raptor

Popularized (and possibly coined) in 1990 by Michael Crichton in Jurassic Park; clipping of velociraptor, ultimately of the same etymology as above.

(informal, paleontology) One of the dromaeosaurs, a family of carnivorous dinosaurs having tearing claws on the hind legs.


man

Tok Pisin: man

→ Cantonese: man

→ Chinook Jargon: man

→ Korean: 맨 (maen)

→ Mandarin: man (mān)

→ Spanish: man

→ Thai: แมน (mɛɛn)

→ Volapük: man

From Middle English man, from Old English mann m (“human being, person, man”), from Proto-West Germanic *mann, from Proto-Germanic *mann- m, from Proto-Indo-European *mon- (“human being, man”). Doublet of Manu.

mang

dialectal rendering, suggesting a Spanish accent

mane

dialectal rendering, suggesting an AAVE accent

mon

used in the vocative, in places such as Jamaica and Shropshire in England

a woman needs a man like a fish needs a bicycle

a woman without a man is like a fish without a bicycle

behind every great man there stands a woman

behind every successful man there stands a woman

every man is the architect of his own fortune

give a man a fish and you feed him for a day

teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime

it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God

the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray

the best laid plans of mice and men often go awry

The evidence suggests that close relatives of early man, in lineages that later became extinct, also were able to use tools.

1990, The Almanac of Science and Technology, →ISBN, page 68:

(anthropology, archaeology, paleontology) A member of the genus Homo, especially of the species Homo sapiens.


mammal

From Modern Latin Mammalia, coined 1758 by Linnaeus for the class of mammals, from neuter plural of Late Latin mammalis (“of the breast”), from Latin mamma (“breast”), perhaps cognate with mamma (mother).

(paleontology) Characterized by having vertebrae and three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw.

nisäkäs

paleontology: vertebrate with three bones in the inner ear and one in the jaw


colon

From Latin cōlon (“a member of a verse of poem”), from Ancient Greek κῶλον (kôlon, “a member, limb, clause, part of a verse”).

uder

(palaeography) A clause or group of clauses written as a line, or taken as a standard of measure in ancient manuscripts or texts.


adjunct

/ˈæd͡ʒ.ʌŋkt/

From Latin adiunctus, perfect passive participle of adiungō (“join to”), from ad + iungō (“join”). Doublet of adjoint.

(palaeography) A graphic element that modifies another, such as (in Linear B script) a small syllabogram that is attached to a logogram as an abbreviation of an adjective that modifies that logogram (rather than as a phonetic complement that disambiguates the logogram).


alligator

]
From early Modern English alligater, alligarta, aligarto, alegarto, alagarto, from Spanish el lagarto (“the lizard”), from Latin lacertus (“lizard”), modern spelling possibly influenced by the unrelated Latin alligator (“one who binds”).

(paleontology) A member of the family Alligatoridae, which includes the caimans.


archaic

From archaism (“ancient or obsolete phrase or expression”) or from French archaïque, ultimately from Ancient Greek ἀρχαϊκός (arkhaïkós, “old-fashioned”), from ἀρχαῖος (arkhaîos, “from the beginning, antiquated, ancient, old”), from ἀρχή (arkhḗ, “beginning, origin”), from ἄρχω (árkhō, “I am first”), from ἄρχω (árkhō, “I begin”), from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ergʰ- (“to begin, rule, command”).

der

[...] prefer the third explanation for the advanced-looking features of Neandertals (Chapter 7) and the Ngandong hominins (Chapter 6), but they have had little to say about the post-Erectine archaics from China.

(paleoanthropology) (A member of) an archaic variety of Homo sapiens.


bug

First attested in this form around 1620 (referring to a bedbug), from earlier bugge (“beetle”), a conflation of two words:
# Middle English bugge (“scarecrow, hobgoblin”), perhaps from obsolete Welsh bwg ("ghost, hobgoblin"; compare Welsh bwgwl ("threat", older "fear")) or from Proto-Germanic *bugja- (“swollen up, thick”), from Proto-Indo-European *bʰew-, *bu- (“to swell”) (compare Norwegian bugge (“big man”), dialectal Low German Bögge (“goblin”, “snot”)). Or, from a word related to buck and originally referring to a goat-shaped spectre.
# Middle English budde (“beetle”), from Old English budda (see sċearnbudda (“dung beetle”)), from Proto-Germanic *buddô, *buzdô, from the same ultimate source as above (compare Low German Budde (“louse, grub”), Norwegian budda (“newborn domestic animal”)). More at bud.
The term is used to refer to technical errors and problems at least as early as the 19th century, predating the commonly known story of a moth being caught in a computer.

cog

given enough eyeballs, all bugs are shallow

We asked Harris if he had any recommendations about seeing the famous trilobite digs. He said we should just drive out to his claim in the Wheeler Quadrangle, and it was just fine with him if we dug a few bugs.

2007, Kirk Johnson, Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway, page 174:


rhinoceros

en-noun

rhinoceros (plural rhinoceros or rhinoceroses or (uncommon) rhinocerosses or (nonstandard) rhinoceri or (nonstandard) rhinoceroi or (now rare) rhinocerotes)

rhinoceros (plural)
rhinoceroses (plural)
rhinocerosses (plural uncommon)
rhinoceri (nonstandard plural)
rhinoceroi (nonstandard plural)
rhinocerotes (archaic plural)

/ɹɑɪˈnɔs.ə.ɹəs/

From Latin rhīnocerōs, from Ancient Greek ῥῑνόκερως (rhīnókerōs, “nose-horned”), composed of ῥῑ́ς, ῥῑνός (rhī́s, rhīnós, “nose, of (the) nose”) + κέρας (kéras, “horn”).

Rhinos

cf. also the homophones: RINO, RINOs, Republican(s) In Name Only

Rhinoceros Party English Wikipedia has an article on:Rhinoceros Party

(paleontology) A member of the superfamily Rhinocerotoidea, including hornless members of the extinct genus Paraceratherium.


龍

CJKV/code

Sino-Xenic (龍):
* → Japanese: 竜(りゅう) (ryū)
* → Korean: 룡>용(龍) (ryong>yong)
* → Vietnamese: long (龍)

→ Indonesian: liong

desctree

→ Proto-Vietic: *-roːŋ
Tho:
Cuoi Cham: ʐoŋ²
Lang Lo: ʐoŋ²
Viet-Muong:
Muong: rồng
Middle Vietnamese: 蠬 (ròu᷄), 𧏵 (ròu᷄)
Vietnamese: rồng

→ Old Turkic: 𐰠𐰇 (lü)

→ Middle Mongol: ᠯᠤᠤ (luu)

Classical Mongolian: ᠯᠤᠤ (luu)

Mongolian: ᠯᠤᠤ /луу (luu)

→ Zhuang: lungz

Old Turkic language
Proto-Hmong-Mien language
Proto-Vietic language
Turkish language
Vietnamese language
White Hmong language

Characters in the same phonetic series (龍) (Zhengzhang, 2003)
Pictogram (象形) – originally a serpent with prominent whiskered mouth and eyes.
Current form developed in large seal script, with serpent’s body on right (tail at upper right, legs on right), whiskered/fanged mouth at lower left, and eyes/crown at upper left. Left side was subsequently simplified and abstracted, with some influence of 立 and ⺼/月. Note that 竜 existed as a traditional variant dating back to large seal script, and figures a dragon seen face-on, rather than curled around.
Compare 𣎆, which represents a particular kind of dragon.
From Proto-Sino-Tibetan *m-bru(ŋ/k) (“dragon; thunder”). Cognate with Tibetan འབྲུག ('brug, “dragon; thunder”). The STEDT database also lists 隆 (OC *ɡ·ruːŋ, “thunder; sound of thunder”) and 雹 (OC *bruːɡ, “hail”) as cognates. Also compare 靐 (OC *brɯŋs, “sound of thunder”) and 霹靂 (OC *pʰeːɡ reːɡ, “thunder”).
This word is found in many languages of the region. Compare Proto-Hmong-Mien *-roŋ (“dragon”) (White Hmong zaj), Proto-Vietic *-roːŋ (“dragon”) (Vietnamese rồng), Vietnamese thuồng luồng (“serpent-like monster”), Khmer រោង (roong, “year of the dragon”), Thai มะโรง (má-roong, “dragon; year of the dragon”), Lao ມະໂລງ (ma lōng, “year of the dragon”), perhaps also Old Turkic [script needed]|[Term?] (*-lan, suffix denoting a wild, predatory animal) (Turkish aslan (“lion”), kaplan (“tiger”), yılan (“snake”)).

cog-lite

龙
㡣
䮾
䰱
竜
龒
𠉒
𠊋
𢀀
𢄫
𢅛
𥪐
𥪑
𥪖
𥪢
𥫆
𥫈
𦱉
𦱸

恐龍

恐龙

翼手龍

翼手龙

(zoology, paleontology) extinct reptilian creature; -saur


multi

Our Mesozoic antecedents are typified by small size; even the largest of the multis are not larger than a groundhog.

1996, Michael Novacek, Dinosaurs of the Flaming Cliffs, page 316:

(informal, paleontology) A multituberculate.


matrix

From Middle English matris, matrice, matrix, from Old French matrice (“pregnant animal”), or from Latin mātrīx (“dam, womb”), both ultimately from māter (“mother”). Doublet of mother from Indo-European ancestor.
Slang usage coined with the 1999 sci-fi action film The Matrix.

基質 /基质

analytical chemistry: sampling environment

(archaeology, paleontology) The sediment surrounding and including the artifacts, features, and other materials at a site.

matriu

archaeology: sediment surrounding and including materials


sail

en-noun

sail (countable and uncountable, plural sails)

From Middle English saile, sayle, seil, seyl, from Old English seġl, from Proto-West Germanic *segl, from Proto-Germanic *seglą. Cognate with West Frisian seil, Low German Segel, Dutch zeil, German Segel, Danish sejl, Swedish segel.

mackerel sky and mare's-tails make lofty ships carry low sails

mackerel sky and mare's-tails make tall ships carry low sails

(paleontology) an outward projection of the spine, occurring in certain dinosaurs and synapsids


Calabrian

(geology, paleontology) A subdivision of the Pleistocene epoch.


YBP

Baked clay ornaments and other objects dating from 28,000 YBP have been discovered in Eastern Europe, […]

2022, Cherl-Ho Lee, Korean Food and Foodways: The Root of Health Functional Food, Springer Nature, →ISBN, page 23:

(archaeology, geology, paleontology) Initialism of years before present.


counterpart

From Middle English conterpart, countre parte (“duplicate of a legal document”), equivalent to counter- + part. Compare Old French contrepartie, itself from contre (“facing, opposite”) (from Latin contra (“against”)) + partie (“copy of a person or thing”) (originally past participle of partīre (“to divide”)).

(paleontology) Either half of a flattened fossil when the rock has split along the plane of the fossil.


-id

From Middle French -ide (like also English -ide), French -ide, and their sources, Latin -id-, -is and Ancient Greek -ῐδ- (-ĭd-), -ῐς (-ĭs).

protocone (“cusp of an upper molar”) + -id → protoconid (“equivalent for lower molars”)

(dentistry, paleontology) Forming names of dental features found in lower (mandibular) teeth.


ancora

From Latin ancora. Doublet of anchor and anker.

(palaeography) Either of the symbols ⟨⸔⟩, ⟨⸕⟩ found in marginal notes to mark missing text.


hombre

Chavacano: hombre

→ English: hombre

→ French: hombre
→ English: ombre

→ Papiamentu: hòmber

Inherited from Old Spanish omne, from Latin hominem, homō, from Old Latin hemō, from Proto-Indo-European *ǵʰmṓ (“earthling”). The Old Spanish form omne was first dissimilated to omre and then a gliding sound -b- arose before the -r-. Compare the same development in hambre and nombre.

manos besa el hombre, que querría ver cortadas

(anthropology, archaeology, paleontology) man, (individual of the species Homo sapiens, the genus Homo, or the subtribe Hominina)


robust

en-adj

robust (comparative more robust or (uncommon) robuster, superlative most robust or (uncommon) robustest)

more robust (comparative)
robuster (comparative uncommon)
most robust (superlative)
robustest (superlative uncommon)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-robust.wav

robust association of massive baryonic objects

(chiefly zoology, anthropology, paleontology) Of an individual or skeletal element: strongly built; muscular; not gracile.


