Explorers of Deep Time: Paleontologists and the History of Life

Description

Paleontology is one of the most visible yet most misunderstood fields of science. Children dream of becoming paleontologists when they grow up. Museum visitors flock to exhibits on dinosaurs and other prehistoric animals. The media reports on fossil discoveries and new clues to mass extinctions. Nonetheless, misconceptions abound: paleontologists are assumed only to be interested in dinosaurs, and they are all too often imagined as bearded white men in battered cowboy hats. Roy Plotnick provides a behind-the-scenes look at paleontology as it exists today in all its complexity. He explores the field’s aims, methods, and possibilities, with an emphasis on the compelling personal stories of the scientists who have made it a career. Paleontologists study the entire history of life on Earth; they do not only use hammers and chisels to unearth fossils but are just as likely to work with cutting-edge computing technology. Plotnick presents the big questions about life’s history that drive paleontological research and shows why knowledge of Earth’s past is essential to understanding present-day environmental crises. He introduces readers to the diverse group of people of all genders, races, and international backgrounds who make up the twenty-first-century paleontology community, foregrounding their perspectives and firsthand narratives. He also frankly discusses the many challenges that face the profession, with key takeaways for aspiring scientists. Candid and comprehensive, Explorers of Deep Time is essential reading for anyone curious about the everyday work of real-life paleontologists. Table of Contents Part I. Deep Time 1. Those Who Know the Past 2. We Have the Best Questions 3. I’m Not Ross (or Indiana Jones) Part II. Exploring Deep Time 4. Attending Marvels 5. Safe Places 6. Cool Toys 7. Big Data and the Big Picture 8. The Ends of the Worlds as We Know Them 9. Lessons for and from the Living Part III. Explorers of Deep Time 10. The Education of a Paleontologist 11. Living in the Real World 12. The Face of Paleontology 13. The Third Reviewer 14. Conferring, Conversing, and Otherwise Hobnobbing 15. Fighting Over Scraps Part IV. Deep Time and the Broad World 16. This Land Is Your Land, Your Fossil Is My Fossil 17. For the Love of Fossils 18. Presenting the Past 19. Those Who Do Not Know the Past 20. Drawing on the Past 21. The World of Paleontology 22. Last Thoughts: SWOT-ing at Paleontology Acknowledgments Notes Index