Paleontology Terminology

verb to uncover or bring to the surface by digging

adverb used to describe how something is done, in this case, the action of digging up

• Archaeologists often dig up ancient artifacts to learn more about past civilizations.
• I heard they're planning to dig up the backyard to install a new swimming pool.
• I can't believe you dug up that embarrassing photo from last year's party!
• It's important to dig up the truth in any situation, no matter how difficult it may be.

verb to dig or remove earth from a site in order to uncover archaeological remains or other material

• Archaeologists plan to excavate the ancient ruins next month.
• We're going to dig up some cool stuff when we excavate the backyard.
• Let's go treasure hunting and excavate that old abandoned house.
• Through therapy, I was able to excavate my buried emotions and confront them.

verb to convert into a fossil; to make or become antiquated or rigid

• Over time, the organic material in the bone can fossilize and turn into a mineralized form.
• If you leave that bread out too long, it's going to fossilize and become as hard as a rock.
• I forgot about that sandwich in my bag and now it's fossilized.
• His outdated views on technology have fossilized, making it difficult for him to adapt to new advancements.

noun a site where evidence of past events or actions can be observed or studied

• The paleontologists discovered a new dinosaur tracksite in the desert.
• Hey, did you hear about the cool tracksite they found out in the desert?
• That tracksite is lit, we should check it out sometime.
• Her mind was like a busy tracksite, full of different thoughts and ideas.

noun a person or thing that creates or leaves tracks, such as footprints or tire marks

• The trackmaker is responsible for creating the layout of the race track.
• The trackmaker is the one who decides how the track should be set up.
• The trackmaker is like the boss of the track design.
• In the world of music, the trackmaker is like the composer of a song.

noun a person who creates visual representations of prehistoric life based on fossil evidence

• The paleoartist meticulously reconstructed the appearance of ancient creatures based on fossil evidence.
• I heard that paleoartist is working on a new project to illustrate prehistoric animals.
• That paleoartist is a real fossil wizard!
• The paleoartist breathed life into long-extinct species through their art.

noun a type of large carnivorous dinosaur that lived during the late Jurassic period

• The allosaurus was a large carnivorous dinosaur that roamed the Earth during the late Jurassic period.
• Did you know that the allosaurus was one of the biggest meat-eating dinosaurs?
• That allosaurus was a real beast, huh?
• Facing that challenge felt like going up against an allosaurus in the wild.

noun a person who studies or specializes in ichnology, the study of traces of organismal behavior such as footprints or burrows

• The ichnologist studied the footprints left by ancient creatures.
• My friend is an ichnologist and he loves discovering new animal tracks.
• I heard that ichnologists are like detectives of the animal world.
• As an ichnologist of human behavior, she could read people like an open book.

noun the branch of paleontology that deals with the study of fossilized footprints, tracks, burrows, and other traces of animal activity

• The study of trace fossils is an important aspect of ichnology.
• Ichnology is all about studying footprints and other traces left by ancient organisms.
• I don't get why anyone would be into ichnology, it sounds boring.
• In a way, studying history is like delving into the ichnology of human civilization.

noun a collection of all the fossils ever discovered on Earth, providing information about the history of life on the planet

• The fossil record provides valuable evidence of past life forms on Earth.
• Scientists use the fossil record to learn about ancient animals and plants.
• Dude, the fossil record is like a history book written in rocks!
• The fossil record is like a time capsule, preserving the secrets of ancient life.

noun a person who loves dinosaurs

• The dinophile was ecstatic to visit the new dinosaur exhibit at the museum.
• My friend is such a dinophile, he knows everything about dinosaurs.
• I didn't know you were such a dinophile, that's pretty cool.
• As a dinophile, she was always on the hunt for the latest dinosaur discoveries.

noun a set of footprints or other marks left by a person, animal, or vehicle as they pass through an area

• The archaeologists discovered a well-preserved trackway dating back to the Bronze Age.
• We found an old trackway while hiking through the forest.
• Let's follow the trackway to see where it leads.
• His career seemed to be on a successful trackway until the unexpected setback.