Paleobiology is an interdisciplinary field that combines the methods and findings found in both the earth sciences and the life sciences. It involves the study of physical fossils and the evolution of biological life over time. Paleobiology is not to be confused with geobiology, which focuses more on the interactions between the biosphere and the physical Earth. Some of the more important research areas of paleobiologists are:
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Paleobotany: applies the principles and methods of paleobiology to flora, especially green land plants, but also including the fungi and seaweeds (algae) .
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Paleozoology: uses the methods and principles of paleobiology to understand fauna, both vertebrates and invertebrates.
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Micropaleobiology: focuses on the study of microscopic fossils.
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Paleobiochemistry: studies the chemical processes that occur in fossils.
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Paleoecology: studies the interactions between organisms and their environment in the past.
Paleobiology is a relatively new discipline, and the founder of modern paleobiology was Baron Franz Nopcsa, who initially termed the discipline "paleophysiology". However, credit for coining the word paleobiology itself should go to Professor Charles Schuchert, who proposed the term in 1904 so as to initiate "a broad new science" joining "traditional paleontology".