Jurassic

/d͡ʒʊˈɹæs.ɪk/

Borrowed from French Jurassique, named for the discovery and type location in the Jura Mountains of Switzerland.

[p 108] Like the Forest Marble Beds in the Middle Jurassic, the Purbeck Beds of the Upper Jurassic are deltaic or estuarine in origin, so as well as mammals they contain small, presumably freshwater, crocodiles and the first indisputable lizards.
[p 109] This is less surprising if it is recalled that in the Upper Jurassic, Europe and North America were joined to form Laurasia and the Atlantic Ocean still had to be formed …

D. M. Kermack, K. A. Kermack, The Evolution of Mammalian Characters

(geology, paleontology) The period from 201.3±0.2 to 145 million years ago, after the Triassic and before the Cretaceous; the geologic systems of this period.


optimum

From New Latin, neuter of Latin optimus (“best, very good”), from the root or in ops (“work”), omnis (“all”).

(geology, paleontology, climatology) Any long period of time marked by a persistently warm climate; a climatic optimum.


antikva

head

antikva (countable and uncountable, plural antikvák)

antikvák (plural)
antikva (nominative singular)
antikvák (nominative plural)
antikvát (accusative singular)
antikvákat (accusative plural)
antikvának (dative singular)
antikváknak (dative plural)
antikvával (instrumental singular)
antikvákkal (instrumental plural)
antikváért (causal-final singular)
antikvákért (causal-final plural)
antikvává (singular translative)
antikvákká (plural translative)
antikváig (singular terminative)
antikvákig (plural terminative)
antikvaként (essive-formal singular)
antikvákként (essive-formal plural)
antikvában (inessive singular)
antikvákban (inessive plural)
antikván (singular superessive)
antikvákon (plural superessive)
antikvánál (adessive singular)
antikváknál (adessive plural)
antikvába (illative singular)
antikvákba (illative plural)
antikvára (singular sublative)
antikvákra (plural sublative)
antikvához (allative singular)
antikvákhoz (allative plural)
antikvából (elative singular)
antikvákból (elative plural)
antikváról (delative singular)
antikvákról (delative plural)
antikvától (ablative singular)
antikváktól (ablative plural)
antikváé (singular)
antikváké (plural)
antikváéi (singular)
antikvákéi (plural)
antikvám (first-person possessed-single possessive singular)
antikváim (first-person possessed-many possessive singular)
antikvád (possessed-single possessive second-person singular)
antikváid (possessed-many possessive second-person singular)
antikvája (possessed-single possessive singular third-person)
antikvái (possessed-many possessive singular third-person)
antikvánk (first-person plural possessed-single possessive)
antikváink (first-person plural possessed-many possessive)
antikvátok (plural possessed-single possessive second-person)
antikváitok (plural possessed-many possessive second-person)
antikvájuk (plural possessed-single possessive third-person)
antikváik (plural possessed-many possessive third-person)

From Latin antīqua littera (“classic letter”), from the nominative feminine singular of antīquus (“old, ancient, classic”). Doublet of antik.

der

Coordinate term: (incunable, printed before the 16th century) ősnyomtatvány

(palaeography) a (historically significant) sixteenth-century publication


heterochronous

en-adj

heterochronous (comparative more heterochronous, superlative most heterochronous)

more heterochronous (comparative)
most heterochronous (superlative)

(paleontology) formed at different periods


rugose

rugose (comparative more rugose, superlative most rugose)

more rugose (comparative)
most rugose (superlative)

(paleontology) Describing a fossil coral of the extinct order †Rugosa (also called Tetracoralla), this order has horn-shaped corals with surfaces covered with ridges.


tabulate

Museo Civico di Storia Naturale di Milano

Back-formation from Tabulata (“an extinct order of corals”) on the basis
of -ate (adjective-forming suffix, corresponding to Latin -ātus (forming participles), itself seen in Tabulata), from Latin tabulāta, the nominative neuter plural of tabulātus (“floored”). See further at etymology 1. The order is so named because the corals are characterized by their well-developed horizontal internal partitions (tabulae). Equivalent to tabula + -ate (adjective-forming suffix).

af

adjective-forming suffix, corresponding to Latin <i class="Latn mention" lang="la">-ātus</i> (forming participles), itself seen in
Tabulata

[W]e find the Zoantharia, in section (1), divided into tabulate and non-tabulate corals. The specimen before us is evidently tabulate, and we therefore follow the reference to section (2), where we find the tabulate corals divided into those with and those without cœnenchyma.

1865, Samuel Haughton, “Lecture VIII”, in Manual of Geology (Galbraith and Haughton’s Scientific Manuals, Experimental and Natural Science Series), London: Longman, Green, Longman, Roberts, & Green, →OCLC, page 192:

On the Zoological Affinities of the Tabulate Corals; by Prof. A. E. Verrill.—The questions discussed in this paper were the position of the tabulate corals among Polyps, and the true value of the tabulate structure in classification. […] Prof. [Addison Emery] Verrill, therefore, concludes that the tabulate structure is of secondary importance as a character, in fixing their affinities, and that the Tabulata must be dismembered,—Halisites, Millepora, and their allies, being classed as Hydroids; and Pocillopora and Favosites with other extinct tabulated genera, as true Polyps.

1868 January, “American Association for the Advancement of Science”, in David A. P. Watt, editor, The Canadian Naturalist and Geologist: A Bi-monthly Journal of Natural Science, Conducted by a Committee of the Natural History Society of Montreal (Second Series), volume III, number 4, Montreal, Que.: Dawson Brothers, Great St. James Street, →OCLC, pages 294–295:

The large corallites are tabulate, with indistinctly differentiated walls, provided with obtusely triangular and irregular septa, and having their visceral cavities more or less freely connected with one another by lateral horizontal channels, which penetrate the interstitial tubular tissue.

1879, H[enry] Alleyne Nicholson, “Thecidæ and Helioporidæ”, in On the Structure and Affinities of the “Tabulate Corals” of the Palæozoic Period: With Critical Descriptions of Illustrative Species, Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, page 236:

(paleontology) Describing a member of an extinct order of corals, the Tabulata: having tabulae (well-developed horizontal internal partitions within each cell).


tabulate

From a substantivation of the former adjective through the associated taxon's name (Tabulata). Equivalent to tabula + -ate (forms nouns meaning "specimen of a corresponding taxon ending in -ata")

forms nouns meaning "specimen of a corresponding taxon ending in <i class="Latn mention" lang="mul">-ata</i>"

Both tabulates and rugosans evolved independently as part of the Ordovician Radiation; the tabulates appeared first in the Early Ordovician (~488 Mya), followed by rugosans about 20 My later.

2013, Walter M. Goldberg, “A Brief History of Reefs and Corals”, in The Biology of Reefs and Reef Organisms, Chicago, Ill., London: University of Chicago Press, →ISBN, section 13-2 (An Introduction to Paleozoic Corals), page 272, column 2:

(paleontology) A member of the order Tabulata.


fossil

From French fossile, from Latin fossilis (“something which has been dug up”), from fodio (“I dig up”).

der

He draws eclectically on studies of baboons, descriptive anthropological accounts of hunter-gatherer societies and, in a few cases, the fossil record.

2012 March-April, John T. Jost, “Social Justice: Is It in Our Nature (and Our Future)?”, in American Scientist, volume 100, number 2, archived from the original on 2012-02-13, page 162:

(paleontology) Any preserved evidence of ancient life, including shells, imprints, burrows, coprolites, and organically-produced chemicals.

фосил

paleontology: any preserved evidence of ancient life


Stone Age

(archaeology, paleontology) A broad prehistoric period during which humans widely used stone for toolmaking.


jura

jura (nominative singular)
jury (genitive singular)
jurze (dative singular)
jurę (accusative singular)
jurą (instrumental singular)
jurze (locative singular)
juro (singular vocative)

(geology, paleontology) Jurassic (period)


BST

en-noun

BST (countable and uncountable, plural BSTs)

(paleontology) Initialism of Burgess Shale Type.


mamut

pl-noun

mamut m animal (related adjective mamuci or mamutowy)

mamuci (adjective)
mamutowy (adjective)
mamut (nominative singular)
mamuty (nominative plural)
mamuta (genitive singular)
mamutów (genitive plural)
mamutowi (dative singular)
mamutom (dative plural)
mamuta (accusative singular)
mamuty (accusative plural)
mamutem (instrumental singular)
mamutami (instrumental plural)
mamucie (locative singular)
mamutach (locative plural)
mamucie (singular vocative)
mamuty (plural vocative)

→ Kashubian: mamùt

Internationalism; compare English mammoth, French mammouth, German Mammut, ultimately from Russian ма́монт (mámont).

(paleontology) mammoth (any elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammuthus)


head

† (English symbol name dagger or obelus)

dagger (English name symbol)
obelus (English name symbol)

Derives from the obelus, ⟨⸓⟩. Originally shaped like a dagger, it is now sometimes identical in shape to a Latin cross.

crux desperationis
crux desperationis#Translingual

(textual criticism, palaeography) crux critica, crux desperationis, used around a corrupt part of a text


thunderbolt

(paleontology) A belemnite, or thunderstone.


Ionian

* (Hellenic, Ionia, architecture): Ionia + -n
* (moon of Jupiter): Io + -n- + -ian

(geology, paleontology) A subdivision of the Pleistocene epoch.


skeletal

(paleontology, informal) Shorthand for skeletal diagram (a black-and-white drawing of a [usually extinct] animal’s skeleton to be used as a reference for paleoart)


madreporite

/ˌmædɹəˈpɔɹaɪt/

From madrepore + -ite; the echinoderm sense is in reference to how it resembles the coral.

a similar Madreporite deposite is noticed a few feet above the coal seam

1839, Report of the progress of the Geological Survey for the year 1839:

Whether madreporite occurs naturally in Spain, I do not know

1943, “Publications of the Folklore Society (Great Britain)”, in (Please provide the book title or journal name), page 138:

Madreporite was regarded as a variety of calcite and anthraconite a lamellar variety of madreporite

1989, Society for the Bibliography of Natural History (Great Britain), Archives of Natural History, page 199:

(archaic, paleontology) A fossil stony coral, or a deposit composed of the same.


aalenian

aalenian (accusative indefinite nominative)
aalenianul (accusative definite nominative)
aalenian (indefinite)
aalenianului (definite)
aalenianule (vocative)

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (the latest layer of the lower Jurassic period or the earliest layer of the middle Jurassic period)


aalenian

ro-adj

aalenian m or n (feminine singular aaleniană, masculine plural aalenieni, feminine and neuter plural aaleniene)

aaleniană (feminine singular)
aalenieni (masculine plural)
aaleniene (feminine neuter plural)
aalenian (indefinite masculine neuter singular)
aaleniană (feminine indefinite singular)
aalenieni (indefinite masculine singular)
aaleniene (feminine indefinite neuter plural)
aalenianul (definite masculine neuter singular)
aaleniana (definite feminine singular)
aalenienii (definite masculine singular)
aalenienele (definite feminine neuter plural)
aaleniene (feminine indefinite singular)
aalenianului (definite masculine neuter singular)
aalenienei (definite feminine singular)
aalenienilor (definite masculine singular)
aalenienelor (definite feminine neuter plural)

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (ertaining to or belonging to the latest layer of the lower Jurassic or earliest layer of the middle Jurassic)


Aalenian

(geology, paleontology) A subdivision of the Middle Jurassic epoch or series.


Aalenian

(geology, paleontology) Of or pertaining to the Aalenian epoch.


radiocarbon dating

en-noun

radiocarbon dating (usually uncountable, plural radiocarbon datings)

(physics, archaeology, paleontology) A method of estimating the age of an artifact or biological vestige based on the relative amounts of the different isotopes of carbon present in a sample.


ichnofossil

/ˈɪknəʊˌfɒsəl/

For example, an ichnofossil might be the preserved track an animal, or its burrow.

