Paleoanthropology or
Paleo-anthropology (from
Ancient Greek: παλαιός (palaeos) "old, ancient", ἄνθρωπος (anthrōpos) "man, human" and the suffix λογία (logia) "study of"), the combination and a sub-discipline of
paleontology and
physical anthropology is the study of the formation and the development of the specific characteristics of
humans (
Hominization) and the reconstruction of evolutionary kinship lines in the family
Hominidae, by means of the study of
fossils, such as
petrified skeletal remains, bone fragments, footprints and associated evidence, stone tools, artifacts, and settlement localities. As technologies and methods advance,
Genetics plays an ever increasing role in paleoanthropology, in particular examining and comparing DNA structure as a vital tool of research of the evolutionary kinship lines of related species and genera.