A paleontologist is a scientist who studies the fossilized remains of all kinds of organisms (plants, animals, fungi, bacteria and other single-celled living things), and is interested in knowing the history of organic life on earth.

These are the five “public-friendly” justifications:

1. “Paleontologists teach anatomy at many medical schools.”

2. “Fossils play an important role in oil discovery.”

3. “Paleontology is a good ‘gateway drug’ to the other sciences.”

4. “Paleontology is a good way to teach critical thinking skills.”

5. “Paleontology is inherently interesting; it doesn’t need further justification.”

Typical things a paleontologist does:

--determines location of fossils

--excavates layers of sedimentary rock to locate fossils

--gathers information on the fossils (age, location, etc)

--uses specific tools to excavate (chisels, drills, picks, shovels, brushes)

--evaluates any discoveries by using specialized computer programs

--compares new data to existing data

--analyzes findings in the lab

--identifies time period of fossils found

--shares results with colleagues from other scientific disciplines

http://blogs.plos.org/paleo/2013/02/19/why-paleontology-is-relevant/

https://www.sokanu.com/careers/paleontologist/

If fossil fuels (gasoline, gas, coal, etc) support the economy of the country, then the palaeontologist is responsible for finding them.

Now whether the society is happy to be using the remains of your ancestors (your own deceased grandparents or any pre-existing forms of life) as a source of fuel for your energy needs is another topic that needs to be addressed.