Think of paleontology as the world’s longest-running detective story.
The clues? Bones, shells, burrows, teeth, pollen, footprints, coprolites (yes, that’s fossil poo—stay with me).
The crime scenes? Ancient seas, volcanic plains, river deltas, deserts, and the deep time between epochs. The suspects? Every organism that has ever lived. It is science and adventure and years and years of delight for the endlessly curious student of Earth.
Paleontology is the scientific study of ancient life—how it evolved, what it looked like, where it lived, how it died, and how all of that stitched together the tapestry of Earth’s ever-changing ecosystems.
How Do You Actually Become a Paleontologist?
Becoming a paleontologist doesn’t start with “discovering dinosaurs at age five,” but it certainly doesn’t hurt. Some of us get the thrill of the hunt early? Rocks in your pocket all the time? It may be the career for you. If it is, the path looks something like this:
1. Get the Right Education
- Bachelor’s degree in geology, biology, earth sciences, or a related discipline. You’ll learn to read the rocks and the critters in them.
- Field experience—dig something, anything. Volunteer with museums, join local paleo societies, take field courses.
- Graduate school—most paleontologists go on to a Master’s and often a PhD, specializing in something deliciously niche: trilobite biomechanics, Cretaceous plant communities, Ice Age megafauna, ammonite taxonomy, fossil fish… you get the idea. If your interests are more broad, consider a career in science communication or teaching versus pure paleo.
2. Build Your Skills
Paleontologists are equal parts scientist, writer, backpack-hauler, and spreadsheet wrangler. You’ll need:
- Rock hammer and chisel confidence (and the ability to avoid your own toes).
- Microscopy patience.
- Statistical grit.
- Creative problem-solving (the fossil you want is always 3 cm from where your tools fit).
- Writing chops—for papers, grants, permits, reports, and the occasional “I did not anticipate rattlesnakes” field note.
3. Find a Job in the Field
Paleontologists (and science communicators) work in:
- Museums
- Universities
- Government agencies
- Resource industry (paleo is key to stratigraphy and energy geology)
- Cultural and environmental consulting
- Science communication, film, publishing, digital modeling, education
The path can be winding. Many paleontologists are part-time researchers + part-time teachers + part-time adventurers + full-time caffeine enthusiasts.
Advice for Future Paleontologists
- Be Curious in All Directions. Fossils aren’t just bones. They’re ecosystems, climates, chemistry, sediments, and stories. They are the catalyst to great friendships and wonderful adventures.
- Say Yes to Opportunities. Field school? Go. Volunteer prep lab? Go. Someone needs a PDF of a 1912 journal scanned? Get it done. It might lead somewhere.
- Find Mentors. Paleo thrives on community. Your future collaborators, coauthors, and field buddies are often the ones you meet early on. Pro tip: do not sleep with your supervisor. This may seem a little risqué to mention here, but consider yourself warned. All mentors are not created equally. If your supervisor is relentlessly hitting on you, step away.
- Get Comfortable With Uncertainty. Fossils rarely tell you everything. Sometimes they barely whisper. It can take years to discover what you are looking for but paleo offers a lifetime of exciting discoveries.
- Learn to Communicate. Whether you’re teaching students, giving public talks, or writing grant proposals, your ability to explain will be as important as your ability to excavate.
- Keep It Fun. Deep time can feel overwhelming, but the work is often joyful—dusty, muddy, exasperating, hilarious, and deeply meaningful.
Back When Paleontology Was… Wild
In the early days—think late 1700s to the mid-1800s—paleontology was a bit of a glorious free-for-all. Scientists were just beginning to realize that fossils weren’t “sports of nature” or leftover pieces from Noah’s flood. They were evidence of worlds that no longer existed.
Some Highlights of the Early Era:
- Mary Anning, collecting fossils on the dangerous cliffs of Lyme Regis, quietly rewriting the history of life while the scientific establishment tried to pretend she wasn’t doing it.
- Georges Cuvier, the father of vertebrate paleontology, piecing together mastodons and giant ground sloths with uncanny intuition—and occasionally ruffling feathers along the way.
- William Smith, a canal engineer who mapped England’s geology by matching fossils layer by layer—essentially inventing stratigraphy.
- Early paleontology involved pickaxes, speculation, daring leaps of logic, polite (and not-so-polite) academic duels, and the occasional feud conducted via increasingly annoyed letters.
- By the time the Bone Wars erupted in the late 1800s between Cope and Marsh—full of spies, sabotage, dynamite, and rival field camps—paleontology was well on its way to becoming both a serious science and the world’s greatest scientific soap opera.
A Few Famous Paleontologists (and Spicy Paleo Tidbits)
- Mary Anning – Found the first complete ichthyosaur, the first plesiosaur, and early pterosaurs. Never claimed the spotlight, but history eventually corrected that oversight. Probably would have rolled her eyes at much of Victorian science drama.
- Othniel Charles Marsh – Described over 80 dinosaur species, pioneer of the Yale Peabody collections, and occasional instigator of academic chaos.
- Edward Drinker Cope – Brilliant, fiery, and sometimes too quick to publish. Once put a fossil’s head on the wrong end. We’ve all been there (well… sort of).
- Roy Chapman Andrews – Adventurer, inspiration for Indiana Jones, and leader of the Central Asiatic Expeditions that uncovered Velociraptor and the first dinosaur eggs.
- Meave Leakey – Modern paleoanthropologist uncovering human origins, reminding the world that our lineage is just as fascinating as dinosaurs.
