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 revisited the area in the early 2000s, they recognized the bones as belonging to ancient sea cows.

From Science Daily

For many years, paleontologists have debated whether the single skull used to define the species Nanotyrannus represented a true species or simply a young Tyrannosaurus rex.

From Science Daily

The study, reported in The Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, was conducted by a team of Egyptian paleontologists.

From Science Daily

The group included paleontologists and specialists in tomography from the U.S.A.

From Science Daily

So distinctive is this fossil that paleontologists often use it as an index fossil to determine the age of rock layers.

From Science Daily