Hi, Benjamin -
I've taken a shot at your son's questions. Thanks for encouraging his interest!
Michael
1. Where did you go to school and how long were you in school?
I went to school at Montana State University for six years. (I have a B.S. in Biological Sciences.) It is typical for most who hold a Ph.D to have at least 8 years of higher education.
2. What does a paleontologist do each day?
This varies a lot. Some spend a lot of their time teaching at colleges and universities, often anatomy or geology courses. They read a lot. Good research relies on knowing about the work others are doing/have done, so keeping up with the literature is important. They also write a lot. As they come up with new ideas or observe new things, they publish their findings in scientific journals, where others can compare and evaluate the research. Most spend some of their time measuring or examining fossils, looking for similarities, differences, or new information. Some focus their work on the physiology of the animal - how it works. Others are interested in behavior (how it lived) or ecological relationships (how it interacted with other organisms and environments). Others are interested in phylogenetics (the ancestral relationships between different animals) and evolutionary history (how and why certain features may have developed). Paleontologists also spend time planning (and looking for funding for) field expeditions. Most only spend a few weeks or months per year in the field, due to weather and cost constraints.
3. Have you found any dinosaurs?
I have found only small pieces of dinosaurs, but I don't get out in the field much. (My job is to deal with the fossils after they've been collected.)
4. Where do paleontologist work?
Some work in museums, but many work in universities or colleges. Some work for government agencies that manage fossil resources (such as the BLM), and others work in the private sector as consultants who help land owners (sometimes the government, sometimes private) identify and successfully preserve fossils. Some choose to work as commercial collectors who sell the fossils that they find (although this is often controversial and at odds with many in the scientific community).
5. What is the biggest dinosaur you have work with?
I built a reconstruction of a ceratopsian skull that is nearly 9 feet long, and I reconstructed the largest T. rex skull known to exist. (Photos of both of these are on my website.)
6. Were there any fish and sharks (his other love) alive with dinosaurs?
Yes! Both fish and sharks can be found in sediments of the "dinosaur age" (Mesozoic era). Occasionally, we find fossil evidence of interaction between these animals. I've seen a fossil of a duckbill dinosaur with a fish inside of it. (The fish is believed to have swam into the carcass of the animal and become trapped.)
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Michael Holland
Principal/Owner
Michael Holland Productions
Bozeman MT
Original Message:
Sent: 05-17-2016 09:26 AM
From: Benjamin Watson
Subject: Does your museum have a paleontologist on staff?
This is kind of an unusual question, but I am having a hard time finding a paleontologist willing to answer a few questions for my young son. My five year old son has a love for dinosaurs and wants to be a paleontologist or a teacher like his mom when he grows up. He has been raised around museums and loves to visit different museums when we travel; for his 5th birthday he chose to have his party at The National Civil War Naval Museum where we volunteer. He asked me to find a paleontologist that could answer a few questions for him (he is advanced for his age and knows more dinosaurs by name than I do). His questions are:
1. Where did you go to school and how long were you in school?
2. What does a paleontologist do each day?
3. Have you found any dinosaurs?
4. Where do paleontologist work?
5. What is the biggest dinosaur you have work with?
6. Were there any fish and sharks (his other love) alive with dinosaurs?
If you have any ideas where I can get his questions answered it would be much appreciated.
Thank You,
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Benjamin Watson
Sr. Information & Audio Visual Technologies Specialist
National Infantry Museum Foundation
Columbus GA
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