The three Jurassic Park films, Ross in Friends loving his dinosaur bones and the growing belief in evolution, have made palaeontology a hot career to pursue.

Palaeontologists are scientists who study ancient life by digging up fossils. The field is incredibly diverse because every living organism is specialised in, from dinosaurs to fossil insects and snails.

There are many different studies of palaeontology, some of them include vertebrate palaeontology (animals with backbones), invertebrate palaeontology (animals without backbones), palynology (ancient pollens and spores) or palaeobotany (fossilised plants).

To become a palaeontologist, be sure to sharpen your Physics, Maths and Geology skills early on. You’ll probably start off studying Earth Sciences at a University, and then select your field of interest.