archaeo-, archeo-, archae-, arche-, archa-, archi-, -arch

Referring to the origin of something in a dry habitat: An xerarch organism can thrive in a rocky shore, cliff, or desert.

Xerarch development can take place in dry places, such as plant succession, or the development of a plant community from its initial stage to its final stage.

The study of animal remains from archaeological sites: Zooarchaeology includes the identification and analysis of animal species as an aid to reconstructing human diets, determining the impact of animals on past economies, and in understanding the environment at the time.

Zooarchaeologists attempt to answer questions such as how many species of domesticated animals there were, how far wild animals were exploited, how many very young animals there were to determine kill patterns and climate changes, in what way bones were butchered, what the sex ratios there were in determining breeding strategies, and if there were any animals of unusual size.