Suites of taphonomic factors that influence body fossils and ichnofossils are clearly not identical. Nonetheless, without too much twisting, ichnofossil-lagerstätten can be placed into the same genetic categories.

2007, Charles E. Savrda, “6: Taphonomy of Trace Fossils”, in William Miller, III, editor, Trace Fossils, Elsevier, page 106:

The only abundant ichnofossils are large and inclined structures in La Cancha Bed (Profile K), interpreted as mammal burrows.

2010, Eduardo S. Bellosi et al., “21: Ichnofacies Examination of the Sarmiento Formation”, in R. H. Madden, A. A. Carlini, M. G. Vucetich, R. F. Kay, editors, The Paleontology of Gran Barranca, Cambridge University Press, page 313:

Changes in the preservational environment in the thousands or millions of years between the creation of each set of prints results in these different forms of ichnofossil.

2017 March 22, Elsa Panciroli, “Walking in the footsteps of giants and gerbils: what fossil prints can tell us”, in The Guardian:

(paleontology) A trace fossil; a fossil record that preserves some activity of an organism, but no part of the organism itself.


trace fossil

(paleontology) A type of fossil reflecting the reworking of sediments and hard substrates by organisms, rather than the physical remains of the organism itself. This includes structures such as burrows, trails, impressions, coprolites and borings.

icnofóssil

a geological record of an organism's activity, rather than the physical remains of the organism itself


ichnology

ichnology (countable and uncountable, plural ichnologies)

/ɪkˈnɒləd͡ʒɪ/

(paleontology) A branch of paleontology concerned with the study of trace fossils such as footprints and burrows. Its subdisciplines include paleoichnology and neoichnology.


paleoichnology

The evolutionary aspect of ecology which has started to develop due to studies of trace fossils will stay long the privilege of paleoichnology.

1984, Palaeontology: Proceedings of the 27th International Geological Congress: Invited Papers, Volume 2, International Geological Congress:

Paleoichnology is their historic equivalent—the study of ichnological evidence of animals of the past.

2003, Jose Louis Sanz, Starring T. Rex! Dinosaur Mythology and Popular Culture, Indiana University Press, page 8:

As far as I can discern for now, only a few of the lessons learned were readily applicable to mainstream neoichnology and paleoichnology, but no matter.

2004, Ichnology Newsletter, number 26, page 42:

This field is called paleoichnology, which means the study (ology) of ancient (paleo) footprints (ichnos). Despite its name, there's more to paleoichnology than footprints.

2006, Richard L. Orndorff, Robert W. Wieder, David G. Futey, “Geology Underfoot in Southern Utah”, in Mountain, Press Publishing, page 12:

The subjects of paleoichnology are trace fossils (also called ichnofossils), which are fossilized structures produced in substrates ranging from unlithified sediment to sedimentary rock or organic matter (including shell, bone, wood and peat) by the activity of organisms.

2017, Dirk Knaust, Atlas of Trace Fossils in Well Core, Springer, page 5:

(paleontology) A branch of ichnology concerned with the study of trace fossils preserved in ancient rocks.


gracile

en-adj

gracile (comparative more gracile, superlative most gracile)

more gracile (comparative)
most gracile (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-gracile.wav

/ˈɡɹeɪˌsaɪl/

Borrowed from Middle French gracil, gracile (“slender, thin”) (modern French gracile (“gracile”)), or directly from its etymon Latin gracilis (“slender, slim, thin; lean, meagre, scanty; simple, unadorned”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kerḱ- (“to become thin; to wane”). The sense “graceful or gracefully slender” was apparently influenced by the non-cognate word grace. The English word is cognate with Italian gracile (“delicate, frail; slender, thin”), Portuguese grácil, Spanish grácil (“graceful; delicate; slender”), and a doublet of gracilis.

cog

This tentative comparison, plus consideration of individual skulls, shows the Neolithic pre-Greeks more Mediterranean than the Greeks, with emphasis on intermediate or gracile Mediterranean rather more than on the rugged Basic White trend, [...]

1945, J. Lawrence Angel, “Neolithic Ancestors of the Greeks”, in American Journal of Archaeology, volume 49, number 3, →DOI, page 256:

Where stratified fossil sequences are known, "gracile" fossils precede robust ones. The extremely robust hominids do not appear on the scene until about 2 million years ago, followed shortly thereafter by an "advanced" gracile. Both the advanced gracile and robust forms probably evolved from earlier gracile australopithecines.

1981, Nancy Makepeace Turner, “Early Hominid Lifeways: The Critical Role of an Interpretive Framework”, in On Becoming Human, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 254:

At various times since Homo first appeared in Africa, it shared the continent with more robust hominids, perhaps several different species of them. [...] They seem to have evolved from more ‘gracile’ apes (gracile being the opposite of robust). The gracile apes are also placed in the genus Australopithecus, and we too almost certainly emerged from among gracile australopithecine ranks.

2004, Richard Dawkins, “Ape-men”, in The Ancestor’s Tale: The Dawn of Life, New York, N.Y.: Houghton Mifflin Company, →ISBN, pages 86–87:

We would also expect increasing home-range size in Neanderthals in 'edge' regions (bordering the MLB and the plains), such as south-west France, in response to habitat fragmentation during periods of expansion of open vegetation. A more gracile morphology would have been far more efficient over larger areas.

2004, Clive Finlayson, “Comparative Behaviour and Ecology of Neanderthals and Modern Humans”, in Neanderthals and Modern Humans: An Ecological and Evolutionary Perspective, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, page 117:

(chiefly zoology, anthropology, paleontology) Of an animal or skeletal element: having a slender frame.


CHE

Carnian humid episode
Carnian humid episode#English

(paleontology, geology) Initialism of Carnian humid episode.


Stufe

Stufe (genitive)
Stufen (plural)
Stufe (nominative singular)
Stufen (definite nominative plural)
Stufe (genitive singular)
Stufen (definite genitive plural)
Stufe (dative singular)
Stufen (dative definite plural)
Stufe (accusative singular)
Stufen (accusative definite plural)

From Middle High German stuofe, from Old High German stuofa, from Proto-West Germanic *stōpā, related to the verb *stappjan (“to tread, step”).
Akin to Old Saxon stōpo. Cognate with Dutch stoep. More at stoop.


shrinkwrap

en-verb

shrinkwrap (third-person singular simple present shrinkwraps, present participle shrinkwrapping, simple past and past participle shrinkwrapped)

shrinkwraps (present singular third-person)
shrinkwrapping (participle present)
shrinkwrapped (participle past)
shrinkwrapped (past)

(paleontology) To reconstruct an extinct creature known from its fossils by depicting it with minimal soft tissue, this results in a thinner and less accurate representation of the creature.


mamelon

(paleontology) A structure resembling a small bump found on the outer surface of stromatoporoids.


belemnite

From Ancient Greek βέλεμνον (bélemnon, “dart, arrow”) + -ite.

af

In the universal decay this volatile substance had chanced to survive, perhaps through many thousands of centuries. It reminded me of a sepia painting I had once seen done from the ink of a fossil Belemnite that must have perished and become fossilized millions of years ago.

1895, H. G. Wells, chapter VIII, in The Time Machine:

The guts of fossilized marine reptiles are packed with belemnites, and it's been theorized that some prehistoric sharks even died from the overconsumption of heavy belemnite shell guards.

2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 101:

(paleontology) Any member of the extinct order †Belemnitida of Mesozoic marine cephalopods, very similar in many ways to the modern squid and closely related to the modern cuttlefish.

blemnit

a member of the extinct order Belemnitida

vættelys

fossil remain of a belemnite arm, resembling a short candle


shrink-wrap

en-verb

shrink-wrap (third-person singular simple present shrink-wraps, present participle shrink-wrapping, simple past and past participle shrink-wrapped)

shrink-wraps (present singular third-person)
shrink-wrapping (participle present)
shrink-wrapped (participle past)
shrink-wrapped (past)


Labyrinthodontia

New Latin, from Ancient Greek λαβύρινθος (labúrinthos, “maze”) + ὀδούς (odoús, “tooth”) + -ia.

der

(informal, paleontology) A taxonomic subclass within the class Amphibia – extinct amphibians rather like crocodiles, supposedly ancestral to all terrestrial vertebrates; the group is now considered polyphyletic.


macrofossil

The only other identifiable plant macrofossil present was a nutlet of club-rush that was morphologically most similar to grey club-rush (Schoenoplectus cf tabernaemontani). This form of club-rush is most often found near the sea, although it also grows in marshes and dune-slacks.

2017 January 9, Dan Garner, Hillforts of the Cheshire Ridge, Archaeopress Publishing Ltd, →ISBN, page 253:

(paleontology) Any fossil large enough to be examined without a microscope.


ammonite

From French ammonite, from Latin Ammōnis (cornū) (“horn of Ammon”), as it was called by Pliny the Elder in reference to coiling ram horns used to symbolise the Egyptian god Amun. Equivalent to Ammon + -ite.

Ammonites floated through the world's shallow oceans for more than three hundred million years, and their fossilized shells turn up all around the world.

2014, Elizabeth Kolbert, The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History, Picador, →ISBN, page 83:

(paleontology) Any of an extinct group of cephalopods of the subclass Ammonoidea; a fossil shell of such an animal.


mammal-like reptile

en-noun

mammal-like reptile (plural mammal-like reptiles)

The mammal-like reptiles, constituting the subclass Synapsida, were among the earliest to appear of known reptilian groups and had passed the peak of their career before the first dinosaur appeared on the earth.

1966 — Alfred S. Romer, Vertebrate Paleontology, 3rd ed.; ch 14, p 173

Synapsida: amniotes with one lower temporal fenestra, surrounded by the postorbital, jugal and squamosal. Includes the extinct mammal-like reptiles and the mammals.

1997 — Michael J. Benton, Vertebrate Paleontology, 2nd ed.; ch 5, p 109

(paleontology, dated) Any basal member of the Synapsida, related to the mammals but superficially resembling reptiles.


protaspis

From prot- + aspis (from Ancient Greek ἀσπίς (aspís, “shield”)).

(paleontology) A stage in the development of a trilobite where the creature has not yet developed articulated segments.


holaspis

A similar situation may also characterize S. wenlockiana, a species with six segments in holaspis, the smallest holaspids of which have similar glabellar lengths to those of the sixth degree meraspis of A. konincki.

2001, Jonathan M. Adrain, Gregory D. Edgecombe, Bruce S. Lieberman, editors, Fossils, Phylogeny, and Form: An Analytical Approach, page 46:

The pygidial spines are stout and direct outward in the early holaspis (Fig. 2, A-B, F), but become slender and direct inward in the late holaspis (Fig. 2, D, E).

2008, Xuejian Zhu, Shanchi Peng, Jingxun Zuo, “Revision an Ventral Structure of Guangxiaspis guangxiensis Zhou, 1977 (Trilobita)”, in Isabel Rábano, Rodolfo Gozalo, Diego García-Bellido Capdevila, editors, Advances in Trilobite Research, page 444:

The holaspis stage has a full complement of thoracic segments for the species but growth continues through further molts and maturity may not be reached until some time after the holaspis stage was reached.

2009, Michael J. Benton, David A. T. Harper, Introduction to Paleobiology and the Fossil Record, page 366:

(paleontology, zoology) A stage in the development of a trilobite at which the creature has gained its adult segmentation, but continues to molt and grow.


problematica

From Latin problēmatica (“problematic things”).

bor

(paleontology) Fossil specimens or elements that cannot be identified or assigned to a taxon.


placoderm

From placo- + -derm, after German Placoderm.

Out to sea are placoderms – heavily armoured fish, some of them more than six metres (twenty feet) long and equipped with massive, powerful jaws.

2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Granta Books, published 2013, page 12:

(paleontology) A member of an extinct class (Placodermi) of jawed fish with armored heads and thoraces; the group lived during the Silurian and Devonian periods.


placoderm

en-adj

placoderm (comparative more placoderm, superlative most placoderm)

more placoderm (comparative)
most placoderm (superlative)

Research published recently on placoderm fish fossils from Scottish Devonian lakes (around 365 myo) found evidence for how this extinct group of animals copulated.

