Why is paleontology important in the study of evolution?

Paleontology is the study of fossils. Paleontology has played a key role in developing the theory of evolution. The study of fossils has shown that the animals and plants of prehistoric times were very different indeed from the animals and plants of today. By reassembling fossils bones, scientists can get an idea of the size and shape of the creatures that inhabited the Earth before the appearance of humans. Teeth and shells that have been fossilized also tell us much about the lifestyle of these creatures. Fossils of insects are often found embedded in amber, which is a transparent rock nodule formed when the resin from trees petrifies. Small creatures are sometimes trapped inside the amber, and are perfectly preserved to give us a glimpse of ancient insects.Trace fossils are also important in the study of evolution. Trace fossils are tunnels, worm casts and tracks that animals have made on soft sediment that has later hardened into rock. These imprints of animals on the move reveal much about the lives of ancient species, including their size, gait, stride length, and speed.