Celebrating 50 years of Paleobiology: revolutionary ideas on evolution
From its revolutionary beginnings in 1975, and an aim to marry biology and palaeontology to answer key evolutionary questions, Paleobiology continues to put innovative fossil and evolution research at its forefront. Proposed by Jim Valentine, the president-elect of the Paleontological Society at the time, the journal quicky established its purpose in exploring palaeobiological theory and emphasis on data driven quantitative methods. Prior anniversary issues have celebrated revolutionary thinking in the fields of macroevolution, paleoecology, taphonomy and phylogenetics. These once nascent areas of research are now central to the discipline of paleobiology. Highlights of the journal include the earliest ideas on punctuated equilibrium, selection, speciation, and macroevolutionary processes. Now, 50 years on, Paleobiology continues to uphold its original aims, and the 50th anniversary special issue reflects in the success of the journal and looks forward to the spirited future of paleobiology research.
This special issue includes 14 papers spanning several facets of progress in the field of paleobiology. Grouped into six themes, space and time dynamics, intrinsic macroevolutionary processes, Earth-life interactions, ecosystem origins, morphology and phylogenetic and data equity, the issue highlights the strength of the fossil record in answering evolutionary questions, despite its incompleteness. Many contributions recall work that was founded in the journal originally, as a testament to progress in the last 50 years of the field. With an authorship nearly double that of the 25th anniversary special issue, the collaborative nature and growth in interest of palaeobiology is especially notable.
Whilst a large focus of this issue is on scientific progress and innovation, this progress would not be possible without access to knowledge that underpins the field. To round up the anniversary issue, Dunne et al (2025) highlight the current issues in data equity in palaeobiological research, including curation, accessibility, and ethics of collecting and handling data. With this in mind, the Paleobiology journal has committed to full open access for all future issues, ensuring long lasting societal impact.
This special issue is both a celebration and call to action. It honours the great thinkers and collaborators who transformed palaeontology and welcomes the next generation of researchers to build on their legacy!
Paleobiology’s full 50th anniversary special issue is available here: https://doi.org/10.1017/pab.2025.4