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Paleontology and paleobiology explore life's evolution across geological eras, examining everything from single species to entire ecosystems. Researchers investigate mammal evolution post-dinosaur extinction and during historical climate shifts, analyze Mesozoic ecosystem patterns preserved in fossilized waste, trace the beginnings of marine colonial organisms, and examine connections between life and planetary development.
Investigations employ museum collections and fresh field findings, combining geochemical analysis, fossil/molecular phylogenetics, statistical evaluations of extensive fossil records, and evolutionary frameworks. Fieldwork spans from the Rocky Mountains to Arctic and tropical American sites, while leveraging the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History's extensive paleontological archive—housing over 150,000 documented specimens from more than 45 states and 80 nations.