Lessons From the Past: The Role of the Fossil Record in Protecting the Future (as Told by Two Paleontologists)

A Moment in Time

It’s another stiflingly hot day in Badlands National Park, and Max and I are walking to Conata Basin Overlook, yet again. “How many visitors do you think we’ll get today, Matt?”, Max asks me. “Oh, plenty, I’m sure”, I call back. Despite being absurdly hot already, it’s still early, so the normal hustle and bustle of the park hasn’t peaked yet, but I know we’re both looking forward to the conversations to come. We pause to survey our surroundings. The parking lot is vacant, for the moment. Cottonwood leaves rustle distinctly, a sound for which I am grateful – a breeze, even a slight one, makes all the difference when you’re in government-issued, polyester pants on a Badlands summer day.

Standing at the end of the boardwalk, the basin spread below us, I can’t shake the overwhelming feeling of time. I don’t have to ask Max if he feels the same; I can read it on his face. The Badlands are a place where one can experience the past, present, and future simultaneously. And it never gets old. 

The view from Conata Basin Overlook, the culmination of 75 million years of geologic activity.

I look down; the sign below us, titled “A Changing Climate”, discusses how the environment here changed drastically over millions of years. I sigh audibly; I hate that sign. It’s misleading and lacks one vital component – a discussion of time. You wouldn’t believe the number of times Max and I have heard visitors remark to their travel partner, “See! The climate’s always changed!” as though they’d just won some longstanding argument. 

As park rangers, it’s our job to facilitate connection between visitors and the park itself, and we do this hoping a better understanding of Earth’s history and a deeper connection to the natural world will inspire visitors to do more to protect the environment. So that’s usually where one of us would chime in – “yes, the climate has and will always change, that’s not the problem. The problem is the rate at which it is changing now and the fact that that change can be attributed to a singular species: us.” We take turns, tag-teaming the discussion and providing context to the massive weight of geologic time that must be considered in order to understand the magnitude and velocity of the change occurring nowadays. Sometimes these conversations are productive; sometimes visitors disregard our comments and walk away. We have to try either way.

Matt gives an overview of the rich geologic history of Badlands National Park.

This is how Max and I spent our first summer together, back in 2022. Two park rangers, both paleontologists, both passionate about preserving the planet and educating the public, both working in the same place? We still talk about how slim the odds were that we both ended up there, at that moment in time, but, boy, are we glad we did. Though we went our separate ways for a while, that summer set us on a path toward protecting the future, by learning from the past. It was only a matter of time before we came back together.

Rangers Max (left) and Matt (right) in 2022.

Paleontology and Conservation – A Dynamic Duo

The connection between paleontology, the study of ancient life on Earth, and modern-day conservation is not always immediately apparent to people. Which is fair; how does the deep past play a role in the future? As paleontologists and educators who have also taken part in conservation (protecting species like black-footed ferrets, big horn sheep, desert tortoises, and lake valley tui chub!), Max and I have been afforded a unique window of perspective on these two topics.

What is Paleontology? Any why is it important? Join "Dr. Grant" and his students to find out.

As paleontologists, we study incredibly long-term trends in ecology, animal behavior, and evolution as they respond to environmental changes. Paleontologists (and geologists) have a saying that guides our scientific inquiry – “the present is the key to the past”. This simple phrase operates on the assumption that the basic ecologic, biologic, and geologic forces operating today also operated in the deep past and that claiming anything to the contrary would be an extraordinary claim and therefore require extraordinary evidence to support. Though less frequently discussed, the inverse is also true; the past is the key to the present and, in some cases, the future as well.

Let’s think about that...for decades, scientists have documented that human activity is raising atmospheric CO2 levels and bringing a slew of detrimental effects with it. Since the present is the key to the past, we can infer that there were times recorded in the rock and fossil record when the climate changed drastically (not as a result of human activity but relevant nonetheless). We know this to be true; Earth has endured ice ages, volcanic turmoil, asteroid impacts, and so much more. In these instances and many more throughout geologic time, the past is also key to the present and provides us with clues about the future. If we study how ecosystems, animal behaviors, and evolution reacted to climate events in the past, we can begin to predict how ecosystems might react to future changes in climate and work to put preventative measures in place.

Max discusses his Master's thesis research on Mosasaur competition and why understanding extinct animal behavior is important for modern conservation.

Conservation is vital to preserving the incredible diversity of life on Earth, and we are so grateful for the work done by conservationists around the globe, don’t get us wrong, but sometimes conservation is forced to be a bandage on the wound, so to speak, due to the urgency of saving species. Taking the perspective of the fossil record into account, however, will allow us to put preventative measures into place that treat the root cause of the illness and will keep us from having to apply larger and larger bandages in the future. Through the combined powers of paleontology and conservation, we will thus be able to treat the underlying illness, not just the symptoms, and understand how it might evolve over time.

Protecting the Past to Protect the Future (You Can Protect Fossils Too!)

If paleontologists look to the past to learn about the future, then we must also protect the past to protect the future. The protection of fossil resources is vital if we hope to gain as comprehensive of an understanding of the past as possible and apply this knowledge to the present and future. This is now more important than ever; science and America’s public lands are under attack in the current administration. Giving in to these efforts spells doom for humanity and every other species on Earth, who has just as much (if not more) of a right to be here as we do.

You may be asking yourself, “what can I possibly do?” We’re here to tell you that you play a vital role. You can help by sharing what you’ve learned here today, by getting out into nature, by educating yourself and others around you, by recreating responsibly on public lands and beyond, by living more sustainably, by donating to scientific research, conservation, and public lands, by putting pressure on companies and policymakers to protect our future, and by encouraging others to do the same.

As for us paleontologists, we would love it if you help us reduce the number of fossils lost to erosion or theft by practicing citizen science and reporting any fossils you find to the proper authorities, especially on public lands.

How to report fossil finds and Badlands National Park (or really any public land in the US!)

Thank you for taking the time to read this article; we hope it has provided you with a new lens through which you can explore, protect, and learn about the dynamic and storied planet we all share.

If you’re feeling inspired and would like to explore these topics further, we would highly recommend reading Timefulness by Marcia Bjornerud for an accessible, beautifully written, and unique take on our place in time.

Remember – hope is not lost, and the fight is far from over.