2018 January 24, Elsa Panciroli, The Guardian:

(paleontology) Pertaining to the class Placodermi.


cotylosaurian

cotylosaurian (comparative more cotylosaurian, superlative most cotylosaurian)

more cotylosaurian (comparative)
most cotylosaurian (superlative)

(paleontology) Of or pertaining to cotylosaurs.


cotylosaur

(paleontology, dated) A member of the Cotylosauria, a synonym of the family †Captorhinidae, the earliest group of true reptiles from the Carboniferous through the Permian.


proetid

(paleontology) Any trilobite of the order Proetida.


eradere

it-verb

eràdere (first-person singular present eràdo, first-person singular past historic eràsi, past participle eràso, auxiliary avére)

eràdere (canonical)
eràdo (first-person present singular)
eràsi (first-person historic past singular)
eràso (participle past)
avére (auxiliary)
eràdere (infinitive)
avére (auxiliary)
eradèndo (gerund)
eradènte (participle present)
eràso (participle past)
eràdo (first-person indicative present singular)
eràdi (indicative present second-person singular)
eràde (indicative present singular third-person)
eradiàmo (first-person indicative plural present)
eradéte (indicative plural present second-person)
eràdono (indicative plural present third-person)
eradévo (first-person imperfect indicative singular)
eradévi (imperfect indicative second-person singular)
eradéva (imperfect indicative singular third-person)
eradevàmo (first-person imperfect indicative plural)
eradevàte (imperfect indicative plural second-person)
eradévano (imperfect indicative plural third-person)
eràsi (first-person historic indicative past singular)
eradésti (historic indicative past second-person singular)
eràse (historic indicative past singular third-person)
eradémmo (first-person historic indicative past plural)
eradéste (historic indicative past plural second-person)
eràsero (historic indicative past plural third-person)
eraderò (first-person future indicative singular)
eraderài (future indicative second-person singular)
eraderà (future indicative singular third-person)
eraderémo (first-person future indicative plural)
eraderéte (future indicative plural second-person)
eraderànno (future indicative plural third-person)
eraderèi (conditional first-person singular)
eraderésti (conditional second-person singular)
eraderèbbe (conditional singular third-person)
eraderébbe (conditional singular third-person)
eraderémmo (conditional first-person plural)
eraderéste (conditional plural second-person)
eraderèbbero (conditional plural third-person)
eraderébbero (conditional plural third-person)
eràda (first-person present singular subjunctive)
eràda (present second-person singular subjunctive)
eràda (present singular subjunctive third-person)
eradiàmo (first-person plural present subjunctive)
eradiàte (plural present second-person subjunctive)
eràdano (plural present subjunctive third-person)
eradéssi (first-person imperfect singular subjunctive)
eradéssi (imperfect second-person singular subjunctive)
eradésse (imperfect singular subjunctive third-person)
eradéssimo (first-person imperfect plural subjunctive)
eradéste (imperfect plural second-person subjunctive)
eradéssero (imperfect plural subjunctive third-person)
eràdi (imperative second-person singular)
eràda (formal imperative second-person-semantically singular third-person)
eradiàmo (first-person imperative plural)
eradéte (imperative plural second-person)
eràdano (formal imperative plural second-person-semantically third-person)
eràdere (imperative negative second-person singular)
eràda (formal imperative negative second-person-semantically singular third-person)
eradiàmo (first-person imperative negative plural)
eradéte (imperative negative plural second-person)
eràdano (formal imperative negative plural second-person-semantically third-person)

Borrowed from Latin ērādere. First attested in 1970.

(palaeography) to efface (a codex) (to scrape off existing writing)


LCA

en-noun

LCA (countable and uncountable, plural LCAs)

Against the backdrop of these global and local climatic changes, the LCA of African apes and humans split into a gorilline clade and Pan-Homo clade, and the latter split again into panin and hominin clades.

2012, David R. Begun, A Companion to Paleoanthropology:

last common ancestor
w:last common ancestor

(biology, paleontology, countable) Initialism of last common ancestor.


parablepsis

parablepsis (countable and uncountable, plural parablepses)

From Ancient Greek παρά (pará, “beside”) and βλέπω (blépō, “to look at”).

So too parablepses due to homoioteleuton in the Greek text are irrelevant for the Hebrew text.

1978, International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, Congress Volume, →ISBN, page 400:

Vertical parablebsis does not fit either, since it should be in the range of several lines (two or three lines).

2009, Raymond De Hoop, Marjo Christina Annette Korpel, Stanley E. Porter, The Impact of Unit Delimitation on Exegesis, →ISBN, page 35:

(palaeography) A circumstance in which a scribe miscopies text due to inadvertently looking to the side while copying, or accidentally skips over some of it.


hominization

hominization (usually uncountable, plural hominizations)

From Latin homo (“human being”) + -ization.

The professional way to begin a study of the origins of human culture is to begin at the beginning with a discussion of hominization.

1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light:Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, page 8:

(paleontology) The process of becoming like a human.


hominin

From translingual Hominini, from the stem of Latin homo (“man”). Compare hominid.

[...] prefer the third explanation for the advanced-looking features of Neandertals (Chapter 7) and the Ngandong hominins (Chapter 6), but they have had little to say about the post-Erectine archaics from China.

Caspari and Lee carried out comparisons ranging from ancient hominins such as australopithecines through to Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons, assessing the ratios of young adults to old adults.

2011, Chris Stringer, The Origin of Our Species, Penguin, published 2012, page 151:

This means that, in addition to democracy and gorillas, we must now credit Greece with being the cradle of the hominins - of which we humans are the only living representatives.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 119:

(paleontology) Any member of the taxonomic tribe Hominini, the evolutionary group that includes modern humans and now-extinct bipedal relatives.


dromaeosaurid

(paleontology) A bird-like theropod dinosaur of the family Dromaeosauridae.


lagerstätte

/ˈlɑːɡəʃtɛtə/

From German Lagerstätte (“storage place”).

A fossil lagerstätte bearing the "Guanling fauna" of Yin Gongzheng et al. (2000, p. 23) occurs 7 to 10 m above the base of the Wayao Formation...

2006, Paul Enos, Triassic Evolution of the Yangtze Platform in Guizhou Province, People's Republic of China, →ISBN, page 84:

The Cretaceous Lebanese Lagerstätten have been especially generous with coleoid fossils.

2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 121:

(paleontology) A sedimentary deposit that exhibits extraordinary fossil richness or completeness.


protofeather

(paleontology) The hypothetical precursors of bird feathers, believed to have been grown by certain dinosaurs.


deglaciation

(climatology, paleontology) The removal of all glacial land ice from a region, usually by melting.


aljamiado

(palaeography) aljamiado (Iberian Romance languages written in Arabic)


ustav

Borrowed from Old Church Slavonic оуставъ (ustavŭ). Cognate of устав in modern Bulgarian and modern Russian.

The handsomely fashioned writing is of the type described as polu-ustav (semi-uncial), which is midway between the stately ustav and the cursive, . . . —A. Aronson, Rabindranath Through Western Eyes

(palaeography) The earliest style of Cyrillic writing developed from Greek uncial in the late 9th century, predominant in the 11th–14th centuries.


mesofossil

The mesofossils are small, three-dimensional and charcoalified or lignitized and yield exquisite structural details when studied with scanning electron microscopy.

1999, XVI International Botanical Congress, Abstracts, International Association of Botanical and Mycological Societies, page 180:

The present study, based on the morphology of leaves and reproductive organs, reveals much more diversified mesofossil plant assemblages.

2012, Bernard Gomez et al., “10: Mesofossil Plant Remains from the Barremian of Hautrage (Mons Basin, Belgium), with Taphonomy, Paleoecology, and Paleoenvironment Insights”, in Pascal Godefroit, editor, Bernissart Dinosaurs and Early Cretaceous Terrestrial Ecosystems, Indiana University Press, page 105:

Currently, seeds assignable to Nitaspermum are recorded only from the early to mid-Albian mesofossil floras at Puddledock and Kenilworth localities, eastern North America.

2018, Else Marie Friis, Peter R. Crane, Kaj R. Pedersen, “17: Fossil Seeds with Affinities to Austrobaileyales and Nymphaeales From the Early Cretaceous (Early to Middle Albian) of Virginia and Maryland, USA”, in Michael Krings, Carla J. Harper, Néstor Rubén Cúneo, Gar W. Rothwell, editors, Transformative Paleobotany, Elsevier (Academic Press), page 432:

(paleontology, paleobotany) A fossil of a small part of a plant, such as a fruit, leaf or seed.


regurgitalith

(paleontology) The fossilised remains of stomach contents regurgitated by an animal.


machaeridian

(paleontology) A fossil form of segmented (annelid) worm, of the class Machaeridia, that had a scaly armour of mineralised plates


quaternarist

Indeed, in recent years, the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS) "abolished" the Quaternary, according to riled quaternarists.

2008 January 25, Richard A. Kerr, “A Time War Over the Period We Live In”, in Science, 319(5862), page 402:

(geology, paleontology) A specialist in the Quaternary period.


aetosaur

(paleontology) Any of an extinct group of heavily armoured herbivorous archosaurian reptiles, of the order †Aetosauria.


eophyte

From Ancient Greek ἠώς (ēṓs, “early in the day”) + -phyte (“plant”).

uder

(botany, paleontology) A fossil plant from the Silurian age


triceratops

triceratops (nominative singular)
triceratopsy (nominative plural)
triceratopsa (genitive singular)
triceratopsów (genitive plural)
triceratopsowi (dative singular)
triceratopsom (dative plural)
triceratopsa (accusative singular)
triceratopsy (accusative plural)
triceratopsem (instrumental singular)
triceratopsami (instrumental plural)
triceratopsie (locative singular)
triceratopsach (locative plural)
triceratopsie (singular vocative)
triceratopsy (plural vocative)

Learned borrowing from New Latin Triceratops, from Ancient Greek τρεῖς (treîs) + κέρας (kéras) + ὤψ (ṓps).


deinothere

From scientific Latin Deinotherium, Dinotherium (genus names), from Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós, “fearful, terrible”) + θηρίον (thēríon, “wild beast”).

der

Over the Miocene the European deinotheres became enormous, some reaching weights of 15 tonnes—making them among the largest land mammals ever to have existed.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 105:

(paleontology) Any of the genus †Deinotherium of large, extinct proboscidean mammals, a relative of modern elephants.


(palaeography, Coptic) Conventionally used in modern texts to indicate a pre-pronominal form in Coptic grammar, as opposed to the simple hyphen for other uses.


frondose

en-adj

frondose (comparative more frondose, superlative most frondose)

more frondose (comparative)
most frondose (superlative)

(paleontology) Possessing a frond, not discoid.


Eneolithic

Eneolithic (comparative more Eneolithic, superlative most Eneolithic)

more Eneolithic (comparative)
most Eneolithic (superlative)

Borrowed from Italian eneolitico, from Latin aeneus (“copper, bronze”).

(archaeology, paleontology) Describing the age between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

énéolithique

describing the age between the Neolithic and Bronze age


Eneolithic

(archaeology, paleontology) The age between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

eneolític

age between the Neolithic and Bronze age


australopithecine

/ˌɒstɹələ(ʊ)ˈpɪθɪsiːn/

Originally in reference to a now-obsolete subfamily Australopithecinae, formed in New Latin, from Latin austrālis (“southern”) + Ancient Greek πίθηκος (píthēkos, “ape”).

It is as if there were enshrined in these legends a racial memory of the Australopithicines who came close but never did make it to full humanity.

1981, William Irwin Thompson, The Time Falling Bodies Take to Light: Mythology, Sexuality and the Origins of Culture, London: Rider/Hutchinson & Co., page 28:

Australopithecines came in several varieties, some slender and gracile, like Raymond Dart's Taung child, others more sturdy and robust, but all were capable of walking upright.

2003, Bill Bryson, A Short History of Nearly Everything, BCA, published 2003, page 391:

(anthropology, paleontology) Any of several extinct hominids, belonging to the genera Australopithecus, Paranthropus when seen as distinct, and sometimes other closely related genera.


australopithecine

australopithecine (comparative more australopithecine, superlative most australopithecine)

more australopithecine (comparative)
most australopithecine (superlative)

/ˌɒstɹələ(ʊ)ˈpɪθɪsiːn/

(anthropology, paleontology) Of or pertaining to these hominids.


enantiornithine

ἐναντίος (enantíos, “opposite”) + ὄρνις (órnis, “bird”) + -ine.

