The study of fossils is known as
- A.Palynology
- B.Palaeontology
- C.Pedology
- D.Petrology
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is B, palaeontology. Palaeontology is the study of fossils, the preserved remains or traces of organisms of past geological ages, and it supplies the evidence on which the history of life and the theory of evolution rest. Option A is wrong because palynology is the study of pollen grains and spores, which is used in reconstructing past vegetation and climate. Option C is wrong because pedology is the study of soils, their formation and classification. Option D is wrong because petrology is the study of rocks, their composition and origin. Pedology and petrology are the classic trap pair in this topic, soil against rock, and pedagogy, the art of teaching, is sometimes thrown in as a fourth option. A further name in the same family is anthropology, the study of humankind and its origin, which draws on fossils of early humans and so stands close to palaeontology in question papers.
Read the full article: Branches of Science and Their Fields of Study
Practice Questions
View allThe branch of science that deals with the study of fungi is called
- A.Phycology
- B.Mycology
- C.Bryology
- D.Pteridology
Show answer
Mycology is the study of fungi, the group that includes moulds, yeasts, mushrooms and the rusts and smuts that attack crops, and a specialist in it is called a mycologist.
Read the full explanation →Ornithology is the branch of science concerned with the study of
- A.Insects
- B.Fishes
- C.Birds
- D.Reptiles
Show answer
Ornithology is the study of birds, their classification, habits, migration and nesting; Salim Ali, known as the birdman of India, was the country's best known ornithologist and wrote the Book of Indian Birds.
Read the full explanation →Which branch of science deals with the study of earthquakes?
- A.Seismology
- B.Volcanology
- C.Speleology
- D.Geodesy
Show answer
Seismology is the study of earthquakes and of the passage of seismic waves through the earth, and it is from seismic wave records that the layered structure of the interior of the earth has been worked out; the instrument used is the seismograph.
Read the full explanation →Sericulture is the rearing of which of the following?
- A.Honey bees
- B.Silkworms
- C.Earthworms
- D.Fish
Show answer
Sericulture is the rearing of silkworms for the production of raw silk, and it includes the growing of mulberry, on whose leaves the mulberry silkworm feeds; India produces mulberry silk as well as the wild varieties tasar, eri and muga, the last being special to Assam.
Read the full explanation →Entomology is the study of
- A.The origin of words
- B.Insects
- C.Birds
- D.Human races
Show answer
Entomology is the branch of zoology that deals with insects, the largest class of animals, and it covers their structure, classification, life cycles and their role as pests and pollinators.
Read the full explanation →