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paleontologymore about paleontology

paleontology


  3  definitions  found 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
 
 
  10.  (Mus.) 
  a  Produced  by  natural  organs,  as  those  of  the  human 
  throat,  in  distinction  from  instrumental  music. 
  b  Of  or  pertaining  to  a  key  which  has  neither  a  flat 
  nor  a  sharp  for  its  signature,  as  the  key  of  C  major. 
  c  Applied  to  an  air  or  modulation  of  harmony  which 
  moves  by  easy  and  smooth  transitions,  digressing  but 
  little  from  the  original  key.  --Moore  (Encyc.  of 
  Music). 
 
  {Natural  day},  the  space  of  twenty-four  hours.  --Chaucer. 
 
  {Natural  fats},  {Natural  gas},  etc  See  under  {Fat},  {Gas}. 
  etc 
 
  {Natural  Harmony}  (Mus.),  the  harmony  of  the  triad  or  common 
  chord. 
 
  {Natural  history},  in  its  broadest  sense  a  history  or 
  description  of  nature  as  a  whole,  incuding  the  sciences  of 
  {botany},  {zo["o]logy},  {geology},  {mineralogy}, 
  {paleontology},  {chemistry},  and  {physics}.  In  recent 
  usage  the  term  is  often  restricted  to  the  sciences  of 
  botany  and  zo["o]logy  collectively,  and  sometimes  to  the 
  science  of  zoology  alone. 
 
  {Natural  law},  that  instinctive  sense  of  justice  and  of  right 
  and  wrong  which  is  native  in  mankind,  as  distinguished 
  from  specifically  revealed  divine  law,  and  formulated 
  human  law. 
 
  {Natural  modulation}  (Mus.),  transition  from  one  key  to  its 
  relative  keys. 
 
  {Natural  order}.  (Nat.  Hist.)  See  under  {order}. 
 
  {Natural  person}.  (Law)  See  under  {person},  n. 
 
  {Natural  philosophy},  originally,  the  study  of  nature  in 
  general;  in  modern  usage,  that  branch  of  physical  science, 
  commonly  called  {physics},  which  treats  of  the  phenomena 
  and  laws  of  matter  and  considers  those  effects  only  which 
  are  unaccompanied  by  any  change  of  a  chemical  nature;  -- 
  contrasted  with  mental  and  moral  philosophy. 
 
  {Natural  scale}  (Mus.),  a  scale  which  is  written  without 
  flats  or  sharps.  Model  would  be  a  preferable  term,  as  less 
  likely  to  mislead,  the  so-called  artificial  scales  (scales 
  represented  by  the  use  of  flats  and  sharps)  being  equally 
  natural  with  the  so-called  natural  scale 
 
  {Natural  science},  natural  history,  in  its  broadest  sense  -- 
  used  especially  in  contradistinction  to  mental  or  moral 
  science. 
 
  {Natural  selection}  (Biol.),  a  supposed  operation  of  natural 
  laws  analogous,  in  its  operation  and  results,  to  designed 
  selection  in  breeding  plants  and  animals,  and  resulting  in 
  the  survival  of  the  fittest.  The  theory  of  natural 
  selection  supposes  that  this  has  been  brought  about  mainly 
  by  gradual  changes  of  environment  which  have  led  to 
  corresponding  changes  of  structure,  and  that  those  forms 
  which  have  become  so  modified  as  to  be  best  adapted  to  the 
  changed  environment  have  tended  to  survive  and  leave 
  similarly  adapted  descendants,  while  those  less  perfectly 
  adapted  have  tended  to  die  out  though  lack  of  fitness  for 
  the  environment,  thus  resulting  in  the  survival  of  the 
  fittest.  See  {Darwinism}. 
 
  {Natural  system}  (Bot.  &  Zo["o]l.),  a  classification  based 
  upon  real  affinities,  as  shown  in  the  structure  of  all 
  parts  of  the  organisms,  and  by  their  embryology. 
 
  It  should  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  natural  system 
  of  botany  is  natural  only  in  the  constitution  of  its 
  genera,  tribes,  orders  etc.,  and  in  its  grand 
  divisions.  --Gray. 
 
 
  {Natural  theology},  or  {Natural  religion},  that  part  of 
  theological  science  which  treats  of  those  evidences  of  the 
  existence  and  attributes  of  the  Supreme  Being  which  are 
  exhibited  in  nature;  --  distinguished  from  revealed 
  religion.  See  Quotation  under  {Natural},  a.,  3. 
 
  {Natural  vowel},  the  vowel  sound  heard  in  urn,  furl,  sir, 
  her  etc.;  --  so  called  as  being  uttered  in  the  easiest 
  open  position  of  the  mouth  organs.  See  {Neutral  vowel}, 
  under  {Neutral}  and  Guide  to  Pronunciation,  [sect]  17. 
 
  Syn:  See  {Native}. 
 
  From  Webster's  Revised  Unabridged  Dictionary  (1913)  [web1913]: 
 
  Paleontology  \Pa`le*on*tol"o*gy\,  n.  [Paleo-  +  Gr  ?  existing 
  things  +  -logy.  Cf  {Ontology}.] 
  The  science  which  treats  of  the  ancient  life  of  the  earth,  or 
  of  fossils  which  are  the  remains  of  such  life. 
 
  From  WordNet  r  1.6  [wn]: 
 
  paleontology 
  n  :  the  branch  of  archeology  that  studies  fossil  organisms  and 
  related  remains  [syn:  {palaeontology},  {fossilology}] 




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