Many 10-year-olds have dreams of someday being a doctor or veterinarian or firefighter. Or maybe a professional athlete. Ethan Kreybig has one of those on his list, for now.

“I want to be either a paleontologist or a basketball player,” said the Stafford Intermediate Schoolfifth-grader. “I guess I won’t know which one I’ll be until I’m older, though.”

Indeed. But paleontology just might be his calling, the main indicator being not only his enjoyment of digging holes in the sand at the beach or in…