Correct Option: D

Paleontology is the study of fossils to determine the structure and evolution of extinct animals and plants and the age and conditions of deposition of the rock strata in which they are found. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms’ evolution and interactions with each other and their environments (their paleoecology). As a “historical science” it attempts to explain causes rather than conduct experiments to observe effects. Palaeontological observations have been documented as far back as the 5th century B.C.E.