paleobiology

American  

[pey-lee-oh-bahy-ol-uh-jee, pal-ee-] / ˌpeɪ li oʊ baɪˈɒl ə dʒi, ˌpæl i- /

noun

1. the branch of paleontology dealing with fossil life forms, especially with reference to their origin, structure, evolution, etc.

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Other Word Forms

• paleobiologic adjective
• paleobiological adjective
• paleobiologist noun

Etymology

Origin of paleobiology

First recorded in 1890–95; paleo- + biology

Example Sentences

Inside a paleobiology lab lined with cabinets of ancient fossils, the Virginia Tech undergraduate held up a rough, pitted skull.

From Science Daily • Apr. 15, 2026

The crew includes the book’s three heroines: recently widowed paleobiology grad student Jane, who has been dogged by sexism in her male-dominated field, and her two feisty, fatherless daughters, Eve, 15, and Vera, 13.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 18, 2023

“It’s really refreshing to actually have a neurologist looking at paleontological data,” adds Stig Walsh, senior curator of vertebrate paleobiology at the National Museums Scotland, also not involved with the work.

From Science Magazine • Jan. 10, 2023

Shuhai Xiao, a professor of paleobiology at Virginia Tech who was among the first wave of researchers to study the Weng'an biota, expressed doubt about the algae explanation.

From Washington Post • May 5, 2017

Taxonomic keys in natural history papers should use the alined-couplet form in the zoology and paleobiology series and the multi-level indent form in the botany series.

From Bloodletting Instruments in the National Museum of History and Technology by Appel, Toby