pal ‧ e ‧ on ‧ tol ‧ o ‧ gy BrE AmE ( also palaeontology British English ) /ˌpæliɒnˈtɒlədʒi, ˌpeɪ- $ ˌpeɪliɑːnˈtɑː/ noun [uncountable]
[ Date: 1800-1900 ; Origin: paleo- + Greek onta 'living things' + English -ology ]
the study of ↑ fossil s (=ancient bones, plants etc that have been preserved in rock)
—paleontologist noun [countable]