Texas Fossils: An Amateur Collector's Handbook

by William Henry Matthews

THE STUDY OF FOSSILS

The study of fossils is called paleontology (Greek palaios, ancient; ontos, a being; logos, word or discourse). Information gathered with the help of paleontology has greatly increased the knowledge of ancient plants and animals and of the world in which they lived.

Fossils represent the remains of such great numbers and various types of organisms that paleontologists have found it helpful to establish four main divisions within their science.