Question 1

What is palaeontology?

Accepted Answer

Palaeontology is the study of ancient life, mainly through fossils. Fossils include body remains such as bones, teeth, shells, and leaves, as well as traces of activity such as footprints, burrows, and droppings.From some of Earth’s earliest organisms about 3.5 billion years ago, to later forms such as trilobites, ammonites, dinosaurs, mammoths, and many other animals and plants, palaeontology is concerned with organisms that have lived through Earth’s evolutionary history, and with how they interact with their environments.

Question 2

Is palaeontology the same as archaeology?

Accepted Answer

No. Both may involve fieldwork, excavation, and analysis, but they study different things.
Archaeology focuses on the human past, such as ancient human activity, culture, sites, burials, and other traces left by people. Palaeontology studies ancient life and the fossil record, such as dinosaurs, plants, insects, and trilobites. Non-avian dinosaurs, for example, went extinct about 66 million years ago — long before human civilisation — so scientists who study dinosaurs or other prehistoric organisms are palaeontologists, not archaeologists.

Question 3

Do palaeontologists only study dinosaurs?

Accepted Answer

No. Scientists who study dinosaurs are palaeontologists, but palaeontology covers far more than dinosaurs.Fossil organisms lived in past geological ages and were as varied as living ones. Palaeontologists specialise in different areas by what they study, for example vertebrate palaeontology, invertebrate palaeontology, palaeobotany, and micropalaeontology.Dinosaurs are well known, but they are only one part of the field. Vertebrate palaeontologists also study fossils of fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, mammals, and other vertebrates.

Question 4

Why study extinct organisms?

Accepted Answer

Palaeontology helps us understand the history of life on Earth, patterns of evolution, and how organisms respond to environmental change. Through the fossil record, scientists can reconstruct the trajectory of life over billions of years, explain how modern biodiversity arose, and study how climate and environmental upheavals, including mass extinctions, have affected animals and plants.Dinosaurs are a clear example. During the Mesozoic, they flourished for more than 160 million years and evolved a wide range of ecological roles. Around 66 million years ago, however, non-avian dinosaurs and many other organisms disappeared in the end-Cretaceous mass extinction. That event redirected the evolution of terrestrial ecosystems and opened new ecological niches for the diversification and rise of mammals, ultimately helping shape the modern biodiversity, including humans. Studying dinosaurs is therefore not only about an extinct group of animals. It also helps us understand how terrestrial ecosystems evolve, how life adapts to change over deep time, and how global environmental crises can reshape Earth’s biodiversity.Palaeontology is also a powerful medium for science education. Dinosaurs and prehistoric life are often students’ first point of contact with science, and their sense of mystery naturally sparks curiosity. Through palaeontology, students can see how science asks questions, collect evidence, and builds knowledge, while encountering interdisciplinary concepts from biology, Earth sciences, mathematics, engineering, and digital technology. We do not expect every student to become a palaeontologist. What matters more is that they experience the process of scientific exploration, and that learning Earth’s long history of life fosters curiosity about and respect for the natural world.

Question 5

What subjects do I need to study to become a palaeontologist?

Accepted Answer

Palaeontology is an interdisciplinary science that draws on biology, geology, Earth history, evolution, ecology, and anatomy. At secondary school, biology, geography, and other science subjects help build a foundation in the life sciences, Earth sciences, and scientific methods.
At university, depending on the institution, students may study palaeontology directly, or begin with related subjects such as Earth sciences, geology, biology, ecology, zoology, or botany, then specialise in palaeontology at postgraduate level. Different research directions also call for different backgrounds: vertebrate palaeontology usually needs a foundation in anatomy and evolutionary biology, while micropalaeontology or palaeoenvironmental research may place more weight on geology, stratigraphy, and sedimentology.

Question 6

Can I study palaeontology in Hong Kong?

Accepted Answer

Some university staff in Hong Kong conduct research related to palaeontology, for example, in vertebrate palaeontology, micropalaeontology, geology, and palaeoclimatology. At the moment, however, local universities do not offer a dedicated palaeontology degree programme or palaeontology department, so it is not yet possible to complete a degree focused mainly on palaeontology in Hong Kong.

Question 7

Does the Hong Kong primary and secondary curriculum include palaeontology-related content?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Palaeontology may seem distant from everyday life, but a fair amount of Hong Kong school content already touches on palaeontology or natural history.For example, the primary science curriculum introduced in 2025 covers not only life-science themes such as animals, plants, and the environment, but also topics on Earth history, including landforms, rock types, and ancient organisms and fossils. At secondary level, senior biology and geography go further into evolution, biodiversity, the fossil record, geological time, and strata.

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PALAEONTOLOGY Q&A

We have gathered frequently asked palaeontology questions from students, educators, the media, and the public, and provide scientific answers on fossils, dinosaurs, palaeontological research, and Hong Kong’s natural history.

This page will be updated from time to time with further Q&A.

What is palaeontology?

Is palaeontology the same as archaeology?

Do palaeontologists only study dinosaurs?

Why study extinct organisms?

What subjects do I need to study to become a palaeontologist?

Can I study palaeontology in Hong Kong?

Does the Hong Kong primary and secondary curriculum include palaeontology-related content?

FIELDWORK & RESEARCH

EDUCATION

CONSULTANCY

​

PALAEONTOLOGY Q&A

We have gathered frequently asked palaeontology questions from students, educators, the media, and the public, and provide scientific answers on fossils, dinosaurs, palaeontological research, and Hong Kong’s natural history. This page will be updated from time to time with further Q&A.

What is palaeontology?

Is palaeontology the same as archaeology?

Do palaeontologists only study dinosaurs?

Why study extinct organisms?

What subjects do I need to study to become a palaeontologist?

Can I study palaeontology in Hong Kong?

Does the Hong Kong primary and secondary curriculum include palaeontology-related content?

We have gathered frequently asked palaeontology questions from students, educators, the media, and the public, and provide scientific answers on fossils, dinosaurs, palaeontological research, and Hong Kong’s natural history.

This page will be updated from time to time with further Q&A.