What personal characteristics or people skills are needed to be a Paleontologist?

Answer 1

Paleontologists do a wide range of activities depending on what portion of Paleontology they are working on. Probably the main physical characteristic needed for most paleontology work is good eyesight. Working in the field looking for new specimens needs not only the good eyesight, but physical endurance in a variety ofweather conditions. Fossils seem to enjoy hiding in hard to reach places that require you to climb up and down steep slopes of loose rock in 115˚ weather. Paleontologists working to recover the fossils once they are found have to be able to handle the same conditions, plus be able to squat in uncomfortable positions for hours while brushing away half a hillside with a toothbrush alternating with moving huge boulders by hand. Immunity to snake, spider, centipede, scorpion, and hornet bites/stings is a big plus. Unusual headgear may help with all of this; there is always at least one member of a field team in a really strange hat.

Once back in the lab, specimens need to be cleaned and prepared, a job that requires excellent eyesight, a steady hand, and amazing patience. Once that's done it has to be studied and described in detail, more eyesight and tedium.

The other thing paleontologists must have to be successful is the ability to set through/give speeches that last for hours, usually going into great detail and covering little but a subject like the variations in the holes bored in fossil sea shells by marine parasites during the early Permian Period.

It also helps to be able to sit in a tent and drink warm beer with half a dozen people who haven't had a shower in the last 5 days after climbing up and down steep slopes of loose rock in 115˚ weather.

By the way this entry was taken from "Now and Then Comes A Thought" from this sight:

http://answers.Yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070412101659AA37TjI

Thanks!

Answer 2

Paleontologists need to be able to solve problems. They also need strong math and science skills including extensive knowledge of geology and physics.