PALEONTOLOGY
Paleontology
Hector Marin
Godfrey-Lee High School
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Abstract
Paleontology is the study of the past, fossils, and evolution. Being a paleontologist is a long and
rigorous process with rewards to reap. Many years of studying will be required and it will be
difficult, but it is worth it in the end. While the majority of people think that paleontology is all
about dinosaurs, they are most definitely wrong, there are many sub-disciplines. Most things in a
normal day at work for a paleontologist are quite difficult to view in a normal perspective, so a
different one is needed. Instead of seeing the job from a normal job perspective, one needs to
open their eyes to broaden their vision: it is not about finding the discovery or the money, its
about learning and studying what your heart most desires. Very recently, paleontology has also
played a role in the oil industry. And though we humans have evolved and developed
technology, paleontology continues evolving and adapting as well.
Image this: wandering through a lush jungle, hot and humid filled with vegetation.
Wiping the sweat off his brow, he continues to trek on the unknown land. Suddenly, the ground
beneath the man shakes with tremors and he quickly panics and dives for cover. A giant longneck reptile is passing by, oblivious to his location. As soon as it passes by you hear a
thunderous roar. A bipedal reptile with sickle-like sharp teeth has just locked on the man with its
sights. Just your luck, Tyrannosaurs Rex. Paleontology is a fascinating career full of many
hardships, obstacles, and patience-testing segments, but the passion and the love for the subject
is drive most people have.
Paleontology is the study of the past, of fossils, evolution, and how that is interpreted. A
Paleontologist mainly studies fossils while they work. Analyzing fossils, comparing with other
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researchers, and work in the field are just some types of work situation a paleontologist can get.
Depending on their rank, some may work in the field or a research lab. In the lab, most of the
work is done in a comfortable lab working 40 hours a week (“Paleontologist Job Description,”
n.d.). However, in the field it is much different. Much travel is done and to many different
locations. Extreme weather conditions are met and are very strenuous (“Paleontologist Job
Description,” n.d.)
The road to being a paleontologist is not an easy one, but it is driven by pure passion. In
high school, one should attempt to take as many science and math courses as possible. Outside
research such as visiting museums and such should also be strongly considered. In college,
strong background in the field of science is absolutely essential. Biology, geology, chemistry,
physics, and math through pre-calculus are a must to be a paleontologist (Warren, 2005). The
major would be a decision between biology or geology, sometimes being a double major in this
field. Since traveling is almost essential, having knowledge of a second language (French,
German, or Russian preferably) should be obtained as an undergraduate (Warren, 2005). Some of
the classes that should be taken include mineralogy, sedimentary petrology, ecology,
evolutionary biology, and genetics with skills in computer modeling and statistical analyzation
Warren, 2005).
While most people think that paleontology is the study of dinosaur fossils, there is a lot
more to the field than dinosaurs. Micropaleontology is the study of tiny organisms, no matter
how tiny and what group they might belong to This includes finding a small chicken size
dinosaur, to a mosquito covered in sap (amber), to small fishes fossilized on a rock (Valentine,
2005). Paleobotany is the study of fossil plants with algae and fungi included. Fossilized plant
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remains include fossilized ferns, tree bark, and angiosperms (Valentine, 2005). Palynology is the
study of pollen and spores and goes hand in hand with paleobotany (Valentine, 2005).
Invertebrate paleontology is the study of invertebrate animal fossils, such as mollusks, oysters,
and such (Valentine, 2005). Vertebrate paleontology is the study of vertebrate animal fossils
from dinosaurs, to mammals, to mammoths (Valentine, 2005). Paleoanthropology is the study of
prehistoric human remains such as australopithecus blacki, which was a huge ape-like creature
(Valentine, 2005). Taphonomy is the study of the process of decay, preservation, and formation
of fossils which applies to all fossils (Valentine, 2005). Ichnology is the study of fossil tracks and
footprints, sometimes casts of the footprints are made for research (Valentine, 2005).
