Subject: How paleontologists develop an image of an animal?

Can you help me with a layman’s explanation of how paleontologists will take 
just the skull of an unknown animal – then figure out what it looked like and 
how it lived. Say the Pakicetus for example.

This is a re-submit. Actually this is my son's question to me, I picked the 
area of Science 
history, because my original answer to him (after he studies whale evolution) 
was that they can "map genomes and stuff" - - I have no idea if that's right, 
and I'd love to give a better answer - including how they did it before DNA 
studies.

Re: How paleontologists develop an image of an animal?