Paleontologists work to understand extinct organisms. Paleontologists use their creativity to learn about past life. Paleontology blends multiple science disciplines such as geology, biology, chemistry, and more. Paleontology also has a healthy amount of artist contributions; paleoart, which reimagines fossil organisms as living specimens, and museum exhibits require an artistic eye. The ways people can approach paleontology are as diverse as the paleontologists themselves. From hobbyist paleontologists to professors, anyone can be a paleontologist.
Given that paleontology aims to understand all life through time, it is vital that many people with different focuses work together. Science is a collaborative effort after all. Research diversity comes in many forms: ranging from the fossils studied, the type of data the researcher is collecting, and how the researcher interacts with the fossils.
Many people think of a field technician when they think of paleontologists, someone working outdoors excavating fossils from the rock. While fossil excavation is crucial to the science, it is but one part of paleontology. Fossils need to be cleaned of sediment, repaired, and reinforced in a lab setting. Fossils also must be kept safely preserved in a museum exhibit or archival collection. Additionally, fossils must be used for education and research. In order to handle all of these jobs, paleontological organizations are composed of people with differing interests and skill sets.
Paleontological work may seem limited by the fossil specimens available, but truly the main limitation is imagination. Creativity keeps paleontology moving forward. Paleontology always needs more passionate people with fresh ideas and fresh perspectives. We at The Montana Dinosaur Center would love to hear what you are most passionate about in paleontology and what great ideas you have.
Tag: fossils
Being a Paleontologist: Types of Fossils
Typically the first question someone interested in paleontology asks themselves is “what type of fossils do I want to work with?”
First, let’s answer the question “what is a fossil?” A fossil is evidence of a previously living organism preserved as a geologic object. These range from bones turning into stone, to impressions of leaves being preserved in mud, to the sediment mold of a shell, and much more.
Fossils come in many forms which we have classified into helpful categories. Starting with the most broad umbrella terms for fossil types, we have body fossils, ichnofossils (trace fossils), and molecular fossils. Body fossils have a straightforward definition, these fossils were once physically part of an organism. Some examples are teeth, bones, shells, petrified wood, and sometimes soft tissues like muscle and feathers. Ichnofossils, also known as trace fossils, are preserved evidence of an organism interacting with its environment. Trace fossils come in many forms like body fossils, with some examples including eggshells, dung, footprints, burrows, and worm trails. Molecular fossils, which are often called biomarkers, are a bit more complicated. These are chemical signatures produced, typically by microorganisms, that are incorporated into sediments and sedimentary rocks.
From there, we can get more specific. For instance, paleontologists studying body fossils can be classified based on what type of organism they wish to study. Paleontologists who study animal fossils are typically divided into vertebrate paleontologists and invertebrate paleontologists, depending on if they want to work with animals with a bony skeleton or animals without a bony skeleton. Paleontologists who study plant fossils are called paleobotanists and if they focus on pollen fossils specifically they are palynologists. Paleontologists interested in studying fossil fungi are called paleomyconologists. And last but certainly not least are the micropaleontologists, those who work with microscopic fossils. These can belong to bacteria, archaeans, as well as microscopic remains of animals, plants, and fungi.
With such a broad field, everyone can find something they are truly passionate about. Some people love all dinosaurs equally, some people prefer specific dinosaurs, and some still prefer trilobites over all dinosaurs. There is no wrong choice regarding what fossils to love and study. What’s important is for paleontologists to work with what they love and to work well with other paleontologists, whether they have similar interests or vastly different ones.
Being a Paleontologist: Working with Fossils
Paleontologists learn about the past by working with fossils and their associated rock formations. There are many ways to work with fossils which can be classified into broader categories. Typically we divide working with fossils into field work, lab work, and collections work. Regardless of what environment we work in and how we work with the fossils, it is important that we always handle them with care and respect. Fossils are non-renewable resources, meaning if we destroy one it cannot be replaced. As scientists, it is important that these precious resources are handled properly and with the public’s best interests in mind.
The field work aspect is often what people think of when they hear the word “paleontologist.” Images of Ellie Sattler and Alan Grant from Jurassic Park ™ come to mind. People with big hats, hiking boots, and sporting khaki pants crouched over a fossil find is an iconic image of a field paleontologist. Similar to these two icons, we put on our proper gear for the field and begin exposing fossils from the rock. First we have to find fossil bearing locations to set up dig sites at. This step is called prospecting, where we search for fossils eroding out of the ground. Once we determine a location has fossils and we establish a dig site, we begin carefully excavating the fossils. Depending on the type of rock the fossils are buried in and how the fossils are preserved, paleontologists will employ the use of various hand tools such as awls, dental picks, oyster knives, trowels, paintbrushes, and more. The goal is to expose enough of the fossil to document where it was found and the condition it was found in. We do not want to remove all the rock matrix from the fossil while in the field, as the rock is typically providing vital support for the fossil and also has useful environmental data. Paleontologists will remove enough rock so that the fossil is on a pedestal of stone. Finally, we place a plaster jacket around the fossil to protect it as we remove it from our dig site and transport it to our lab space and/or collections.
Once a fossil is removed from the dig site, it is either worked on in a fossil preparation lab or in a collection for research and/or educational purposes. In a lab setting, a fossil preparator works on fossils in a process called preparation. Fossil preparation involves removing the remaining rock matrix from the fossil, taking detailed lab notes, repairing broken parts of the fossil, and filling gaps made by missing pieces of the fossil. Fossil preparators use a mixture of hand tools and powered tools, like air scribes and air abraders. It is the preparator’s job to carefully clean and preserve fossil specimens, so they can be used for research and education for generations to come. Fossil preparators must be masters of patience. We need to move slowly and carefully when preparing fossils, rushing is how fossils get damaged irreparably. A rough conversion of time is that for every hour of work put into a fossil while in the field, that translates to 6-8 hours of work in the lab. Some fossil preparation projects take years to finish, but are well worth the wait.
Finally, we come to collection work. Collection management is where the fossil specimens are kept in archival settings and properly cataloged. By archiving specimens properly, we ensure that they last for as long as possible, keeping these resources available for future generations of scientists. This is an important step for determining what fossils can be safely displayed in a museum and how to properly display them. Museums keep fossils in the public trust. Museum displays are how the public can learn about the fossils. Cataloging fossils is important for researchers. This way they can access the scientific notes they need and find the fossil specimens easily in what can be a massive collection. The overall goal of keeping fossils archived is so that scientists may research them to better understand our past and share their findings with the public. From there, specimens may be carefully handled either within the collections or taken to a lab for a scientific study.