The enantiornithines were rather diverse in form and size, so it is not clear if Junornis was typical or unusual but it does mean that this form of flight was one of a number being explored by early birds.

2017 October 25, Dave Hone, The Guardian:

The lineage that led to all living birds is known as the ornithuromorphs. But it was the other branch, called the enantiornithines, that dominated the skies for tens of millions of years.

2023 June 3, Carl Zimmer, “How Did Birds First Take Off?”, in The New York Times:

(paleontology) Any of an extinct group of protobirds of the Enantiornithes.


notoungulate

From Notoungulata (order name), from Ancient Greek νότος (nótos, “south”) + Ungulata.

At its extreme, there are creatures whose teeth grow continuously, even as their gums recede with a lifetime of grit and grass, a strategy only known in woolly rhinos and notoungulates among larger animals.

2022, Thomas Halliday, Otherworlds, Penguin, published 2023, page 72:

(paleontology) Any of several extinct, hoofed, herbivorous mammals of the order †Notoungulata, from Cenozoic South America.


acritarch

/ˈækɹɪtɑː(ɹ)k/

From Ancient Greek ἄκριτος (ákritos, “doubtful, indistinguishable”) + -arch.

der

Acritarchs represent some of the earliest evidence of life on Earth.

2018, Mark Carnall, “Unidentifiable fossils: palaeontological problematica”, in The Guardian:

(paleontology, palynology) Any small, non-acid-soluble (i.e. non-carbonate, non-siliceous) organic fossil that cannot be classified.


palynomorph

(paleontology) An organic microfossil: a particle of 5–500 micrometers in diameter, found in sedimentary deposits and composed of organic material.


tyranozaur

tyranozaur (nominative singular)
tyranozaury (nominative plural)
tyranozaura (genitive singular)
tyranozaurów (genitive plural)
tyranozaurowi (dative singular)
tyranozaurom (dative plural)
tyranozaura (accusative singular)
tyranozaury (accusative plural)
tyranozaurem (instrumental singular)
tyranozaurami (instrumental plural)
tyranozaurze (locative singular)
tyranozaurach (locative plural)
tyranozaurze (singular vocative)
tyranozaury (plural vocative)

Learned borrowing from Ancient Greek τύραννος (túrannos) + σαῦρος (saûros). Doublet of tyran and tyrania.


dinozaur

dinozaur (nominative singular)
dinozaury (nominative plural)
dinozaura (genitive singular)
dinozaurów (genitive plural)
dinozaurowi (dative singular)
dinozaurom (dative plural)
dinozaura (accusative singular)
dinozaury (accusative plural)
dinozaurem (instrumental singular)
dinozaurami (instrumental plural)
dinozaurze (locative singular)
dinozaurach (locative plural)
dinozaurze (singular vocative)
dinozaury (plural vocative)

Borrowed from English dinosaur, from Ancient Greek δεινός (deinós) + σαῦρος (saûros). Coined by English paleontologist Richard Owen 1841/1842.

coin

(paleontology) dinosaur (prehistoric reptile)


ichnogenus

(paleontology) Any genus known only from trace fossils, such as footprints, coprolites or nests.


postcranium

Upper half of postcranium with the cerebral plate concave in profile, inferior margin of cerebral plate raised and slightly prominent, lower part of postcranium more or less convex.

1878, Proceedings of the United States National Museum, Smithsonian Institution Press, page 324:

In contrast, in Bronze Age samples cranial traumas are concentrated in males (with 5 of 6 cases in this sample; sexed postcrania are too sparse to analyze), and both cranial and postcranial traumas in the Iron Age are more frequent among males.

1997, Debra K. Martin, Troubled Times: Violence and Warfare in the Past, page 137:

However, King (1994) revealed four lead-shot balls with a skull with evidence of fracture from a post-Medieval cemetery at Glasgow Cathedral, Scotland, and Willey and Scott (1996) report six of ten skeletons from the Battle of the Little Bighorn with gunshot wounds to either the cranium or the postcranium.

2013, Charlotte A Roberts, The Archaeology of Disease:

(paleontology) The portion of a vertebrate skeleton located caudal to the cranium (that is, in bipeds, inferior to it).


buchiid

Back-formation from Buchiidae, from the genus name Buchia.

The buchiids were certainly the most abundant bivalve group in the oceans of British Columbia during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous.

1997, Rolf Ludvigsen, Life in Stone: A Natural History of British Columbia's Fossils, →ISBN, page 177:

(malacology, paleontology) A bivalve mollusc of the extinct family †Buchiidae.


paleolatitude

(geology, paleontology) The former latitude of a particular geologic formation at a time in the geologic past, often specifically the time of formation


hadrosaur

Back-formation from Hadrosauridae, from the type genus Hadrosaurus, which in turn was derived from Ancient Greek ἁδρός (hadrós, “strong”) + σαῦρος (saûros, “lizard”).

Bipedal hadrosaurs, great hulking lambeosaurs, certain rhino-like ceratopsians and relatives of the velociraptors - all large and probably able swimmers - had the greatest success.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: A Natural History, page 31:

(paleontology) Any ornithopod dinosaur of the family Hadrosauridae.


lambeosaur

From translingual Lambeosaurus, from Lambe + -saurus, named for Lawrence Lambe.

(paleontology) A crested duck-billed dinosaur of the family Hadrosauridae.


lambeosaurid

From Lambeosauridae, in turn from the type genus Lambeosaurus, after Lawrence Lambe.

(paleontology, archaic) A member of the putative family of crested hadrosaurs, the Lambeosauridae.


elpistostegid

The recently discovered elpistostegid Tiktaalik probably already had a pair of fins, which could function like vertebrate limbs in shallow waters.

2012, Winand Brinkmann, Kenneth De Baets, editors, Paleontological Museum of the University of Zürich: Exhibition Guide, Paleontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zürich, →ISBN, page 64:

(paleontology) Any lobe-finned fish of the extinct family †Elpistostegidae, from the late Devonian period.


allosauroid

From the clade name Allosauroidea, first proposed by Currie & Zhao in 1993.

(paleontology) Any member of a superfamily clade of dinosaurs including the sinoraptorids, carcharodontosaurids and allosaurids.


aalen

aalen (nominative singular)
aalenu (genitive singular)
aalenowi (dative singular)
aalen (accusative singular)
aalenem (instrumental singular)
aalenie (locative singular)
aalenie (singular vocative)

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (subdivision of the Middle Jurassic epoch or series)


aalénien

fr-adj

aalénien (feminine aalénienne, masculine plural aaléniens, feminine plural aaléniennes)

aalénienne (feminine)
aaléniens (masculine plural)
aaléniennes (feminine plural)


Aalénien

(geology, paleontology) the Aalenian period


fishapod

A blend of fish + tetrapod, Coined by American paleontologist Neil Shubin circa 2006. Analyzable as fish + -a- + -pod

coined

In these conditions, ‘fishapods’, able to do push-ups on proto-limbs to gulp fresh air from just above its river habitat, would have had an edge over those relying only on gills to extract meagre oxygen from the murky water.

2012, Caspar Henderson, The Book of Barely Imagined Beings, Granta Books, published 2013, page 12:

(informal, paleontology) Any of several extinct creatures of the subclass Tetrapodomorpha having features both of fish and tetrapods, especially Tiktaalik.


triconodonte

From Ancient Greek τρι- (tri-, “three”) + κῶνος (kônos, “cone”) + ὀδούς, ὀδόντος (odoús, odóntos, “tooth”).

af

ὀδούς, ὀδόντος

(paleontology) triconodont (species of the order Triconodonta)


foraminiferan

/fəˌɹamɪˈnɪfəɹən/

Eocene foraminiferans are very different from Pliocene ones, and even within the Eocene there are many fine time divisions that can be recognised using foraminifera.

2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 146:

(zoology, paleontology) An organism of the phylum Foraminifera; a foraminifer.


anthracothere

From scientific Latin Anthracotherium (genus name; see Anthracotherium § Etymology). By surface analysis, anthraco- + -there from Ancient Greek θηρίον (thēríon, “beast”).

One mysterious anthracocthere known as Diplopus […] entered Europe just before la grande coupure, presumably by swimming the Turgai Strait.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 86:

(paleontology) Any of several artiodactyl ungulates, of the extinct family Anthracotheriidae, related to the hippopotamus.

antracotério

any of several artiodactyl ungulates of the extinct family Anthracotheriidae


mastodont

pl-noun

mastodont m animal (related adjective mastodontowy)

mastodontowy (adjective)
mastodont (nominative singular)
mastodonty (nominative plural)
mastodonta (genitive singular)
mastodontów (genitive plural)
mastodontowi (dative singular)
mastodontom (dative plural)
mastodonta (accusative singular)
mastodonty (accusative plural)
mastodontem (instrumental singular)
mastodontami (instrumental plural)
mastodoncie (locative singular)
mastodontach (locative plural)
mastodoncie (singular vocative)
mastodonty (plural vocative)

Internationalism; compare English mastodon, French mastodonte, German Mastodon, ultimately from New Latin mastodon, from Ancient Greek μαστός (mastós) + ὀδούς (odoús).

(paleontology) mastodon (any elephant-like mammal of the genus Mammut)


Homerian

(geology, paleontology) A subdivision of the Silurian period.


aalenià

From the city of Aalen in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.


aalenià

ca-adj

aalenià (feminine aaleniana, masculine plural aalenians, feminine plural aalenianes)

aaleniana (feminine)
aalenians (masculine plural)
aalenianes (feminine plural)


negatyw

negatyw (nominative singular)
negatywy (nominative plural)
negatywu (genitive singular)
negatywów (genitive plural)
negatywowi (dative singular)
negatywom (dative plural)
negatyw (accusative singular)
negatywy (accusative plural)
negatywem (instrumental singular)
negatywami (instrumental plural)
negatywie (locative singular)
negatywach (locative plural)
negatywie (singular vocative)
negatywy (plural vocative)

(paleontology) negative (reverse imprint on fossils)


limbate

en-adj

limbate (comparative more limbate, superlative most limbate)

more limbate (comparative)
most limbate (superlative)

From Latin limbātus, from limbus (“edge, border”).

(biology, paleontology) Having a distinct edge, especially one of a different colour; bordered.


aaleniano

From German Aalen, name of a city in Baden-Württemberg, -iano.

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (subdivision of the Jurassic epoch)


aaleniano

it-adj

aaleniano (feminine aaleniana, masculine plural aaleniani, feminine plural aaleniane)

aaleniana (feminine)
aaleniani (masculine plural)
aaleniane (feminine plural)

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (of or pertaining to the Aalenian epoch)


aaleniano

pt-adj

aaleniano (feminine aaleniana, masculine plural aalenianos, feminine plural aalenianas)

aaleniana (feminine)
aalenianos (masculine plural)
aalenianas (feminine plural)

(geology, paleontology) Aalenian (of or relating to the Aalenian epoch)


北京人

/peɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐk̚⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚⁵⁻²⁴ kiã³³ laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚³²⁻⁵ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² laŋ¹³/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻³³ laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻³³ laŋ²³/

/peɪ̯²¹⁴⁻²¹ t͡ɕiŋ⁵⁵ ʐən³⁵/

/pɐk̚⁵ kɪŋ⁵⁵ jɐn²¹/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚⁵⁻²⁴ kiã³³ laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚³²⁻⁵ kiã⁴⁴⁻²² laŋ¹³/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻³³ laŋ²⁴/

/pak̚³²⁻⁴ kiã⁴⁴⁻³³ laŋ²³/

Homo erectus pekinensis
Homo erectus pekinensis#Translingual

(paleontology, archaeology, anthropology) Peking Man (Homo erectus pekinensis)


fosilio

eo-head

fosilio (accusative singular fosilion, plural fosilioj, accusative plural fosiliojn)

fosilion (accusative singular)
fosilioj (plural)
fosiliojn (accusative plural)

Ultimately from Latin fossilis. Doublet of fosi.

