What does paleontology mean?
Paleontology is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth, primarily through the examination of fossils. Paleontologists identify fossilized remains of plants and animals, determine their approximate ages, reconstruct the environments in which they lived, and use this evidence to understand evolution and changes in life over geological time. The discipline can involve fieldwork, laboratory analysis, geology, biology, chemistry, and methods such as radiometric dating. Fossils may preserve bodies, traces of activity, chemical signatures, or evidence of ancient environments. Paleontology is especially important for testing and refining scientific accounts of evolution, extinction, and the appearance of new groups of organisms. Although the field is closely connected with archaeology, the two are distinct: paleontology focuses mainly on the history of life, while archaeology focuses on human activity and its material remains.
nounPaleontology is the scientific study of the history of life on Earth through the study of fossils and the organisms that formed them. It includes the identification, dating, and interpretation of fossil remains.
- The branch of science concerned with fossils and the history of life on Earth.
- The study of the fossil record, including the identification and interpretation of fossil organisms and the environments in which they lived.
"The discovery of the fossil expanded our understanding of early vertebrate evolution and gave paleontology a new direction."
"Paleontologists use microscopic and chemical analysis to reconstruct ancient environments from fossilized organisms."
"The museum's paleontology exhibition explains how scientists use fossils to reconstruct the history of life on Earth."
Normally used as an uncountable noun; the plural is rare and generally refers to distinct bodies or traditions of paleontological study.
"The exhibition brings together paleontologies from several different regions."
Every fossil is a time capsule: paleontology turns stone, bone, and shell into evidence of how life evolved.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does paleontology come from?
Paleontology combines the Greek adjective palaios, meaning "old" or "ancient," with ontos, meaning "being" or "thing," and the suffix -logia, meaning "study of." The resulting Greek-derived term means the study of ancient living beings, reflecting the discipline's concern with organisms preserved as fossils. The form developed in the 19th century as the scientific study of fossils became established. It is closely related in origin to terms such as palaeography and paleobiology, which also use forms of the Greek root for "ancient."
Related word forms
How paleontology is actually used
The term is formal and scientific. In British English, the spelling "palaeontology" is also standard. "Paleontologist" is the usual term for a specialist in the field.
Easily confused with paleontology
Paleontology studies fossils and the history of life, whereas archaeology studies human activity and the material remains of past human societies.
Paleontology concerns fossil organisms, while palaeography concerns ancient and medieval handwriting.