paleontologist

American  

[pey-lee-uhn-tol-uh-jist, pal-ee-] / ˌpeɪ li ənˈtɒl ə dʒɪst, ˌpæl i- /

noun

paleontologists plural

1. a scientist who specializes in the study of life forms that existed in previous geologic periods, as represented by their fossils.

   The education program manager for the museum has worked as a paleontologist, digging up dinosaur bones in Wyoming.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• paleontologists
  plural

Etymology

Origin of paleontologist

paleontolog(y) ( def. ) + -ist ( def. )

Explanation

A paleontologist is a scientist who studies fossils. If your basement is filled with fossils found while out on hikes, then you're an amateur paleontologist. Paleontology breaks down to the Greek for "ancient" (paleo), "being" (onto-), and "study" (-logy). A paleontologist tries to figure out how things were in ancient times by studying their remains in fossil traces. If you are obsessed with all things related to dinosaurs, becoming a paleontologist might make sense for you.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

paleontologist paleontologists

His portrayal of a paleontologist suddenly discovering that the creatures he’s studied in rock and bone have come to life is just masterful.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2026

John Long, an Australian paleontologist who has also done extensive research in this field, called the study "quite outstanding."

From Barron's ● Jun. 18, 2026

The paleontologist examined the fossils as part of her doctoral research.

From Science Daily ● May 12, 2026

Dr Nick Longrich, a paleontologist at the University of Bath, said his hunch was that they were mainly preying on ammonites.

From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026

Mantell was a lanky assemblage of shortcomings–he was vain, self-absorbed, priggish, neglectful of his family–but never was there a more devoted amateur paleontologist.

From "A Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson

The discovery of Masripithecus moghraensis suggests that important parts of ape evolutionary history may remain buried in regions that paleontologists have not yet explored in depth.

From Science Daily ● Jul. 24, 2026

Tuesday's purchase by an anonymous buyer highlights a surging market for dinosaur bones -- a trend that has drawn criticism from some paleontologists over the specimens going into private hands.

From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026

The higher prices helped reshape the market, encouraging more fossils to come up for sale while giving commercial paleontologists more resources to fund costly and yearslong digs.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 14, 2026

The tracks were first spotted by a worker at Dewars Farm Quarry in Oxfordshire four years ago - with paleontologists soon descending on the site.

From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026

Much of the ethnic diversity in Chokecherry comes from visiting paleontologists involved in the dinosaur excavation sponsored by Wexford-Smythe University.

From "Linked" by Gordon Korman