Paleoecology is the study of the climate of the past;most of this is concluded by fossils, rock
formations, deserts, and other methods (Valentine, 2005). Paleontology, as one can see, is not
simply dinosaurs.
A day in the life of a paleontologist can often be boring, but at times exhilarating. Before
a team goes on a dig for field work they must get proper documentation and permit paperwork
filed and done (Chilsen, 2010). As soon as that is done, is when the fun begins. Traveling to the
excavation site, the team must get up early since it becomes too hot in the afternoon to work.
From there, the first part of a dig occurs: prospecting. Prospecting is looking around or carefully
observing the area for fragments of bones or scatters. These are normally found near hillsides
and much precaution must be taken so while they are being examined they are not disturbed
(Chilsen, 2010). Once a fossil is discovered the second part of the dig begins: quarrying.
Quarrying is digging around the fossil to expose it without moving it itself. Many things are done
after this such as: marking the location on GPS, stabilizing the bone mapping it, and taking notes
on everything (Chilsen, 2010). Once this is done, a process called jacketing then starts. Jacketing
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is covering the fossil with a plaster jacket to ensure the fossil is protected. Once it is fully
jacketed, the fossil is extracted and sent or carried to base camp (Chilsen, 2010). Hard work,
patience, and discovery are all parts of a typical day on the job.
Over the years, things haven't really changed much from paleontology. Despite the new
technological advances and high tech toys, the old school digging remains the main way to
unearth a fossil. The traditional pickaxe and shovel remain symbols of excavation and discovery
(Chilsen, 2010). However, some new technology has helped the paleontologists immensely in
research. 3-D scans and new equipment allows us to model the fossils and make more accurate
predictions on how these animals moved or looked like. Special equipment can now scan the
underground in an area and report back any known findings. The old technology mixed with the
new makes digging and researching all the better in this new age (Spielberg, 1993).
In this new age, paleontologists have adapted new roles in society. One of these big new
roles is finding oil and gas. Since paleontologists have skills in excavating and much knowledge
in geology, they are essential to this job. Oil companies are noticing this and are willing to hire
them in order to find oil and resources. Fossil fuels will also be very efficient and essential in
these new energies found by paleontologists (Armentrout, 1997).
In the end, dinosaurs are only a tiny piece of the puzzle that makes up paleontology.
From tiny fishes, to massive sauropods, all of these are researched by paleontologists. As the
21st century nears, there will be a growing demand for oil and resources, a perfect job for
paleontologists. In the end, it is pure passion is what drives the mind to pursue such an amazing
career as paleontology.
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Resources
Armentrout, J. M., Lorente, M. A., Ozumba, B., & van Heck, S. (n.d.). (1997) Paleontology in the 21st Century. In
Paleontology in the 21st Century. Retrieved March 29, 2013, from
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosted_sites/paleonet/paleo21/rr/industry.html
Chilsen, P. (Director). Carr, T., & DeSantis, C. (Actor). (2010). A Day in the Life of a Paleontologist [Online video]. Carthage
College. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjhDV_GzTM8
Paleontologist Job Description, Career as a Paleontologist, Salary, Employment - Definition and Nature of the Work, Education
and Training Requirements, Getting the Job. In StateUniversity.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013,
fromhttp://careers.stateuniversity.com/pages/7860/Paleontologist.html
Spielberg, S. (Director). Neill, S. (Actor). (1993). Jurassic Park [Motion picture]. United States: Universal Studios.
Valentine, J. W. (2005, October 7). What is Paleontology?. In What is Paleontology?. Retrieved April 11, 2013, from
http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/vendian/auvendian.html
Warren D. Allmon. (2005). I Want To Be A Paleontologist. In Paleontology Careers. Retrieved April 11, 2013,
fromhttp://www.priweb.org/ed/lol/careers.html