Abstract
In a recent paper, Ricklefs (2012) argued that the current emphasis on theoretical models undermines the relevance of natural history in ecology and advocated a return to observation of the natural world. This comment notes that part of the natural history observations needed to address keystone ecological patterns and processes are in often ignored past records. As demonstrated by Ricklefs, the origin and maintenance of extant biodiversity are used to illustrate the potential usefulness of past natural history in theoretical ecology and modelling. It is concluded that rather than testing current theories, past natural history calls for their reformulation.
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