حیوانی حفریات
حیوانی حفریات حیوانی  مطالق حیوانیات اور حفریات  مطالعہ حیات قدیمی حیوانیات کی وہ شاخ ہے جس میں جانوروں کی قدیم باقیات جنکو حفر یا احفورہ fossil بھی کہا جاتا ہے کا مطالعہ کیا جاتا ہے اس کو انگریزی میں Paleozoology کہا جاتا ہے Palaeozoology also spelled as Paleozoology Greek παλαιόν palaeon old and ζῷον zoon animal is the branch of paleontology paleobiology or zoology dealing with the recovery and identification of multicellular animal remains from geological or even archeological contexts and the use of these fossils in the reconstruction of prehistoric environments and ancient ecosystems Definitive macroscopic remains of these metazoans are found in the fossil record from the Ediacaran period of the Neoproterozoic era onwards although they do not become common until the Late Devonian period in the latter half of the Paleozoic era Perhaps the best known macrofossils group is the dinosaurs Other popularly known animalderived macrofossils include trilobites crustaceans echinoderms brachiopods mollusks bony fishes sharks Vertebrate teeth and shells of numerous invertebrate groups This is because hard organic parts such as bones teeth and shells resist decay and are the most commonly preserved and found animal fossils Exclusively softbodied animalssuch as jellyfish flatworms nematodes and insectsare consequently rarely fossilized as these groups do not produce hard organic parts