleontology is the science of extinct organisms of various origins. This criterion formed the basis of classification, and also determined the existence of several divisions:
Correct interpretation of knowledge of naturefossils is the merit of Chinese and European naturalists of the Renaissance. In the XVII century, two scientists (N. Steno, R. Guk) practically simultaneously, independently of each other, begin to speak for the first time of extinct species. And MV Lomonosov after a hundred years develops the views of his predecessors, suggesting that in the living nature, in the process of its formation, constant evolutionary changes occurred.
Fundamentals of paleontology began to form whenat the beginning of the XIX century, William Smith was able to substantiate the mechanism for determining the age membership of geological strata by the example of invertebrate fossils and based on his assumptions the first geological map in history.
The foundation of it as a scientific discipline ismerit J. Cuvier, who, after a deep comparative anatomical analysis of the remains of the bones of ancient mammals, actually created the paleontology of vertebrates.
Paleontology is a science that previouslycalled petromatognosia. The first mention of the present name dates back to the beginning of the XIX century. Finally, science acquired its name in the 1840s, when the Frenchman D. Orbigny began to use the term "paleontology" in his publications.
Paleontology is a scientific discipline thatis in close connection with other biological sciences. This relationship is mainly due to the partial use of methods of related sciences: population genetics, developmental biology, cytology, biochemistry, biometrics and others.
Conducting modern paleontologicalresearch is often accompanied by the use of the latest techniques based on the application of various kinds of radiation, chemical analysis, electronic and scanning microscopy, etc. A close interrelation and mutual enrichment with such disciplines as comparative anatomy, morphology and taxonomy of animals and plants is proved. The need for morpho-functional analysis and study of the morphogenesis of skeletal structures of fossils stipulates interpenetration of paleontology, physiology, embryology, biomechanics.
