Home » Science & Nature » Paleontology » What Should I Study?

What Should I Study?

© Beverly Eschberger

I am often asked by budding young paleontologists and their parents what an aspiring young scientist should study to prepare for a career in science, or even to be an informed amateur.

Geology Knowing how rocks form and other geologic topics is very important to paleontologists. Understanding the Geologic Time Scale and the stratigraphic record are necessary to understand when different plants and animals lived, and important events that happened at the time. Knowing how the relative positions of the continents have changed over time (see the Paleomap Project) is very important in understanding topics like paleoclimates and the distribution of certain groups of animals.

Mathematics Professional paleontologists and other scientists can't just look at data and make guesses, we have to be able to support our hypotheses with numbers. Studying statistics is very important in being able to draw conclusions about how animals lived and died.

Biology Probably the most important topic for any paleontologist to study. Remember, we are not just looking at dusty old bones, but at the remains of a creature that was once alive. There is a huge variety of biology topics that one can study to better learn about both extant (still living) animals, and to use that knowledge to better understand extinct animals.

Anatomy This is probably the most important subject for a paleontologist to know, if you cannot recognize and identify different bones, you will have a difficult time enjoying fossils. But there is more to anatomy than just the bones, and a good paleontologist does not ignore these other topics, just because they do not fossilize well. Understanding the musculature of extant animals helps us to understand how muscles might be attached in extinct animals, which helps us to understand how they looked and how they moved.

Physiology It has been said before, "We study the past so we may understand the present and predict the future." In biology it might be said that, "We study the present so we may understand the past." Knowing the physiology of extant animals can help us to understand topics like metabolism, reproduction, internal and external parasites and diseases in extinct animals.

Histology and Cell Biology Also known as micoranatomy, histology is the study of cell types. One of the fascinating directions that paleontology is taking today is the study of bone and soft tissue cells that have been preserved. By comparing what is seen in extinct and extant animals, we can have a better idea of the physiology of extinct animals.