Description
Study fossils and other evidence of ancient life to reconstruct Earth’s biological and environmental history. Use geology, biology, and quantitative methods to locate, collect, analyze, and interpret fossils; build biostratigraphic and paleoecological frameworks; and inform research, education, collections, and resource management.
- • Analyze and interpret fossil, stratigraphic, and geochemical data from field notes, cores, outcrops, or imagery.
- • Plan and conduct paleontological surveys, prospecting, excavations, and sampling programs.
- • Document, collect, prepare, and classify fossils and microfossils with precise provenience records.
- • Reconstruct past environments and ecosystems using fossil assemblages, sedimentology, and isotopes.
- • Prepare fossil locality maps, stratigraphic columns, cross-sections, and occurrence charts.
- • Locate and evaluate fossil-bearing strata using remote sensing, geologic maps, and predictive models.
- • Assess taphonomy and depositional settings to interpret preservation and sampling bias.
- • Conduct biostratigraphic correlation to date strata and support basin or subsurface studies.
- • Advise agencies, museums, or developers on paleontological resource management and regulatory compliance.
- • Monitor construction or quarry operations for fossil finds; implement salvage and curation protocols.
- • Communicate findings through peer-reviewed papers, presentations, technical reports, and public outreach.
- • Use microscopy, CT scanning, 3D imaging, and geochemical assays to analyze specimens.
- • Develop and maintain databases and GIS layers for fossil and stratigraphic data.
- • Analyze data with statistical, phylogenetic, and paleoecological software.
- • Curate, catalog, and conserve collections; ensure repository standards and metadata quality.
- • Collaborate with geologists, biologists, and climate scientists on evolutionary and paleoenvironmental studies.
- • Model evolutionary patterns, diversity trends, and extinction dynamics through time.
- • Review and evaluate paleontological resource assessments, work plans, and mitigation reports.
- • Study fossil indicators of past climate change and biotic turnover to inform models.
- • Measure stratigraphic sections, facies, and fossil abundance; produce detailed field logs.
- • Train and supervise field crews, volunteers, or students in field and lab techniques.
- • Obtain permits and ensure ethical collecting, health, and safety in field and lab.
- • Manage and conserve sensitive localities; develop site stewardship and monitoring plans.
- • Provide input for environmental impact assessments and land-use planning related to fossils.
- • Digitize and 3D scan specimens; create virtual models and educational assets.
- • Locate and review scientific literature, historical records, and technical reports.
- • Secure research funding through grant writing and project proposals.
- • Maintain lab equipment and oversee fossil preparation workflows.
- • Analyze trace fossils to interpret behavior and paleoecology.
- • Integrate paleontological data with sedimentology, geochronology, and geochemistry for syntheses.
- • Build taxonomic revisions and phylogenetic hypotheses using comparative morphology and datasets.
- • Share and archive data in repositories; comply with open data and curation policies.
Related specializations
Interview options
Interview options
Interviewee gender
Interviewee accent
Interview time
Related Pathways
Energy & Natural Resources
View
Source
Tasks & skills:
O*NET occupational data (work activities, skills, knowledge).
Learn more
Sources & Standards:
This site includes information from O*NET by the U.S. Department of Labor, Employment and Training Administration (USDOL/ETA), used under the CC BY 4.0 license. Career Clutch has modified some of this information for student readability. USDOL/ETA has not approved, endorsed, or tested these modifications. O*NET® is a trademark of USDOL/ETA.
Last reviewed: Jan 2026
