Identifying the Big Questions in paleontology: a community-driven project

作者：Jansen A. Smith, Elizabeth M. Dowding, Ahmed Awad Abdelhady, Paolo Abondio, Ricardo Araújo, Tracy Aze, Mairin Balisi, Luís A. Buatois, Humberto Carvajal-Chitty, Devapriya Chattopadhyay, Mario Coiro, Gregory P. Dietl, Catalina González, Charalampos Kevrekidis, Julien Kimmig, Alexis M. Mychajliw, Catalina Pimiento, Omar Rafael Regalado Fernández, Katlin Schroeder, Rachel C. M. Warnock, Tzu-Ruei Yang, Moriaki Yasuhara, Lailah Gifty Akita, Bethany J. Allen, Brendan M. Anderson, Jérémy Andréoletti, Fernando Archuby, Gustavo A. Ballen, Md. Ibrahimul Bari, Michael J. Benton, Eugene W. Bergh, Luciano Brambilla, Anieke Brombacher, Yong Kit Samuel Chan, Alfio Alessandro Chiarenza, Tsogtbaatar Chinzorig, Kadane M. Coates, David R. Cordie, Miguel Cortés Sánchez, Eduardo J. Cruz-Vega, Jonathan D. Cybulski, Kenneth De Baets, Julia De Entrambasaguas, Erin Dillon, Andrew Du, Alexander M. Dunhill, Jon M. Erlandson, Marie-Béatrice Forel, William J. Foster, Terry A. Gates, Alexandra Gavryushkina, Molly K. Grace, Hans‐Peter Grossart, Patrick Hänsel, Paul G. Harnik, Melanie J. Hopkins, Samantha S. B. Hopkins, Keyi Hu, Huai‐Hsuan May Huang, Randall B. Irmis, Victory Armida Janine Jaques, Xavier A. Jenkins, Advait M. Jukar, Patricia H. Kelley, Romina Gisela Kihn, Adiël A. Klompmaker, Ádám T. Kocsis, Jürgen Kriwet, David Lazarus, Chun-Chi Liao, Chien‐Hsiang Lin, Julien Louys, Jesús Lozano-Fernández, M. Carmen Lozano-Francisco, Jessica A. Lueders‐Dumont, Mariano E. Malvé, Rowan C. Martindale, Ilaria Mazzini, Giorgia Modenini, Subhronil Mondal, Mariana Mondini, Mateo D. Monferran, Laura P. A. Mulvey, Karma Nanglu, Jacqueline M. T. Nguyen, Richard D. Norris, Aaron O’Dea, Amy L. Ollendorf, Johanset Orihuela, John M. Pandolfi, Telmo Pereira, Alejandra Piro, Roy E. Plotnick, Stephanie Plaza‐Torres, Arthur Porto, Albert Prieto‐Márquez, Surangi W. Punyasena, Tiago B. Quental, Nussaïbah B. Raja, Voajanahary Ranaivosoa, Lauriane Ribas-Deulofeu, Florent Rivals, Vanessa Julie Roden, Antonietta Rosso, Farid Saleh, Rodrigo B. Salvador, Erin E. Saupe, Simon Schneider, Judith A. Sclafani, Martin R. Smith, Antoine Souron, Manuel J. Steinbauer, Mathew Stewart, Claudia P. Tambussi, Ellen Thomas, Emanuel Tschopp, Thomas Tütken, Sara Varela, Raúl I. Vezzosi, Amelia Villaseñor, Manuel F G Weinkauf, Lindsay E. Zanno, Chi Zhang, Qi Zhao, Wolfgang Kiessling · 发表于：Paleobiology · 年份：2025 · DOI：10.1017/pab.2025.10042 · 被引用次数：7 · 研究领域：Geochemistry and Geologic Mapping、Evolution and Paleontology Studies、Species Distribution and Climate Change

Abstract Paleontology provides insights into the history of the planet, from the origins of life billions of years ago to the biotic changes of the Recent. The scope of paleontological research is as vast as it is varied, and the field is constantly evolving. In an effort to identify “Big Questions” in paleontology, experts from around the world came together to build a list of priority questions the field can address in the years ahead. The 89 questions presented herein (grouped within 11 themes) represent contributions from nearly 200 international scientists. These questions touch on common themes including biodiversity drivers and patterns, integrating data types across spatiotemporal scales, applying paleontological data to contemporary biodiversity and climate issues, and effectively utilizing innovative methods and technology for new paleontological insights. In addition to these theoretical questions, discussions touch upon structural concerns within the field, advocating for an increased valuation of specimen-based research, protection of natural heritage sites, and the importance of collections infrastructure, along with a stronger emphasis on human diversity, equity, and inclusion. These questions offer a starting point—an initial nucleus of consensus that paleontologists can expand on—for engaging in discussions, securing funding, advocating for museums, and fostering continued growth in shared research directions.