Fossil record holds a key to conservation

UQ paleontologists have contributed to a new book that shows how to incorporate fossil data into ecological and conservation studies.

Paleontology in Ecology and Conservation, features Dr Julien Louys of the School of Earth Sciences as editor and fellow UQ postdoctoral Dr Gilbert Price as a contributor.

The book targets modern ecologists and conservation scientists.

Dr Louys said the book highlighted the unique and critical insights gained by the inclusion of paleontological data into modern ecology or conservation science.

It also provides a specific record of endangered species through time.

Dr Louys said studying the fossil record allowed scientists to make conservation decisions based on information dating as far as millions of years ago.

“It examines the future direction for multidisciplinary studies seeking to examine ecological and conservation processes in deep time,” Dr Louys said.

“Such data are not easily accessible by modern ecological studies.”

The book is published by Springer in their Earth System Science series.

Dr Julien Louys is a new postdoctoral researcher in the School of Earth Sciences at The University of Queensland.

His current research focuses on mammalian paleontology, including Australian Miocene and Pliocene faunas, but in particular the community ecology of Pleistocene/Holocene small mammal assemblages in central-eastern Queensland.

Dr Louys is interested in seeing a far greater integration between modern ecology and paleontology, particularly the examination of ecological theories in deep time, and developing novel ecological insights only discernable from examining data spanning larger temporal scales.

Media: For more information contact Lynelle Ross, School of Earth Sciences, The University of Queensland on (07) 3365 1023 at lynelle.ross@uq.edu.au.