Definition of Occupation

A paleontologist is an expert in the study of fossils, prehistoric life, and evolution. They study fossilized remains of plants and animals found in geological formations for the purpose of learning about the history of life on the planet. They find and classify specimens according to their botanical and zoological family, study the relationship between these species and their environment, and formulate theories about ancient life, evolution, and extinction.

There are many subdivisions of the field of paleontology, including vertebrate paleontology (the study of fossils of animals with backbones), invertebrate paleontology (the study of fossils of animals without backbones), micropaleontology (the study of fossils of single-celled organisms), paleobotany (the study of plant fossils), taphonomy (the study of how fossils form and are preserved), biostratigraphy (the study of the vertical distribution of fossils in rocks), and paleoecology (the study of ancient ecosystems and how they developed).