Here's why:
* Paleo- comes from the Greek word παλαιός (palaios), which means "old" or "ancient".
* This root is commonly used in terms like:
* Paleontology: the study of ancient life
* Paleolithic: the Old Stone Age
* Paleoanthropology: the study of human evolution
* Paleoclimate: climate of the past
Therefore, paleo- accurately reflects the idea of something belonging to a previous time period that is no longer in use.