Paleontology: The scientific study of life existent prior to, and sometimes including, humans' arrival. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments (their paleoecology).
Fossil Record:A term used by paleontologists referring to the total number of fossils that have been discovered, as well as to the information derived from them.
Biogeography:The study of the distribution of species and ecosystems in geographic space and through geological time.