- Paleontology (/ˌpeɪliɒnˈtɒlədʒi, ˌpæli-, -ən-/), also spelled palaeontology or palæontology, is the scientific study of life that existed prior to, and sometimes including, the start of the Holocene epoch (roughly 11,700 years before present). It includes the study of fossils to classify organisms and study their interactions with each other and their environments (their paleoecology). Paleontological observations have been documented as far back as the 5th century BC. The science became established in the 18th century as a result of Georges Cuvier’s work on comparative anatomy, and developed rapidly in the 19th century. The term has been used since 1822 formed from Greek παλαιός (‘palaios’, “old, ancient”), ὄν (‘on’, (gen. ‘ontos’), “being, creature”), and λόγος (’logos’, “speech, thought, study”).
- Delta Crucis (stars.astro.illinois.edu)
DELTA CRU (Delta Crucis). Overwhelmed by its neighbors in Crux, one of the most famous constellations of the sky, and fourth brightest in the 4-star pattern, Delta Crucis is the only one with no proper name (though given that Alpha Crucis is called “Acrux” and Gamma Crucis “Gacrux,” no one would likely object to “Delcrux.”)