Palaeontology, which comes from the Greek palaios, meaning "old, ancient"; on meaning "being, creature", and logos meaning "study”, is the scientific study of ancient or prehistoric life forms. It involves the analysis of preserved remains, also known as fossils, to classify ancient organisms and uncover the characteristics of the primitive Earth. Modern palaeontology focuses on how physical and chemical climatic and geographical changes have impacted the evolution of life and how organisms have either disappeared or adapted to these changing conditions. Because the study of ancient life is so broad, palaeontology is divided into different subdisciplines based on the questions that scientists develop and intend to answer through research. Learning about the history of life will improve our understanding of the evolutionary processes that shaped the tree of life and enabled the diversification of plants, invertebrates, vertebrates, and microscopic life. It also opens the door to the comprehension of evolutionary timescales and the origins of key features that enable organisms to thrive in present environments. In addition, it provides valuable information to reconstruct the Earth’s past environmental conditions that enables us to comprehend how the climate has changed over millions of years and continues to change today.