A paleontologist studies fossils to learn about what the earth was like before even your grandparents were born! They spend time carefully digging in remote places and analyzing what they find so that they can piece together the history of the earth. They use many different fields in their work including biology, geology, engineering and even history. Paleontologists are the reason we know so much about the past, including ancient civilizations and dinosaurs!
Read about women who are paleontologists:
Mary Leakey