paleoanthropology

[pey-lee-oh-an-thruh-pol-uh-jee or, esp. British, pal-ee-]

the study of the origins and predecessors of the present human species, using fossils and other remains.

Origin of paleoanthropology

First recorded in 1915–20; paleo- + anthropology

Related formspa·le·o·an·thro·pol·o·gist, nounpa·le·o·an·thro·po·log·i·cal

[pey-lee-oh-an-thruh-puh-loj-i-kuh l or, esp. British, pal-ee-] /ˌpeɪ li oʊˌæn θrə pəˈlɒdʒ ɪ kəl or, esp. British, ˌpæl i-/, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

And the clavicle alone, Berger says, would have electrified the world of paleoanthropology.
2 Million-Year-Old Woman
Bob Simon
April 16, 2010

paleoanthropology in Science

[pā′lē-ō-ăn′thrə-pŏl′ə-jē]

The scientific study of extinct members of the genus Homo sapiens by means of their fossil remains.