PASTEUR’S QUADRANT AND CONSERVATION PALEOBIOLOGY (Invited Presentation)

A recent survey of the conservation paleobiology community (Dillon et al. 2022) highlighted the tension between basic and applied research in the field, with some perceiving the field as a primarily academic pursuit and others viewing it as an applied science. Here, drawing insight from Donald Stokes’ quadrant model of scientific research, I argue that such “basic” versus “applied” framing of the current research landscape in conservation paleobiology is a false dichotomy. In this framework, research is categorized as to whether it is conducted in the pursuit of fundamental understanding (basic research) and/or whether it is motivated by considerations of practical use (applied research). Some research is curiosity driven to expand understanding, with no thought of practical use. Other research is undertaken to develop applied uses, whereas other research advances understanding while simultaneously addressing real-world problems (use-inspired research or Pasteur's quadrant). I propose that research in conservation paleobiology is best described as a spectrum of research approaches that synergistically interact over time (e.g., applied research may result in a hypothesis generating advance that stimulates basic research). After reviewing Stokes’ model, I use examples from the literature of invasive species in the fossil record to illustrate this argument.