Training Tomorrow’s Conservation Paleobiologists

Abstract

Conservation paleobiology (CPB) is committed to the mission of applying geohistorical records to the conservation and restoration of biodiversity and ecosystem services. Fulfilling this mission remains challenging because most conservation paleobiologists have not been trained to translate their science into management practice and policy. Ongoing discussion among conservation biologists provides lessons applicable to training tomorrow’s conservation paleobiologists. We offer six recommendations for more effective training in conservation paleobiology: (1) integrate CPB into truly cross-disciplinary conservation curricula; (2) promote a problem-solving and policy-oriented approach to CPB education; (3) implement hands-on experience in real-world settings; (4) promote informal opportunities for cross-disciplinary interaction; (5) establish connections among stakeholders; and (6) modify faculty incentive systems to reward CPB activities. Institutional constraints make implementation of these recommendations challenging, and development of CPB programs will involve tradeoffs. Despite these challenges, the approach we propose will better prepare tomorrow’s conservation paleobiologists to function effectively in the conservation world.