Palaeodendrology is the study of ancient trees, specifically their growth patterns and environmental conditions. It is a subspecialty of dendrology, which is the study of trees and their biology. Synonyms for palaeodendrology include paleobotany, paleoecology, and dendroarchaeology. Paleobotany focuses on the study of ancient plants and their evolution, while paleoecology examines the relationship between ancient organisms and their environment. Dendroarchaeology is the study of old trees and their use by past human societies. All of these fields of study share a common goal of understanding the natural world and its history through the study of plant life.