TELLING STORIES: EXAMINING CULTURAL CONNECTIONS IN STUDYING THE SIXTH EXTINCTION

The importance of paleontological approaches in understanding and addressing the challenges of the modern biodiversity crisis have gained attention in recent decades with the rise of conservation paleobiology. This rapidly growing subfield has led to more research by paleontologists in modern ecosystems, and in doing so, has created opportunities to explore the convergence between perspectives from the fossil record and culture when examining environmental changes. Human narratives offer insight alongside scientific study of biota yet are underutilized in learning about the sixth extinction in the paleontology classroom. Incorporating such stories could provide a meaningful new avenue to explore the biodiversity crisis via culturally responsive pedagogy.

It is well documented that students are more engaged and successful in learning if able to build on existing knowledge that has significance to their identity. Teaching with cultural connections as part of instruction that is more inclusive can be an effective way to broaden participation of underrepresented groups by examining scientific concepts through a meaningful cultural lens. Thus, how humans from different cultures do and have interacted with the natural world could bring more value into studying conservation paleobiology and the sixth extinction. In addition, such approaches have the potential to enhance cultural competency in the classroom by improving diverse representation in subject material, acknowledging the effects of species decline or loss on marginalized groups, and elevating the unique contributions that come from different cultures with regard to sustainable practices.

We initiated a project to examine the intersections between the ongoing biodiversity crisis, culture, and paleontological perspectives as a way to study the sixth extinction. Themes that emerged from our research included: modern species of concern that have cultural significance, ecological impacts on indigenous communities due to human-induced environmental changes, use of Traditional Ecological Knowledge in conservation efforts, and patterns in the distribution and abundance of flora and fauna given cultural contexts. These stories are being curated to be featured online as a resource available for others to use in instruction.