palaeontology
noun /ˌpæliɒnˈtɒlədʒi/, /ˌpeɪliɒnˈtɒlədʒi/
/ˌpeɪliɑːnˈtɑːlədʒi/
(especially British English) (North American English usually paleontology)
[uncountable]- the study of fossils (= the parts of dead animals or plants in rocks) as a guide to the history of life on earthTopics Historyc2Word Originmid 19th cent.: from palaeo- + Greek onta ‘beings’ (neuter plural of ōn, present participle of einai ‘be’) + -logy.