Fosilio de la mondvaste konata „pra-birdo” arkeopterigo troviĝas en la Londona Naturhistoria Muzeo (fondita el parto de la Brita Muzeo), kiu ĝin aĉetis tuj post ĝia malkovro en 1861.

2008 May, Jomo Ipfelkofer, “Fosilioj en suda Germanio”, in Monato, →ISSN, page 18:

A fossil of the world-famous "protobird" archeopteryx is found in the London Natural History Museum (founded from part of the British Museum), which bought it immediately after its discovery in 1861.


Sinanthropus

(anthropology, paleontology, archaeology, obsolete) A taxonomic genus within the family Hominidae – a group of extinct bipedal hominids.


Zinjanthropus

From Zinj (“East Africa”) + Ancient Greek ἄνθρωπος (ánthrōpos, “man”).


australopith

/ˈɒstɹələˌpɪθ/

The incisors are more similar in size to the molars compared to earlier australopiths—a condition which is also more humanlike.
The limb bones indicate A. garhi had small stature like earlier australopiths.

2007, Holly M. Dunsworth, Human Origins 101, page 78:

Most authorities would nowadays concur that the australopiths were generally committed to habitats with at least some trees, to which they were more or less tied for sleeping and for shelter from predators during the day, as well as for a large part of their sustenance.

2008, Rob DeSalle, Ian Tattersall, Human Origins: What Bones And Genomes Tell Us About Ourselves, page 118:

Later we'll consider how these principles apply to australopith craniofacial function, but first let's review briefly how different australopiths accommodated large teeth and big masticatory muscles, and how they grew large, buttressed faces.

2011, Daniel E. Lieberman, The Evolution of the Human Head, page 451:

(anthropology, paleontology) Any of the hominids of the extinct genus Australopithecus.

australopithecine

depending on the classification scheme used


australopith

en-adj

australopith (comparative more australopith, superlative most australopith)

more australopith (comparative)
most australopith (superlative)

/ˈɒstɹələˌpɪθ/

(anthropology, paleontology) Of or pertaining to the hominids of the extinct genus Australopithecus.


LUCA

Luca is now usually placed deep underground, in a fissure in hot igneous rocks, where she fed on sulphur, iron, hydrogen and carbon.

1999, Matt Ridley, Genome, Harper Perennial, published 2000, page 19:

It was around 2.9 billion years ago that LUCA split into the three domains of life: the single-celled bacteria and archaea, and the more complex eukaryotes that gave rise to animals and plants[…].

2011 November 26, Michael Marshall, “Our ancestor, the mega-organism”, in New Scientist, page 8:

last universal common ancestor
w:en:last universal common ancestor

(taxonomy, biology, paleontology) Initialism of last universal common ancestor; the hypothesised most recent primordial organism that is an ancestor to all organisms now living.

viimeinen universaali esivanhempi

hypothesised last common ancestor to all organisms


biostratigrafico

it-adj

biostratigrafico (feminine biostratigrafica, masculine plural biostratigrafici, feminine plural biostratigrafiche)

biostratigrafica (feminine)
biostratigrafici (masculine plural)
biostratigrafiche (feminine plural)

From bio- + stratigrafico or biostratigrafia + -ico.


punctus

From Medieval Latin punctus (“punctuation mark”).

bor

In the sacerdotal prayers in col. a the punctuation is by punctus flexus, punctus elevatus and punctus.

1993, Malcolm Beckwith Parkes, Pause and Effect, Plates and Commentaries, page 197:

The most common item of punctuation was the punctus or point.

2011 July 22, Tadao Kudouchi, edited by Akio Oizumi and Jacek Fisiak, English Historical Linguistics and Philology in Japan, De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 172:

Curiously, the punctus versus was largely replaced with a punctus by ca.1100.

2015 August 31, “Medieval Manuscripts”, in Albrecht Classen, editor, Handbook of Medieval Culture, volume 2, De Gruyter, →ISBN, page 1015:

(palaeography) The basic dot (‧) used to end a sentence in medieval punctuation (ancestral to the full stop/period).


claviform

The adjective is derived from Latin clāvifōrmis (“club-shaped, claviform”), from Latin clāva (“a club”) (from Proto-Indo-European *kelh₂- (“to beat; to break”)) + -fōrmis (suffix meaning ‘having the form of’) (equivalent to -form, -iform). The English word is cognate with French claviforme.
The noun is probably derived from the adjective.

der

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-claviform.wav

The claviform comprises a vertical line with a bulge at one side; but unlike the buttocks on the stylized females, the bulge is usually on the middle or the upper half of the 'sign'! It has been suggested that the 'upper bulge' on a claviform instead represents breasts, but this is based on supposedly stylized statuettes from Dolni Vestonice and elsewhere, comprising a rod with two little lumps near the top, and thus on analogies with sites even further away in space and time from the claviforms.

1997, Paul G. Bahn, Jean Vertut, “What was Depicted?”, in Journey through the Ice Age, Berkeley, Los Angeles, Calif.: University of California Press, →ISBN, page 164, column 2:

In the early days of research, the images were often read very literally, and this was certainly taken to extremes – the classic example, of course, is the ‘signs’ in Ice Age cave art which the first researchers assumed to represent actual objects, and gave them names accordingly – for example, ‘claviforms’ were thought to be clubs, ‘tectiforms’ were thought to be roofs or huts, and so forth [...].

2006, Paul G. Bahn, “Myths and Meanings”, in Prehistoric Rock Art: Polemics and Progress […], Cambridge, Cambridgeshire: Cambridge University Press, published 2010, →ISBN, page 32:

There is also a faded red painting of a claviform (a thick curved line with a raised bump or point in the middle) that looks awfully similar to those found at a few other sites in northern Spain. A claviform from Altamira was dated using the uranium-series technique and is at least 35,000 years old.

2016, Genevieve von Petzinger, “Signs across the Ages: The Many Styles of the Oldest Art”, in The First Signs: Unlocking the Mysteries of the World’s Oldest Symbols, New York, N.Y.: Atria Paperback, published March 2017, →ISBN, page 140:

In Niaux, claviforms played a special role in that respect because we also find them very far inside the cave near the end of the galleries. [...] The same structure is visible at the Salon Noir itself. There, a claviform and a parallel bar were made on the first panel to the right, at the entrance.

2018, Jean Clottes, “European Palaeolithic Rock Art and Spatial Structures”, in Bruno David, Ian J. McNiven, editors, The Oxford Handbook of the Archaeology and Anthropology of Rock Art, Oxford, Oxfordshire, New York, N.Y.: Oxford University Press, →ISBN, part II (Conceptual Approaches to Rock Art: Investigating Meaning), page 406:

(palaeography) An image or symbol which is club-shaped, that is, larger at the tip than at the base.


uncinus

(paleontology) The curved tip of the hooks associated with belemnite tentacles.


古文書

[ko̞mõ̞ɲ̟d͡ʑo̞]

(palaeography) historical documents written to convey a specific intention between a sender and receiver; generally inclusive of written material through the mid-19th century


lichenometry

In lichenometry, a lichen is presumed to grow radially at a specific, constant rate: this rate is used to estimate the age of the largest lichen on a rock surface, and thus the length of time the rock has been exposed.

The sophistication of approach to lichenometry has increased markedly in the last decade or two.

2004, Jean M. Grove, Little Ice Ages: Ancient and Modern, Volume 1, 2nd edition, Taylor & Francis (Routledge), page 7:

Lichenometry is a surface-exposure dating method that uses lichen-growth rates to infer the age of young ([a] few thousand years old or younger) glacial landforms, typically bouldery deposits such as moraines.[…]Several approaches have been employed to measure lichens, and a distinct advantage of lichenometry over other techniques is its simplicity (Bradwell, 2009).

2011, Jason P. Briner, “Dating Glacial Landforms”, in Vijay P. Singh, Pratap Singh, Umesh K. Haritashya, editors, Encyclopedia of Snow, Ice and Glaciers, Springer, page 177:

Lichenometry is a dating method which is based upon the direct relationship between lichen diameter and age.

2012, Matti Saarnisto, “I.4: Time-scales and dating”, in B. Huntley, T. Webb III, editors, Handbook of vegetation science, Volume 7: Vegetation history, Kluwer Academic, page 102:

(archaeology, paleontology, geomorphology) A geomorphic method of geochronologic dating that uses lichen growth to determine the age of exposed rock.

lichenometrie

geochronologic dating method that uses lichen growth


aptychus

Modern Latin, from a- + Ancient Greek πτυχή (ptukhḗ, “fold, layer”).

uder

It wasn't until the 1970s that paleontologists had amassed enough evidence to be certain that aptychi were modified lower jaws.

2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 95:

(paleontology) A hard calcareous plate forming part of the body of an ammonite.


nothosaur

From scientific Latin Nothosaurus (genus name).

Nothosaurs were equipped with large, slightly curved teeth, which could provide a scissor-like bite like crocodiles.

2012, Winand Brinkmann, Kenneth De Baets, editors, Paleontological Museum of the University of Zürich: Exhibition Guide, Paleontological Institute and Museum of the University of Zürich, →ISBN, page 68:

(paleontology) An extinct marine reptile of the order Nothosauroidea, from the Triassic period.


fenestrate

From Latin fenestrō, from fenestra (“window”).

(paleontology) Any extinct bryozoan in the order Fenestrida (also known as Fenestrata).


dátú carbóin

head

dátú carbóin m (genitive singular dátaithe charbóin)

dátaithe charbóin (genitive singular)
dátú carbóin
dhátú carbóin
ndátú carbóin

(archaeology, paleontology, physics) carbon dating


dátú radacarbóin

dátú radacarbóin m (genitive singular dátaithe radacarbóin)

dátaithe radacarbóin (genitive singular)
dátú radacarbóin
dhátú radacarbóin
ndátú radacarbóin

(physics, archaeology, paleontology) radiocarbon dating


rudist

From French rudistes (plural), from rude (“rough, uneven”), or its source, Latin rudis. Compare scientific Latin Rudista.

In its shallow waters, now-extinct clams known as rudists formed extensive beds.

2018, Tim Flannery, Europe: The First 100 Million Years, Penguin, published 2019, page 27:

(paleontology) Any of many box-, tube- or ring-shaped marine heterodont bivalves from the Jurassic and Cretaceous periods.


radiokarbonos kormeghatározás

radiokarbonos kormeghatározás (plural radiokarbonos kormeghatározások)

radiokarbonos kormeghatározás ok (plural)

radiokarbon (“radiocarbon”) + -os (adjective-forming suffix) + kormeghatározás (“dating”)

affix

(physics, archaeology, paleontology) radiocarbon dating, carbon dating (a method of estimating the age of an artifact or biological vestige based on the relative amounts of the different isotopes of carbon present in a sample)


striid

(paleontology) A valley between two cusps on a lower tooth, especially in rodents such as beavers


vacat

Unadapted borrowing from Latin vacat (“it is empty”).

ubor

(palaeography) Indicates a willingly empty portion of an inscription.


cladium

When well preserved the polypary often shows graceful curvature of the stipe, and the cladium is the exact counterpart of the termination of the stipe, the curvature being equal in amount, but opposite in direction.

1914, Monograph of the Palaeontographical Society, page 509:

Of the eighteen thecæ of the proximal type thirteen are usually developed before the cladium is given off. The proximal end is straight and never enrolled, though from the frequency with which specimens are broken about midway between the sicula and the cladium, it is possible that the whole did not lie exactly in one and the same plane.

1918, Gertrude Lilian Elles, Mrs. Ethel M. R. (Wood) Shakespear, Charles Lapworth, A Monograph of British Graptolites - Part 1, page 509:

Several stages in the development of a cladium, showing the secondary nema as the leading rod of the cladial stipe (based on Bulman 1970a, Fig. 65).

2017, Jörg Maletz, Graptolite Paleobiology, page 36:

(paleontology) A branch in a colony of graptolites.


aŭstralopiteko

eo-head

aŭstralopiteko (accusative singular aŭstralopitekon, plural aŭstralopitekoj, accusative plural aŭstralopitekojn)

aŭstralopitekon (accusative singular)
aŭstralopitekoj (plural)
aŭstralopitekojn (accusative plural)

(paleontology) an australopith, an extinct hominid primate of the Australopithecus genus from the Pleistocene period, ancestor of the Homo genus.


hypercarnivore

(paleobiology) Any creature with an increased slicing component of dentition relative to the grinding component.


