Did Gollum deserve death?

[alatar]

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Or, he could have been Middle Earth's first paleontologist.

Paleontology - the study of prehistoric life forms. Does Middle Earth have a time that preceeds (recorded) history? Stuff from before the elves awoke?

Methinks that Gollum may have been searching for old bones, but he was just looking for a nibble, not knowledge.

In the broader sense, was Gollum a biologist/physical scientist? Again, as stated previously, what may have Tolkien been trying to say when he tells us about Gollum, and later about Saruman (who may have deserved death as well) as typically science is the conjoined twin of progress?