paleobiologists

Paleobiologists are scientists who study the history of life on Earth through the fossil record and other remnants of ancient organisms. The field seeks to understand how species originated and went extinct, how they interacted with one another, and how past environments influenced evolution from the earliest multicellular life to the present.

Research integrates paleontology, geology, chemistry, and biology. Data come from fossil specimens, trace fossils, and sedimentary sequences, supplemented by geochemical and isotopic analyses, climate proxies, and computer models. Methods include field excavation, stratigraphy, radiometric dating, functional morphology, comparative anatomy, phylogenetics and cladistics, taphonomy, and digital imaging and 3D reconstruction.

Subfields include vertebrate paleobiology, invertebrate paleobiology, micropaleontology, paleoecology, paleoclimatology, paleobiogeography, and paleobotany. Researchers study life histories, behavior, and ecological roles, as well as broad-scale patterns such as diversification and extinction. The discipline often works in interdisciplinary teams with geologists, ecologists, chemists, and data scientists.

Education and careers typically involve degrees in geology, biology, or earth sciences, with specialization in paleontology or paleobiology. Work settings include universities, natural history museums, and research institutes, with fieldwork in diverse environments. Paleobiology has historical roots in early fossil collecting and 19th-century anatomy and geology, with notable figures such as Georges Cuvier and Mary Anning contributing to foundational knowledge.

Significance: by reconstructing past life and environments, paleobiology informs understanding of evolution, major extinction events, and past climate change, offering context for current biodiversity and conservation. It also helps calibrate timelines for the tree of life and provides insights into how life responds to environmental shifts.