Paleohistology is a field of study dedicated to the analysis of fossilized tissues. This discipline allows researchers to investigate the microscopic structure of bones, teeth, and other tissues, providing valuable insights into the physiology, growth, and even the occurrence of diseases in extinct beings. Paleohistology uses CT-Scan and microscopy techniques to access the architecture and organization of tissues, helping to answer questions about the evolution and way of life of species from the past. Fossil petrography, in turn, uses microscopy techniques to understand the processes involved in the diagenesis of these materials.

Image: Petrographic image of a histological section of a dinosaur bone. Aureliano et al. (2023)

Paleoichnology is the study of fossil traces, such as footprints, burrows, bite marks, or perforations produced by organisms in substrates. This discipline allows us to reconstruct paleoenvironments, identify the presence of organisms rarely preserved as somatofossils, determine ecological relationships between species, and elucidate the behavior of different beings from the past. Paleoichnology research uses field and laboratory techniques to identify, document, and analyze ichnofossils. The interpretation of data obtained through these techniques helps answer questions about the diversity, distribution, and evolution of organisms from the past.

Image: Association of human footprints and petroglyphs. Troiano et al. (2024)

This discipline uses fossils to elucidate environmental parameters of past ecosystems and the relationship between organisms of the past. Through the analysis of somatofossils and ichnofossils, paleoecology allows us to understand environmental transformations, identify evolutionary patterns, and understand how life has adapted to different conditions throughout geological time.

Image: Food web of the paleoenvironment of the Açu Formation, Potiguar Basin. Rocha et al. (2025)

In paleontology, morphometry and systematics play fundamental roles in the identification and classification of fossils. Morphometry is a quantitative analysis that allows the measurement and comparison of anatomical characteristics to identify evolutionary patterns, population variations, among others, among extinct species. On the other hand, systematics focuses on the classification and organization of fossils based on their evolutionary relationships.

Image: Phylogeny of titanosaurs, highlighting Ibirania parva. Navarro et al. (2022)

Colonialism has historically had a profound and lasting impact on science, shaping not only methods and theories, but also power relations and knowledge structures. It is essential to identify, quantify, and acknowledge colonial legacies in science and work to deconstruct them, promoting collaboration and diversity of knowledge and perspectives.

Figure: Prof. Aline Ghilardi at the repatriation event for the dinosaur "Ubirajara jubatus".