Sundaland

From Sunda + land. The geographical use derives from Dutch Soendaland.

(paleogeography) The area of the Sunda Shelf exposed during ice age glacial periods.


screenwash

en-verb

screenwash (third-person singular simple present screenwashes, present participle screenwashing, simple past and past participle screenwashed)

screenwashes (present singular third-person)
screenwashing (participle present)
screenwashed (participle past)
screenwashed (past)

(paleontology) To sift sediment through open boxes with screens at the bottom, as a technique for finding microfossils.


OOA

en-noun

OOA (countable and uncountable, plural OOAs)

(genetics, paleontology) Initialism of Out of Africa (hypothesis).


Ypresian

From the French ypresien, from Ypres + -ien; equivalent to Ypres + -ian; compare yperite.

(geology, paleontology) A subdivision of the Eocene epoch


mitrate

From a substantivation of the above adjective through the associated taxon's name (Mitrata). Equivalent to mitre + -ate (noun-forming suffix).

(paleontology) One of an extinct group of stem group echinoderms.


ichthyolite

(obsolete, paleontology) A fossil of a fish.


typolite

From Ancient Greek τύπος (túpos, “impression”) + -lite.

der

(paleontology, obsolete, uncommon) A stone or fossil bearing impressions of plants and animals.


baculite

The shell of a baculite was quite simply straight—an unexpected throwback to the early days of cephalopods.

2017, Danna Staaf, Squid Empire, ForeEdge, →ISBN, page 89:

(paleontology) Any of the genus †Baculites of extinct cephalopod heteromorph ammonites.


ptychopariid

(paleontology) Any trilobite of the order Ptychopariida.


neandertala homo

eo-head

neandertala homo (accusative singular neandertalan homon, plural neandertalaj homoj, accusative plural neandertalajn homojn)

neandertalan homon (accusative singular)
neandertalaj homoj (plural)
neandertalajn homojn (accusative plural)

Eble tie kuŝis la ungodetranĉaĵoj de la praavo de la neandertala homo[…]

2003, chapter 24, in Hans-Georg Kaiser, transl., Mortula ŝipo, Tyresö: Inko, translation of Das Totenschiff by B. Traven, →ISBN, archived from the original on 2007-11-11, pages 218–219:

Homo neanderthalensis
Homo neanderthalensis#Translingual

(paleontology) a member of the extinct species Homo neanderthalensis, a Neanderthal


thecodont

Ancient Greek θήκη (thḗkē, “case, chest”) + -odont.

uder

(paleontology, archaic) Any of the Thecodontia (a former group of archosaurs).


antholite

He considers this Antholite from the coal to be "the spike of a very highly organised flowering plant in full flower,", p. 20.

1858, Charles Lyell, “Supplement to the Fifth Edition of a Manual of Elementary Geology”, in The British Review, volume 28:

Göppert , in his Permian Flora , figures an Antholite (pl. xxi., fig. 1-3), which he considers to be teh inflorescence of Nöggerathia, a genus placed by him among the monocotyledons; while Ettingshausen, on the other hand, believes teh forms he found in the Coal-Measures at Stradonitz to be the fruits of Calamites ("Steinkohlenflora Stradonitz," pl. v. fig. 1-3).

1872 February, William Carruthers, “Notes on some Fossil Plants”, in Geological Magazine, volume 9, page 53:

It is not, as you have perhaps surmised, a work of sculpture, but it is an antholite, or fossil blossom, brought, with others of the same kind, from the world to which I am native.

1948, Clark Ashton Smith ·, Genius Loci, and Other Tales, page 65:

(paleontology) A fossil plant, like a petrified flower.


nautilite

(obsolete, paleontology) A fossil nautilus.


dendrolite

From dendro- + -lite, from Ancient Greek δένδρον (déndron, “tree”) and λίθος (líthos, “stone”).

(paleontology) A petrified or fossil shrub, plant, or part of a plant. .


ostracite

(paleontology, archaic) A fossil oyster.


tichorrhine

From Ancient Greek τείχος (teíkhos, “wall”) + -ῥῑνός, genitive of ῥῑ́ς (rhī́s, “nose”).

(paleontology, used to describe a fossil rhinoceros) Having a vertical bony medial septum supporting the nose.


strombite

(paleontology) A fossil shell of the genus Strombus.


arkeopterigo

eo-head

arkeopterigo (accusative singular arkeopterigon, plural arkeopterigoj, accusative plural arkeopterigojn)

arkeopterigon (accusative singular)
arkeopterigoj (plural)
arkeopterigojn (accusative plural)

Fosilio de la mondvaste konata „pra-birdo” arkeopterigo troviĝas en la Londona Naturhistoria Muzeo (fondita el parto de la Brita Muzeo), kiu ĝin aĉetis tuj post ĝia malkovro en 1861.

2008 May, Jomo Ipfelkofer, “Fosilioj en suda Germanio”, in Monato, →ISSN, page 18:


ventriculite

(paleontology) Any of numerous species of siliceous fossil sponges belonging to Ventriculites.


lycopodite

(paleontology, obsolete) A fossil club moss.


lithocarp

w:Webster's Dictionary#Webster's New International Dictionary 1909

(paleontology, archaic) A fossilised fruit


ornithichnite

Mr. Lyell next visited the red and green shales of Cabotville, north of Springfield in Massachusetts, where some of the best Ornithichnites have been procured, chiefly in the green shale.

1834 October 30, Charles Lyell, “On the fossil foot-prints of birds”, in The American Journal of Science, volume 45, page 395:

Mr. Hitchcock has nowhere maintained the existence of an ornithichnite in the graywacke of Hudson valley.

1839 January 30, T.A. Conrad, “Notes on American geology”, in The American Journal of Science and Arts, volume 35, page 246:

(paleontology) A fossilised footprint left by a bird.


laminarite

(paleontology) A broad-leafed fossil alga.


ganocephalous

(paleontology) Of or pertaining to the Ganocephala, a former group of temnospondyls.


gryphite

(paleontology, archaic) A shell of the genus Gryphaea.


ornithichnology

Ornithichnology; or Description of the Footmarks of Birds

1858, Edward Hitchcock, Ichnology of New England: A Report on the Sandstone of the Connecticut Valley, Especially Its Fossil Footmarks:

(paleontology, obsolete) The branch of science that deals with ornithichnites (fossilised bird footprints).


blastoid

(paleontology) A member of an extinct class of echinoderms, the Blastoidea.


blastoid

(paleontology) Of or relating to blastoids.


blastoid

blastoid (nominative singular)
blastoidy (nominative plural)
blastoidu (genitive singular)
blastoidów (genitive plural)
blastoidowi (dative singular)
blastoidom (dative plural)
blastoid (accusative singular)
blastoidy (accusative plural)
blastoidem (instrumental singular)
blastoidami (instrumental plural)
blastoidzie (locative singular)
blastoidach (locative plural)
blastoidzie (singular vocative)
blastoidy (plural vocative)

From blasto- + -id. First attested in 1892.


fungite

en-noun

fungite (countable and uncountable, plural fungites)

(paleontology, archaic) A fossil coral resembling Fungia.


snakestone

snakestone (countable and uncountable, plural snakestones)

(paleontology) An ammonite (because of its coiled form).


tentaculite

From the genus name, from Latin tentaculum + -ites.

(paleontology) Any of numerous species of small, conical shells found in Paleozoic rocks, fossils from the extinct genus †Tentaculites.


ornitholite

(paleontology) The fossil remains of a bird.


megaceros

New Latin, from Ancient Greek, meaning "great horn".


asterophyllite

(paleontology) A fossil plant from the coal formations of Europe and America, now regarded as the branchlets and foliage of calamites.


spongiolite

(paleontology) One of the microsporic siliceous spicules which occur abundantly in the texture of sponges, and are sometimes found fossilized, as in flints.


anaptychus

From New Latin anaptychus, from Ancient Greek ἀνάπτυχος (anáptukhos, “unfolding”), from ἀναπτύσσω (anaptússō, “to unfold”).

der

(paleontology) One of a pair of shelly plates found in some cephalopods, such as the ammonites. They are now considered to have been parts of the jaw.


eozoön

(paleontology, dated) A pseudofossil with banded structures of coarsely crystalline calcite and serpentine.


paleospecies

The problem of recognizing paleospecies is linked to a more fundamental problem in taxonomy —determining how species should be segregated.

1996, Donald E. Johanson, Donald C. Johanson, Blake Edgar, From Lucy to Language:

Similarly, my main source for confidence about paleospecies arises from proven correspondences with true biospecies in favorable cases providing sufficient information for such a test (particularly when species with lengthy fossil records are still extant).

2001, Alan H. Cheetham, Jeremy B. C. Jackson, Scott Lidgard, Evolutionary Patterns, page 197:

I do not, of course, argue that all named paleospecies are true biospecies, or that I can even estimate the percentage properly so defined (any more than we know the relative frequency of modern taxa that represent true biospecies).

2009, Stephen Jay Gould, Punctuated Equilibrium, page 64:

(taxonomy, paleontology) A species that is derived from the paleontological record; chronospecies.


paradoxid

(paleontology) Any of the genus Paradoxides of large trilobites.


arenicolite

From Latin arena (“sand”) + colere (“to cherish or live”); and see -ite.

(paleontology) A wormhole or other burrowing tunnel preserved in sandstone or another rock.


psarolite

From ψάρος (psáros, “speckled”) + -lite.

(paleontology) A silicified stem of tree fern, found in abundance in the Triassic sandstone.


trochite

(paleontology) A wheel-like joint of the stem of a fossil crinoid.


encrinus

From translingual Encrinus, from Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-, “in”) + κρίνον (krínon, “lily”).

(dated, paleontology) Any of a genus Encrinus of fossil encrinoidea from the Mesozoic rocks.


ornithoidichnite

Regarding the names Ornithichnites , Ornithoidichnite , &c., as provisional merely , I now propose names for the animals that made the tracks

1855, Edward Hitchcock, Elementary Geology:

(paleontology, obsolete) A fossil track resembling that of a bird.


entrochite

(paleontology) A fossil joint of a crinoid stem.


tubiporite

(paleontology) Any fossil coral of the genus †Syringopora consisting of a cluster of upright tubes united together by small transverse tubules.


micraster

(paleontology) Any of the extinct genus †Micraster of infaunal echinoids.


anthropolite

It was in conglomerates of this kind that were discovered the famous Carib skeletons, known as anthropolites, that is, "stone men," one of which is preserved in the Natural History Museum, South Kensington.

1901, Augustus Henry Keane, Central and South America, volume 2, page 401:

(paleontology, dated) A petrified human body, or of any portion of it.


gyrogonite

Ancient Greek γῦρος (gûros, “circle, ring”) + γόνος (gónos, “fruit”)

uder

The shells and gyrogonites also agree specifically with some of those most common in the French deposits […]

1833, Charles Lyell, chapter XX, in Principles of Geology […] , volume III, London: John Murray, page 280:

(paleontology) The petrified fruit of several species of stonewort


marsupite

From Latin marsupium, marsuppium (“pouch, purse”) + English -ite; see also marsupial.

The most remarkable fossil of this class is the marsupite, which I have thus named from its resemblance, when closed, to a purse. The marsupite (Tab. 51) was a molluscous animal, of a sub-ovate form, having the mouth, which was surrounded by arms, or tentacula, in the centre.

1839, Gideon Algernon Mantell, The Wonders of Geology, volume 1, page 309:

The crinoideans are sparingly distributed in the cretaceous group; the most remarkable is the marsupite, which appears to have been an unattached crinoidean.

1839, Rosina Maria Zornlin, Recreations in Geology, page 84:

The plates of the head are thin and broad, and marked on their outer surface by lines of growth, and radiating ridges resembling the plates of the marsupite.

1843, J. Chaning Pearce, On an entirely new form of Encrinite from the Dudley Limestone: The Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Zoology, Botany and Geology, volume 12, page 472:

(paleontology) A fossil crinoid of the genus Marsupites, resembling a purse.


galerite

Latin galerum a hat, cap: compare French galérite. See -ite.

