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Researched by Tyler S.
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A dinosaur is a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore that lived millions
of years ago. Some were gentle and some were dangerous. They
are all extinct now, which means that there are no more of them living
anywhere on earth. Some scientists think a whole bunch of comets
hit the earth and changed the climate, which caused the dinosaurs to die.
Some dinosaurs were less than 5 inches long and some were even 60 feet
long.
Paleontologists study prehistoric animals, like dinosaurs, by examining bones and fossils. They find out how long ago dinosaurs lived by using chemical tests. When they find the answer they go back to the place they found the bones to find more of that type. They try to put the skeleton together so if they can, they might send it to a museum. When the scientists study the bones they have to figure out how the animal lived and why the animal died. Paleontology has been around for over 100 years.
Paleontologists have work schedules that can change from day-to-day depending on whether they are in a lab or on a dig or if they find a new species or discover new bones.
They work in labs for a few days then they study out in the field in the desert, hills, forests and some times even mountains. They work in the labs conducting tests and studying the bones or fossils. When they are in the field they search for bones and fossils scattered around. When they find a bone they take it to the lab to study it.
There are people who study only one certain type of dinosaur. Some study all kinds of fossils or dinosaurs.
Paleontologists use shovels, picks like a dentist would use on your teeth, brooms, trowels, brushes and some times they will use heavy machinery like a bulldozer on really rough ground to soften it up.
Paleontologists make very good money, about $70,000 to $90,000 a year. They don’t have to work all the time like some jobs.
Working with the equipment can be very dangerous. They sometimes use a jack hammer for softening up the ground but it is dangerous to use the jack hammer by the cliffs. You could fall very easy.
The minimum education level is the Doctoral degree which is the lowest degree you can have to become a paleontologist.
There is no licensing or certificate available for paleontologists anywhere in the United States.
The personal skills they need are helping , teaching , technical , logical mind , good problem solving and attention to details.
Science and reading would help because the study of dinosaurs involves reading some books or magazines or a computer.
With a degree in the geological science workers can make about $40,000 a year. With a
Doctoral degree and experience of 10 to 20 years they make $78,000 to $90,000 a year.
In the future there will not be very many jobs available for all the people who qualified to be paleontologists. A few will be able to do research and a few will be able to teach college.
There will not be very many jobs in Washington for paleontologists. There are not very many in the United States either.
Paleontology has been changed a lot because the equipment has become more sophisticated. There have been surprising new discoveries. Labs are shutting down because there is not enough money to help fund research.
Geology is the closest related job besides Anthropology. There are more that are still related.
You have to go to college and study very hard. Get good grades to be a paleontologists. But some people just can’t do it.
One of the best websites is http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/sci/tech/newsid_8700001879956.stm.
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