paleontologist

American  

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

noun

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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Etymology

Origin of paleontologist

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

Example Sentences

When paleontologists first spotted the crest and several jaw fragments on the desert surface in November 2019, they did not immediately realize what they had found.

From Science Daily

Their latest findings align with what geologists and paleontologists have reconstructed about Earth's early atmosphere.

From Science Daily

For more than two centuries, paleontologists have studied a group of plant eating dinosaurs known as Iguanodontia.

From Science Daily

A Chapman University spokesman said it is “looking into” the emails of John “Jack” Horner, a paleontologist whose exchanges in the federal documents show he visited Epstein’s New Mexico ranch.

From Los Angeles Times

For many years, paleontologists have studied ancient footprints while debating what kinds of animals created them.

From Science Daily