Paleontology Vocabulary

noun a rigid connective tissue that makes up the skeleton of vertebrates

verb none

adjective none

adverb none

pronoun none

preposition none

conjunction none

interjection none

article none

• The forensic expert carefully examined the bones found at the crime scene.
• I heard that old man Johnson has a lot of bones buried in his backyard.
• I can't believe he has the bones to ask her out after what he did.
• She has a lot of skeletons in her closet, but she doesn't let them rattle her bones.

noun a deposit of sand, clay, silt, etc., resulting from the action of flowing water

• The geologists discovered evidence of diluvium in the area, indicating a past glacial flood.
• I heard that the construction workers found some diluvium while digging up the road.
• Dude, check out this cool diluvium we found by the river!
• The sudden influx of tourists was like a diluvium on the small town's economy.

adjective preserved in the form of a fossil; antiquated or rigid in manner

• The fossilized remains of ancient sea creatures can be found in the museum.
• I heard they found some fossilized bones while digging in the backyard.
• Check out this cool fossilized shell I found at the beach!
• Her beliefs were fossilized and resistant to change.

verb to become bony or harden into bone; to change into bone or bony tissue

• As we age, the cartilage in our joints may ossify, causing stiffness and pain.
• I heard that if you don't move your arm after breaking it, the bone can ossify in a weird position.
• Dude, if you keep skipping leg day, your muscles are just gonna ossify into flab.
• Over time, his rigid beliefs began to ossify, making it difficult for him to consider other perspectives.

noun a system or method used in classification

• The study of the classification of organisms is known as systematics.
• Systematics helps scientists understand how different species are related to each other.
• I never thought I'd be so into systematics, but it's actually really interesting.
• In a way, systematics is like putting together a giant puzzle of the natural world.

verb to reveal or expose something that was previously hidden or covered

adjective not covered or protected; exposed

• The archaeologists uncovered ancient artifacts during the excavation.
• I uncovered some old photos while cleaning out my closet.
• She uncovered some juicy gossip about her ex-boyfriend.
• The investigation uncovered the truth behind the company's shady dealings.

noun a fossilized excrement

• The scientist discovered a rare enterolite specimen during the archaeological dig.
• Hey, check out this cool enterolite I found on the beach!
• That enterolite looks like a funky rock, dude.
• The enterolite symbolized a hidden treasure waiting to be unearthed.

adjective relating to or resembling bone-eating

• The osteophageous nature of certain animals allows them to consume bones for calcium.
• I heard that some animals are osteophageous and can actually eat bones.
• Did you know there are animals that are bone-eaters? They're called osteophageous.
• Her voracious appetite for knowledge was almost osteophageous in nature.

noun a series of notches or teeth along the edge of a blade or other cutting surface

• The serration on the knife blade allows for clean and precise cuts.
• I love how sharp the serration is on this bread knife!
• That serration on the saw is no joke, it can cut through anything!
• The serration of his wit cut through the tension in the room.

noun a type of sponge belonging to the genus Acanthella

• The scientist studied the structure of acanthellas under a microscope.
• I found some weird-looking acanthellas while exploring the tide pools.
• Those acanthellas are so cool, they look like little alien creatures!
• The acanthellas of knowledge grew and blossomed in her mind as she delved deeper into the subject.