Paleozoological

Part of speech: adjective

Definitions

1. Relating to the study of ancient animals through fossils and other preserved remains to understand their evolution and biology
2. Pertaining to the scientific examination of prehistoric fauna by analyzing physical evidence left in geological formations
3. Connected with the field focusing on extinct animal species and their historical contexts as revealed by paleontological data

Etymology: "Paleozoological" is a plain compound, built from "paleo-" and "zoological." The first element comes from the Greek "palaios," meaning "old" or "ancient," and it has been used in English to form words about the distant past. The second element, "zoological," is an adjective from "zoology," the study of animals, which itself combines the Greek "zoion" (animal) with the suffix "-logy" (the study of). Put together, the word describes anything relating to the study of ancient animal life, in particular animal species that no longer exist and what their remains reveal about past environments and histories. It is a technical coinage of the kind scientists make by joining established combining forms, so its meaning is essentially the sum of its parts: old, animal, study.

Synonyms: prehistoric zoological, fossil zoological, ancient zoological