Life and Death Lessons from the Fossil Record

Harvard FAS

The fossil record offers a unique perspective on the history of Life on Earth. Although paleontology might remind us of grotesque bones, dusty museum cabinets, and quirky scientists who relish both of those things—or God forbid, Ross Geller from Friends—the knowledge derived from the fossil record affects our daily lives in ways that are not immediately apparent. From its natural history origins during the 19th century, paleontology has become a cornerstone of neo-Darwinian evolutionary…