(paleontology) A cretaceous fossil sea urchin of the genus †Galerites.


léiceanmhéadracht

head

léiceanmhéadracht f (genitive singular léiceanmhéadrachta)

léiceanmhéadrachta (genitive singular)
nominative (indefinite)
léiceanmhéadracht (indefinite singular)
vocative (indefinite)
a léiceanmhéadracht (indefinite singular)
genitive (indefinite)
léiceanmhéadrachta (indefinite singular)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an léiceanmhéadracht (definite singular)
genitive (definite)
na léiceanmhéadrachta (definite singular)
dative (definite)
leis an léiceanmhéadracht (definite singular)
don léiceanmhéadracht (definite singular)

(archaeology, paleontology, geomorphology) lichenometry


favosite

favosite fossils

(paleontology) Belonging to the extinct genus of coral Favosites.


encrinite

From Ancient Greek ἐν- (en-, “in”) + κρίνον (krínon, “lily”): compare French encrinite.

(paleontology, obsolete) A fossil crinoid, especially one belonging to, or resembling, the genus Encrinus.


lituite

(paleontology) Any ammonite of the genus †Lituites, found in the Cretaceous formation.


cyathophylloid

(paleontology) A fossil coral of the family Cyathophyllidae.


ასომთავრული

ka-noun

ასომთავრული • (asomtavruli) (uncountable)

asomtavruli (romanization)
ასომთავრული (nominative singular)
ასომთავრულმა (ergative singular)
ასომთავრულს (dative singular)
ასომთავრულს (dative singular)
ასომთავრულსაs) (dative singular)
ასომთავრულსაsa) (dative singular)
ასომთავრულის (genitive singular)
ასომთავრულის (genitive singular)
ასომთავრულისაs) (genitive singular)
ასომთავრულისაsa) (genitive singular)
ასომთავრულით (instrumental singular)
ასომთავრულით (instrumental singular)
ასომთავრულითაt) (instrumental singular)
ასომთავრულითაta) (instrumental singular)
ასომთავრულად (adverbial singular)
ასომთავრულად (adverbial singular)
ასომთავრულადაd) (adverbial singular)
ასომთავრულადაda) (adverbial singular)
ასომთავრულო (singular vocative)
-ზე
ასომთავრულზე (singular)
-თან
ასომთავრულთან (singular)
-ში
ასომთავრულში (singular)
-ვით
ასომთავრულივით (singular)
-თვის
ასომთავრულისთვის (singular)
-ებრ
ასომთავრულისებრ (singular)
-კენ
ასომთავრულისკენ (singular)
-გან
ასომთავრულისგან (singular)
-ადმი
ასომთავრულისადმი (singular)
-დან
ასომთავრულიდან (singular)
-ურთ
ასომთავრულითურთ (singular)
-მდე
ასომთავრულამდე (singular)

ასომ‧თავ‧რუ‧ლი

ასო (aso) + მთავრული (mtavruli, “important; capital, uppercase”), a reference to the fact that the letters of this script were used as capital letters together with later Georgian scripts: Nuskhuri and Mkhedruli.

compound

ka:ასომთავრული


lepidodendroid

en-adj

lepidodendroid (comparative more lepidodendroid, superlative most lepidodendroid)

more lepidodendroid (comparative)
most lepidodendroid (superlative)

(paleontology) Belonging to Lepidodendron.


eurypteroid

(paleontology) Like, or pertaining to, the genus Eurypterus of extinct sea scorpions.


eurypteroid

(paleontology) Any sea scorpion of the genus Eurypterus.


iontaise

head

iontaise f (genitive singular iontaise, nominative plural iontaisí)

iontaise (genitive singular)
iontaisí (nominative plural)
nominative (indefinite)
iontaise (indefinite singular)
iontaisí (indefinite plural)
vocative (indefinite)
a iontaise (indefinite singular)
a iontaisí (indefinite plural)
genitive (indefinite)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an iontaise (definite singular)
na hiontaisí (definite plural)
genitive (definite)
na hiontaise (definite singular)
na n-iontaisí (definite plural)
dative (definite)
leis an iontaise (definite singular)
don iontaise (definite singular)
leis na hiontaisí (definite plural)
iontaise
n-iontaise
hiontaise


bellerophon

(paleontology) Any of the genus †Bellerophon of fossil gastropod shells, believed to belong to the Heteropoda, and peculiar to the Paleozoic age.


turbinite

(paleontology) A petrified shell resembling one of the genus Turbo.


oreodont

(paleontology) A member of the extinct genus Oreodon or extinct superfamily Merycoidodontoidea of ruminating hogs.


sigillarid

(archaic, paleontology) Any of an extinct family of cryptogamous trees, especially of the genus Sigillaria, and similar species.


megatheroid

The more striking phenomena first and most strongly impress the mind, which contrasts for example, the great Cave-Bears of Europe with the actual Brown Bear, the Megatheroids of South America with the small existing sloths, and the gigantic Glyptodons with the Armadillos.

1851 June 11, The Geelong Advertiser, Victoria, page 1, column 2:

(paleontology) One of a family of extinct edentates found in America, including the megatherium and the megalonyx, among others.


corallinite

(archaic, paleontology) A fossil coralline.


enaliosaur

/ɪˈnæliəˌsɔɹ/

/ɪˈnælɪəˌsɔː/

(paleontology, obsolete) One of the Enaliosauria (now known as the ichthyosaurs or sauropterygians.


rhyncholite

From rhyncho- + -lite. Compare French rhyncholithe.

(paleontology) A fossil cephalopod beak.


ichthyosaurian

en-adj

ichthyosaurian (comparative more ichthyosaurian, superlative most ichthyosaurian)

more ichthyosaurian (comparative)
most ichthyosaurian (superlative)

(paleontology) Of or relating to the Ichthyosauria.


ichthyosaurian

(paleontology) Any of the Ichthyosauria; an ichthyosaur.


rotalite

(paleontology, archaic) Any fossil foraminifer of the family Rotaliidae, abundant in chalk formations.


bufonite

From Latin bufo (“toad”) + -ite. It was once believed to be formed in the head of a toad.

(paleontology, obsolete) A fossil consisting of the petrified teeth and palatal bones of fishes belonging to the family of pycnodonts, whose remains occur in the oolite and chalk formations.


turrilite

From Latin turris (“tower”) + -lite or directly from translingual †Turrilites.

(paleontology) Any fossil ammonite of the genus †Turrilites, the shell forming an open spiral with the later whorls separate.


teleosaur

(paleontology) Any of several species of marine crocodylomorphs belonging to Teleosauridae . They are similar to the modern-day gharial.


hippurite

Ancient Greek ἵππος (híppos, “horse”) + οὐρά (ourá, “tail”) + -ite

(paleontology) A fossil bivalve mollusk of the genus Hippuritida, having a conical, cup-shaped undervalve, with a flattish upper valve or lid.


conchite

(paleontology) A fossilised conch or shell.


coryphodont

(paleontology) Any of the genus †Coryphodon.


titanotherium

From Ancient Greek Τιτάν (Titán, “Titan”) + translingual -therium.

(paleontology, obsolete) Synonym of brontotheriid


glyptodon

From the New Latin genus name Glyptodon (from Ancient Greek Ancient Greek γλυπτός (gluptós, “sculptured”) + -odon (“tooth”), 'grooved or carved tooth').

af

The more striking phenomena first and most strongly impress the mind, which contrasts for example, the great Cave-Bears of Europe with the actual Brown Bear, the Megatheriods of South America with the small existing sloths, and the gigantic Glyptodons with the Armadillos.

Statues of beasts stood with their backs to the four walls of the court, eyes turned to watch the canted dial: hulking barylambdas; arctothers, the monarchs of bears; glyptodons; smilodons with fangs like glaives.

1980, Gene Wolfe, chapter IV, in The Shadow of the Torturer (The Book of the New Sun; 1), New York: Simon & Schuster, →ISBN, page 43:

(paleontology) A member of the genus Glyptodon of extinct giant armadillos.


enaliosaurian

en-adj

enaliosaurian (comparative more enaliosaurian, superlative most enaliosaurian)

more enaliosaurian (comparative)
most enaliosaurian (superlative)

(paleontology) Relating to the Enaliosauria.


enaliosaurian

(paleontology) enaliosaur (any reptile of the Enaliosauria)


iguanodont

(paleontology) Any member of the genus Iguanodon.


theriodont

(paleontology) Any of the Theriodontia, a major group of therapsids which appeared during the Middle Permian.


CPE

Carnian pluvial episode
Carnian pluvial episode#English

(paleontology, geology) Initialism of Carnian pluvial episode.


stigmaria

(paleontology) The fossilized roots of a plant of the genus Sigillaria.


paleothere

(paleontology) Any extinct mammal of the genus Palaeotherium.


abelisaurid

(paleontology) Any of the Abelisauridae, a family of ceratosaurian theropod dinosaurs.


spirifer

From Latin spira (“a coil”) + fero (“I bear”).

(paleontology) Any of numerous species of fossil brachiopods of the genera †Spirifer and †Delthyris and allied genera in order †Spiriferida, in which the long calcareous supports of the arms form a large spiral, or helix, on each side.


toxodon

"Finally, I will assuredly give some account of the toxodon, the giant ten-foot guinea pig, with projecting chisel teeth, which we killed as it drank in the grey of the morning by the side of the lake."

1912, Arthur Conan Doyle, “‘Our Eyes have seen Great Wonders’”, in The Lost World […], London; New York, N.Y.: Hodder and Stoughton, →OCLC, page 277:

(paleontology) A gigantic extinct herbivorous mammal from South America, having teeth bent like a bow. It is the type of the order Toxodonta.


turbite

(paleontology) A fossil sea snail of the genus Turbo.


pailéibhithgheografaíocht

head

pailéibhithgheografaíocht f (genitive singular pailéibhithgheografaíochta)

pailéibhithgheografaíochta (genitive singular)
nominative (indefinite)
pailéibhithgheografaíocht (indefinite singular)
vocative (indefinite)
a phailéibhithgheografaíocht (indefinite singular)
genitive (indefinite)
pailéibhithgheografaíochta (indefinite singular)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an phailéibhithgheografaíocht (definite singular)
genitive (definite)
na pailéibhithgheografaíochta (definite singular)
dative (definite)
leis an bpailéibhithgheografaíocht (definite singular)
don phailéibhithgheografaíocht (definite singular)
pailéibhithgheografaíocht
phailéibhithgheografaíocht
bpailéibhithgheografaíocht


acratarc

acratarc m (genitive singular acratarc, nominative plural acratarcaí)

acratarc (genitive singular)
acratarcaí (nominative plural)
nominative (indefinite)
acratarc (indefinite singular)
acratarcaí (indefinite plural)
vocative (indefinite)
a acratarc (indefinite singular)
a acratarcaí (indefinite plural)
genitive (indefinite)
dative (indefinite)
nominative (definite)
an t-acratarc (definite singular)
na hacratarcaí (definite plural)
genitive (definite)
an acratarc (definite singular)
na n-acratarcaí (definite plural)
dative (definite)
leis an acratarc (definite singular)
don acratarc (definite singular)
leis na hacratarcaí (definite plural)
acratarc
n-acratarc
hacratarc
t-acratarc


scolithus

From Ancient Greek σκώληξ (skṓlēx, “worm”) +
λίθος (líthos, “stone”)

(paleontology) A tubular structure found in Potsdam sandstone, believed to be the fossil burrow of a marine worm.


labyrinthodon

Ancient Greek λαβύρινθος (labúrinthos, “labyrinth”) + -odon.

uder

One day they unearthed some bones in a sandhill that Mr Shinglar said were of the labyrinthodon, a great sloth-lizard that roamed in forests submerged for a thousand thousand years.

1941, Ernestine Hill, My Love Must Wait, A&R Classics, published 2013, page 35:

(paleontology) Alternative form of labyrinthodont


squalodon

(paleontology) Any of a genus of extinct whales with serrated teeth, belonging to the family Squalodontidae.


megalonyx

(paleontology) An extinct ground sloth of the genus Megalonyx.