pa·lae·on·tol·o·gy
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 earth
古生物学；化石学 Word Originmid 19th cent.: from palaeo- + Greek onta ‘beings’ (neuter plural of ōn, present participle of einai ‘be’) + -logy.