primatology

noun

pri·​ma·​tol·​o·​gy ˌprī-mə-ˈtä-lə-jē How to pronounce primatology (audio)
: the study of primates especially other than recent humans (Homo sapiens)
primatological adjective
primatologist noun

Examples of primatology in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web To me, the key messages center on Dian as a female pioneer in the fields of both primatology and conservation. Corey S Powell, Discover Magazine, 8 Dec. 2017 In less than a decade Wright had gone from being a junior faculty member to a global voice in primatology and conservation. Dyan MacHan, Smithsonian Magazine, 7 July 2022 Her field research revolutionized the field of primatology, helping transform how scientists and the public perceive the emotional and social complexity of animals. David Crary, Star Tribune, 20 May 2021 In the ’60s, with primatology a fashionable area of academic study, a University of Oklahoma psychologist and his wife, Maurice and Jane Temerlin, decided to raise a chimpanzee as a human being, as an experiment in nature vs. nurture. John Anderson, WSJ, 27 Apr. 2021 Over the past six decades, the now 85-year-old English researcher has revolutionized the entire field of primatology. Katherine J. Wu, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Jan. 2020 The sociobiologist Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, for instance, found that previously established conclusions in primatology research were upended when women began entering the field and spotting the biases of previous (white, male) researchers. Melody Schreiber, The New Republic, 22 May 2020 The multidisciplinary team effort has involved articulatory and acoustic modeling, child language research, paleontology, primatology and more. Louis-Jean Boë, The Conversation, 11 Dec. 2019 Professor Zhang taught courses on primatology and ecology in the school’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology, taking students on field trips to study monkeys. Chris Buckley, New York Times, 12 July 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'primatology.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

primate + -o- + -logy

First Known Use

1926, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of primatology was in 1926

Dictionary Entries Near primatology

Cite this Entry

“Primatology.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/primatology. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

primatology

noun
pri·​ma·​tol·​o·​gy ˌprī-mə-ˈtäl-ə-jē How to pronounce primatology (audio)
: the study of primates and especially primates other than human beings
primatologist noun

Medical Definition

primatology

noun
pri·​ma·​tol·​o·​gy -ə-jē How to pronounce primatology (audio)
plural primatologies
: the study of members of the order Primates especially other than recent humans (Homo sapiens)
primatological adjective

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