- Jack Horner – Helped transform our understanding of dinosaur growth and behaviour, and advised on Jurassic Park, making sure the on-screen raptors were scientifically terrifying.
So—Why Paleontology?
- Because it’s the science of the past, but informs the future.
- Because fossils don’t just tell us what lived—they reveal how life responds to climate change, extinction events, shifting continents, and planetary upheaval.
- Because deep time gives us perspective: life endures, adapts, transforms, and occasionally grows hilariously large horns or sails just to keep things interesting.
- And because there is something indescribably profound about holding a fossil in your hand and realizing the last time it saw daylight, the world was unrecognizable.
If you’re pulled toward that feeling, paleontology might just be calling you. Now, where do you go if you want to be a paleontologist? If you would like to study in Canada, here are your options:
University of Alberta (UAlberta)
- One of the best paleontology programs worldwide.
- Famous for dinosaur research, fossil vertebrates, paleoecology, and the online Paleo courses.
- MSc and PhD in Earth and Atmospheric Sciences with paleo supervisors.
University of Calgary
- Strong in vertebrate paleo, paleoenvironmental studies, and Western Canadian sediments.
University of British Columbia (UBC)
- Not exclusively paleo but strong in invertebrate paleontology and paleo-oceans via Earth Sciences.
Carleton University
- Paleobiology, paleoecology, and invertebrate fossils.
McGill University
- Paleobotany, micropaleontology, evolutionary biology.
If you plan to study in the United States, these are the schools to check out:
University of Chicago
- Home of the Committee on Evolutionary Biology; leading in evolutionary paleobiology.
- Famous names include Jack Sepkoski and Neil Shubin.
Yale University
- Legendary Peabody Museum collections.
- Strong vertebrate paleontology, paleoanthropology, and macroevolution.
Harvard University
- Museum of Comparative Zoology–huge collections.
- Paleoanthropology, invertebrate paleontology, and systematics.
University of Michigan
- Excellent invertebrate & vertebrate paleo and paleoecology.
University of California, Berkeley
- World-class vertebrate collections; strong in dinosaur evolution, paleoecology, and micropaleo.
University of Kansas
- Well-rounded vertebrate and invertebrate paleo program.
University of Colorado Boulder
- Strong in vertebrate paleo and Cenozoic ecosystems.
Duke University
- Paleoanthropology, primate evolution.
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
- Strong hands-on paleo program tied to the Black Hills Institute.
University of Montana
- Good for applied paleo and stratigraphy.
If you are thinking of taking your education in United Kingdom & Europe, here are the schools to consider:
United Kingdom
University of Bristol
- One of the world’s top paleontology centres.
- MSc and PhD programs specifically in Palaeobiology.
- Fantastic for dinosaurs, early vertebrates, and statistical paleobiology.
University of Edinburgh
- Vertebrate paleo, especially early tetrapods and marine reptiles.
University of Cambridge
- Famous for Palaeobiology, human evolution, microfossils.
University of Oxford
- Strong in paleoecology, paleoclimate, and invertebrates.
University of Manchester
- Known for paleoimaging, fossils in 3D, early dinosaurs.
Germany
University of Bonn
- Top-tier vertebrate paleo (e.g., dinosaurs, early mammals).
University of Munich (LMU)
- Evolutionary paleo, macroevolution, and fossil arthropods.
University of Tübingen
- Paleoanthropology and vertebrate paleontology.
France
Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle (MNHN), Paris
- Historic paleo institution—vertebrates, invertebrates, and paleoanthropology.
Sorbonne University
- Earth sciences with strong paleo options.
Scandinavia
Uppsala University (Sweden)
- Early vertebrates, paleoecology.
University of Oslo (Norway)
- Marine reptiles, Scandinavian fossils.
Asia & Oceania
China
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing
- World-leading research in early mammals, feathered dinosaurs, and Mesozoic ecosystems.
Peking University
- Evolutionary biology with paleo research tracks.
Japan
Hokkaido University
- Cretaceous marine reptiles and dinosaurs.
Australia
University of Queensland
Marine paleo, ichnology, and fossil sharks.
Flinders University
- Vertebrate paleo, especially megafauna.
Australian National University (ANU)
- Paleoanthropology and evolutionary biology.
South America
Argentina
Universidad Nacional de La Plata
- Dinosaur-rich country; strong vertebrate paleo.
Universidad Nacional de Córdoba
- Paleoecology and South American megafauna.
Brazil
Federal University of Rio de Janeiro
- Paleoecology, invertebrates, and the famous Brazilian fossil beds.
How to Pick the Right Program
Find a supervisor whose research excites you. Your advisor matters far more than the university name. Ask around for input from fellow students and colleagues.
Consider what kind of paleo you want to do:
- Vertebrates
- Invertebrates
- Paleobotany
- Paleoecology
- Micropaleontology
- Paleoanthropology
- Geobiology
- Evolutionary biology
- Paleoclimate
- Taphonomy
- Stratigraphy
Check the collections & field sites nearby.
- Good fossils + good mentors = a very happy graduate student.
Look at funding—seriously.
Some countries have better funding for international students than others. Some universities use international students like cash cows and charge them much more than regular students. Do your research early on so you have no surprises and a realistic idea of what your costs will be and their expectations of you.
I will be adding more to this post over the holidays as it is a question I am often asked. Once I have updated all the information, I will make it a downloadable PDF for you to keep and add your own notes to as you progress towards your career in paleontology.
