Final answer:
Paleontologists, biologists, geologists, anthropologists, genetic scientists, and astronomers have all played vital roles in advancing our understanding of time and evolution by studying fossils, living organisms, and the cosmos.
Step-by-step explanation:
Various types of scientists have contributed significantly to our understanding of time and evolution. Key among these are paleontologists, who study fossils to learn about the earth's biological past and the evolution of life. This group of scientists utilizes fossils as a 'cosmic time machine,' allowing us to peer into the past and understand how living organisms have evolved through successive generations over millions of years. Additionally, the work of biologists and geologists like Charles Darwin and Charles Lyell has been instrumental in furthering our understanding of evolution, the former through observing natural selection in living organisms and the latter through studying the geological processes that shape our planet and interpreting evidence for extended periods of geological time necessary for such evolution.