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Glite Dictionary
micropaleontology

micropaleontology

1 9.9
The study of very small fossils that show ancient life
  • noun
  • /ˌmaɪkroʊˌpeɪliˈɒntəloʊdʒi/
  • Specialized
translation icon : micropaleontología
  • Many universities offer courses in micropaleontology, focusing on the identification of microscopic fossils.

Examples

  • Researchers in micropaleontology analyze tiny fossils to gain insights into ancient ecosystems.

  • The resolution of MAHLI is too low for micropaleontology, and there are no experiments dedicated to, e.g., amino acids or chirality.

    Blog text (10)

  • The study of micropaleontology involves examining microfossils to understand the history of life on Earth.

Surface Forms

micropaleontology singular
micropaleontologies plural

Morphology

micropaleontology = paleontology (transparent) = micro + paleontology

The word is a regular prefixation with micro- added to paleontology, so the meaning 'small-scale paleontology' is straightforward.

Etymology

Micropaleontology breaks into micro- 'small', like in microscope, plus paleo- 'old' and -ontology 'study'. So it means the study of very small ancient life, or tiny fossils called microfossils.