palaeoecology
/ˌpeɪlioʊɪˈkɑlədʒi/
noun
- The scientific study of ancient environments and the relationships between ancient organisms and their habitats.
- Palaeoecology uses fossils to understand how ecosystems changed after the dinosaurs went extinct.
- By analyzing ancient pollen, palaeoecology can show what landscapes looked like thousands of years ago.
- The researcher's work in palaeoecology helped explain why certain plants disappeared from the region.