Word
paleontology
Phoneticspa·le·on·tol·o·gy
/ˌpeɪɫiənˈtɑɫədʒi/
UK spelling · palaeontology
Definition
n. the scientific study of life that existed in the past, especially through the examination of fossils. It helps us understand how animals and plants lived millions of years ago.
n. the branch of science concerned with the study of life existing in former geologic periods, primarily through the analysis of fossil remains. Often involves the reconstruction of ancient ecosystems and evolutionary lineages.
Examples
“She decided to study paleontology to learn about dinosaurs.”
“The museum's new exhibit on paleontology features a massive skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in Montana.”
“Advances in molecular biology have allowed paleontology to move beyond mere morphological comparisons, enabling researchers to extract ancient DNA from well-preserved specimens to trace genetic shifts over millennia.”
Examples
simple
“She decided to study paleontology to learn about dinosaurs.”
contextual
“The museum's new exhibit on paleontology features a massive skeleton of a Tyrannosaurus rex discovered in Montana.”
complex
“Advances in molecular biology have allowed paleontology to move beyond mere morphological comparisons, enabling researchers to extract ancient DNA from well-preserved specimens to trace genetic shifts over millennia.”
Real-World Examples
Common in science writing
“For the Deinosuchus schwimmeri project, the Triebold Paleontology team produced high-resolution 3D scans of fossil records.” “By establishing clearer criteria for recognizing tooth damage, the study strengthens an important tool used in paleontology.” “The project combines archaeology, paleontology, geology, and other scientific approaches to investigate one of the most important developments in human evolution: the use of fire.” Etymology
Attested since 1836 (as palæontology). From French paléontologie (attested since 1822). By surface analysis, paleo- (“ancient”) + onto- (“being”) + -logy (“study”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/paleontology