taphonomist
/təˈfɑnəmɪst/
noun
- A scientist who studies the processes that affect organisms after death, including decay, burial, and fossilization.
- A taphonomist can tell whether a fossil was moved by a river or by predators.
- The taphonomist examined the ancient burial site to understand how the skeletons were preserved.
- She became a taphonomist because she wanted to reconstruct the lives of extinct animals.