Palaeontology is the study of ancient life through what it left behind in rock. Study palaeontology, a professor of palaeontology, vertebrate palaeontology.
It works from fossils rather than from living things, so most of it is careful inference from very little. The Americans spell it paleontology, dropping the a.
1nounpalaeontologyThe study of ancient life through what it left in rock.
“She switched from geology to palaeontology in her second year.”
palaeontology is a science.
Also accepted in games: paleontology
French
paléontologie
English
paleontology
English, today
palaeontology
paleontology Attested since 1836 (as palæontology). From French paléontologie (attested since 1822). by surface analysis, paleo- + onto- + -logy.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA