Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
paleoanthropology
Introduction References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics
Quizzes
greylag. Flock of Greylag geese during their winter migration at Bosque del Apache National Refugee, New Mexico. greylag goose (Anser anser)
Biology Bonanza
Three flint axes from the stone age. (prehistoric, tools, early humans, culture, archaeology, implements)
Quick Quiz: Humans and Their Remains
Quick Facts
Also spelled:
Palaeoanthropology
Also called:
Human Paleontology
Britannica AI Icon
Adding us as a Preferred Source tells Google you trust our content, so our articles show up more often in your Google Search, Discover feed, and AI Overviews.
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites

paleoanthropology

Also known as: human paleontology, palaeoanthropology
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
Britannica Editors
Last updated
•History

News •

Scientists Unlock 700,000-Year-Old Secrets Hidden Inside a Giant Elephant Tooth • Oct. 14, 2026, 3:00 AM ET (SciTechDaily)

paleoanthropology, interdisciplinary branch of anthropology concerned with the origins and development of early humans. Fossils are assessed by the techniques of physical anthropology, comparative anatomy, and the theory of evolution. Artifacts, such as bone and stone tools, are identified and their significance for the physical and mental development of early humans interpreted by the techniques of archaeology and ethnology. Dating of fossils by geologic strata, chemical tests, or radioactive-decay rates requires knowledge of the physical sciences.