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A paleontologist (pale-ee-on-tol-o-jist) is a scientist who studies the fossils of animals and plants of the distant past to learn what the earth was like and what kind of animals and plants lived on the earth millions of years ago. Fossils are the remains of animals and plants left in the earth before people lived in the world. They are most often found in rocks that were once soil that has hardened and become rock over time. The earth is very old. It has been here for a much longer time than people have lived on it. Therefore, we have no record written down by people of what the world was like in those long ago times. Paleontologists study the evidence contained in the earth as fossils in order to know what it was like then. It is paleontologists who have taught us about the dinosaurs who lived on the earth many millions of years ago. They have also told us about the animals that became the birds that we see today and that became the fish that live in the rivers and oceans and that became all of the animals that we know today, including dogs and cats. Paleontologists have taught us what the world was like once before and what it may be like in the far future once again. This knowledge helps us understand why the world is as it is and how we can obtain resources from it and what we must protect for the future. This year a real paleontologist, Dr. Peter Kranz, came to talk to us! We learned a lot from him. You can read about his visit here!  Return to the Main Kindergarten Page  Return to DuFief's Home Page |
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