Our field study in Wyoming is split into two classes: Ecology, and Geology and Paleontology. The two topics are interwoven and alternated throughout the week, as we might first study Cretaceous fossils from the Western Interior Seaway (basically, the middle of the continental U.S. used to be covered in water), and then look at modern organisms in local streams. It’s amazing to watch life on Earth progress throughout our studies. We’ve explored the outcroppings of many ancient rock formations, learning to identify their layers by color and composition, seeing how they stack and tilt, and all the while, modern life unfolds directly on top of it all. From the ammonite to the pronghorn antelope, we are learning Earth’s great story.
Another example of this is the transformation of dinosaurs, specifically theropods, to birds. We’ve found many theropod bone fragments, possibly from Allosaurus (think a smallish T-Rex) on Pitt’s Spring Creek Preserve. These are identifiable by their dense structure and hollow interior. Theropods needed hollow yet strong bones to run faster and hunt prey, while the modern birds that we observed at a nearby bird-banding station need them for flight. The black-capped chickadee, the common grackle, even the tiny house wren – they all evolved from huge, ferocious predators.
Learning about deep time teaches you that everything is always in flux – moving, changing, evolving – it’s just happening really slowly. It also teaches you that everything is relative. Our current changing climate and all of its potential impacts are terrifying, but the Earth has already seen so many fluctuations in temperature and form. From a sea of lava to a sea of water, breaking and reforming continents, multiple ice ages, and warmer eras that can inform us on our current plight, the Earth has seen it all, and life has endured. We are a pretty important and influential blip on deep time’s radar, but a blip nonetheless. And in a way, it can be comforting to feel so small.
The Earth’s history is not only interesting, it allows you to fully appreciate and understand the context of today’s ecological and environmental processes. This course has taught me just how connected the two fields of Geology and Ecology are, and how vital it is to have an interdisciplinary, well-rounded scientific perspective. Without knowing our past, we can hardly hope to understand our future.
