The nature of science: The fundamental role of natural history in ecology, evolution, conservation, and education

Abstract

There is a contemporary trend in many major research institutions to de-emphasize the importance of natural history education in favor of theoretical, laboratory, or simulation-based research programs. This may take the form of removing biodiversity and field courses from the curriculum and the sometimes subtle maligning of natural history research as a "lesser" branch of science. Additional threats include massive funding cuts to natural history museums and the maintenance of their collections, the extirpation of taxonomists across disciplines, and a critical under-appreciation of the role that natural history data (and other forms of observational data, including Indigenous knowledge) play in the scientific process. In this paper, we demonstrate that natural history knowledge is integral to any competitive science program through a comprehensive review of the ways in which they continue to shape modern theory and the public perception of science. We do so by reviewing how natural history research has guided the disciplines of ecology, evolution, and conservation and how natural history data are crucial for effective education programs and public policy. We underscore these insights with contemporary case studies, including: how understanding the dynamics of evolutionary radiation relies on natural history data; methods for extracting novel data from museum specimens; insights provided by multi-decade natural history programs; and how natural history is the most logical venue for creating an informed and scientifically literate society. We conclude with recommendations aimed at students, university faculty, and administrators for integrating and supporting natural history in their mandates. Fundamentally, we are all interested in understanding the natural world, but we can often fall into the habit of abstracting our research away from its natural contexts and complexities. Doing so risks losing sight of entire vistas of new questions and insights in favor of an over-emphasis on simulated or overly controlled studies.

Keywords: biodiversity; conservation biology; earth sciences; equity; museums; policy; science education; taxonomy; undergraduate education.

FIGURE 1

A selection of specimens representing a small part of the diversity covered by natural history research, with a focus on specimens studied by the co‐authors. (a) Sterna paradisaea. (b) Anthopleura sp. (c) Aeshna canadensis. (d) Hirudo verbana. (e) Ornithomimus edmonticus. (f) Ixodes scapularis and Derma centorvariabilis. (g) Pollicipes sp. (h) Ascidiella sp. (i) Asiomorpha coarctata. (j) Clinostomus elongatus. (k) Malachite (Hunterian Museum M6752). (l) Kootenayscolex barbarensis. (m) Canis lupus familiaris. (n) Cardisoma crassum. (o) Unidentified Kinorhyncha. (p) Carcharodon carcharias. (q) Saccoglossus pusillus. (r) Fluorite with calcite (Hunterian Museum M623). (s) Saxifraga oppositifolia. (t) Hericium erinaceus. (u) Chelydra serpentina. Photo credits: a, c, p, s: Thomas M. Cullen. b, d, g, i, m, t: Danielle de Carle. e: David C. Evans. f, u: Erica Fellin. h, o, q: Karma Nanglu. j: Rowshyra Castañeda. k, r: Erika B. Anderson, The Hunterian, University of Glasgow. l: Jean‐Bernard Caron. n: Javier Luque.

FIGURE 2

Natural environments (top of the figure) provide not just the inspiration that begins the scientific process but also the data needed to generate and test hypotheses and ultimately understand the world. The concentric rings of icons depict how specimens such as plants, animals, and minerals underlie all aspects of research. Data, such as the morphology of animals and the structure of minerals (first ring), provide the means to understand fundamental features of the natural world, such as how niches are partitioned or how abiotic factors influence community structure (second ring). In turn, knowledge from the second ring provides the substrate for the analyses (third ring), often associated with the words “science” or “research.” The results of these analyses can not only inform future studies that return to natural systems for validation and further study but also influence societies at large through education initiatives and by informing policy decisions (fourth ring).