More from this author. 1  Largest World Cities: 2014. 2  World Urban Areas Population and Density: A 2012 Update. 3  Largest Cities in the World: 2016. 4  Largest 1,000 Cities on Earth: World Urban Areas: 2015 Edition. 5  The Costs of Smart Growth Revisited: A 40 Year Perspective.
Definition of fossil. 1  1 : a remnant, impression, or trace of an organism of past geologic ages that has been preserved in the earth's crust â compare living fossil. 2  2a : a person whose views are outmoded : fogyb : something (such as a theory) that has become rigidly fixed.
Back to Career Search. Description. Most people think of dinosaurs and the Flintstones when they hear the word paleontology, yet it is actually the study of fossils. A fossil is defined as any trace of a past life form, such as bones, shells, plants, tracks, trails and even coprolites (fossil feces), which may be preserved.