AboutDavid Prus Expertise I can answer any general questions about dinosaurs and on prehistoric mammals in the Cenozoic. I also know a bit about the media's various depictions of dinosaurs and their inaccuracies. I don't know much about "microfauna"-small animals, or about Paleozoic besides some knowledge about Permian animals. Plants are right out, I'm afraid.
Experience I have been interested in dinosaurs for most of my life, own a large collection of scientific papers and books on the subject, and am a member of the Field Museum in Chicago.
Education/Credentials I am in college, but studied biology and geology both in high school and as a personal effort.
Question QUESTION: Hello i have three questions i would like to ask you i hope you will know
(1) what subjects should i study to become a palentogist
(2) how should i go about becoming a palentologist
(3) this is not really a question this is a theory i have been working on
on a dying planet protozoas leave on an asteriod
then the asteroid kills of the dinosaurs
the protozoa evolve into animals
none of my mates believe thismay have happened because ionly believe thos theory because i dreamt it and in my RE class we are working on Dreams and she said i may have seen the past in my dream could my theory be possible?
Thanks for your help
ANSWER: 1) Geology, zoology (biology in general, actually), anatomy, some physics, some chemistry, and statistics
2) First, focus on those classes I've mentioned in grade school and high school. In college, try to find a specialized paleontology program. It's best to contact an expert and study under them in order to become an expert yourself. It takes years and years of study and hard work, but it can be done. I'm in the process myself, and it's taking a very long time simply because of the way things turn out. Be patient, tenacious, and keep your eye on your goal.
3)I afraid it's not quite possible. You see, it took millions and millions of years for complex organisms to develop from protozoa. Meanwhile, the asteroid impact did not destroy all life. Reptiles, birds, mammals, amphibians, fish, invertebrates; all managed to escape the catastrophe. The new life could cause some serious diseases (it's even possible that the K-T asteroid carried a pathogen that wiped out the dinosaurs), but life on Earth was too well-established for new forms to usurp it.
I hope this helps
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QUESTION: my friend has this theory and im not to sure about
he says over the mezozonic era the dinosaur shells got thinerand all the gasses from volcanoes would have killed the embreoes inside the egg
but since mammelsgive live birth mammels thrived could this be possible
Thanks sorry i forgot about this question
and last time your answer was brilliant 10/10
ANSWER: That's unlikely. While it may have been true for the larger species, there were still a lot of smaller dinosaurs that laid eggs small enough not to need a thinner shell. In addition, there is what Robert Bakker called the "toad problem". The toad problem is the requirement that whatever killed the dinosaurs did not kill toads. Toads have nearly liquid eggs, and the subsequent pollution would have certainly harmed them. In addition, there have been many volcanic eruptions in periods where the dinosaurs were even bigger (like in the Jurassic), and still many dinosaurs survived.Perhaps this DID happen in the Jurassic extinction that led to the downfall of sauropods and other giants, but I don't think this would be the case in the Cretaceous
I'm sorry, but it's not a waterproof theory.
I hope this helps.
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QUESTION: This is the last of the questions i promise lol
(1)how much is a weekly salary of a palentologist
(2)do you need a licence to become a palentologst
(3) wheres the best place to find a job as a palentllogist
Answer 1. Depends on the Institution (bigger=higher), credentials (more=higher), and the field (more specialized=higher). Ranges from $30,000 US to $150,000 US.
2. You don't need a license, but you do need a degree
3. Museums and universities with paleontology departments.
It's very difficult to get in and have a steady job, but it sounds satisfying if you have enough interest and personal investment
