paleoanthropology

[ pey-lee-oh-an-thruh-pol-uh-jeeor, especially British, pal-ee- ]

noun

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

paleoanthropology

/ pā′lē-ō-ăn′thrə-pŏl′ə-jē /

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

Other Words From

• pale·o·anthro·polo·gist noun
• pa·le·o·an·thro·po·log·i·cal [pey-lee-oh-an-thr, uh, -p, uh, -, loj, -i-k, uh, l, pal-ee-], adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of paleoanthropology¹

First recorded in 1915–20; paleo- + anthropology

Example Sentences

It would take more than two decades of new fossil finds and advances in geologic dating for Dart to be vindicated — and for Africa to become the epicenter of paleoanthropology.

From Science News

Welcoming a more diverse group of researchers into paleoanthropology, Athreya says, will reveal blind spots and biases as scientists add to and amend the tale.

From Science News

The first 20 years of this century have been the most exciting decades of paleoanthropology since the emergence of the field, in large part due to the rise of paleogenetics.

From Nautilus

Over the last 20 years, genomics, ancient DNA, and paleoanthropology have joined forces to completely overhaul our understanding of the origin of our species.

From Nautilus

So some of the vocabulary of human paleoanthropology I was familiar with before I got to college because of that series.

From Time

And the clavicle alone, Berger says, would have electrified the world of paleoanthropology.

From The Daily Beast