Definition of neontology in English:
neontology
noun ˌniːɒnˈtɒlədʒiˌnēänˈtäləjē
mass nounThe branch of zoology dealing with living forms as distinct from fossils.
Often contrasted with palaeontology
Example sentencesExamples
- Although the distinction between paleontology and neontology may be practical, it is not necessarily natural or productive.
- However, paleontologists have not been completely blinded by neontology and recent paleontological analyses also indicate that gastropod evolution was considerably more complicated than previously thought.
- The relevance of neontology, including ecology, to paleontology could not be more starkly revealed in these and other questions concerning biodiversity dynamics.
- These challenges lie at the interface between paleontology and neontology.
Derivatives
adjective
However, neontological evidence suggests that fissurelloids diverged from other vetigastropods relatively recently.
Example sentencesExamples
- Comparable studies of fishes and other aquatic vertebrates are scarce, despite a wealth of neontological data.
- Although neontological and paleontological studies have often been treated quite separately, it is increasingly clear that the greatest progress can only be made by integrating the two approaches.
- The second problem with assessing taxonomic composition from the early neontological literature reflects a preliminary (and now thought to be incorrect) placement of species originally known from very incomplete material.
- The tabulated fouling data for neontological occurrences includes only metazoan epibionts that appeared on the external surface of the cuticle.
Origin
Late 19th century: from neo- 'new', on the pattern of palaeontology.