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Palaeopedia.org is a gateway to the fascinating world of fossils.
Life as we
know it began at least 3.6 billion years ago, on a very different world
from the one we know today. Since then, life has
spread into, over and across the globe, and, relatively recently, our own species has
appeared.
We have harnessed fire and electricity, split the atom and walked on the
moon, and now we have the ability to ask, "Where do we come from, and
why are we here?"
Science provides
the answers. The relatively new scientific field of palaeontology
(miss out the second 'a' if you're American) is concerned
with fossils, the ancient tombs of creatures who
lived thousands, millions or even billions of
years ago, in the world of our ancestors.
Fossils have begun to
paint a picture of the evolving ecosystems of more than three billion
years. From examining the changes in life on earth over time, we can
better understand the geology, atmosphere, flora and fauna of the Earth today.
Welcome to
Palaeopedia!
Latest Additions
14.10.05 Explanation of how geologists can infer the chemical and
physical structure of the earth
[click
here]
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Ask:
Pose a question about fossils to an expert. You can expect a reply
within a month.
Search:
Enter a topical word and
find everything about it in Palaeopedia.
Learn: Browse through the articles of the Palaeopedia, covering geology,
palaeontology and prehistory.
Define: Read the glossary of all the terms underlined in the main text, and some
more.
Identify: Browse through some common fossils to find out about them.
Surf: Check out other websites about fossils.
Go
Further: Take your interest in fossils further
with books and societies.
Discuss:
Share ideas, information and questions in the Palaeopedia Forum.
Palaeopedia's Things To Do
2. Add more links to
fossil identification websites
3. Add a list of good
museums 4. Add
page on usefulness of fossils to science |
