Jaydan Augustin
Pronouns: He/Him
Research Mentor(s): Ethan Shirley
Research Mentor School/College/Department: Earth and Environmental Sciences / LSA
Program:
Authors: Jaydan Augustin, Ethan Shirley
Session: Session 4: 1:40 pm – 2:30 pm
Poster: 30
Abstract
Studies of conservation paleobiology use paleontological data to understand and promote modern conservation. One important aspect of this field is how past extinction and fossil evolution make people think and feel about modern conservation of endangered species, however there is no research about this topic in the scientific literature. Uganda is a country with both an abundance of extremely important fossil discoveries and an emphasis on conservation of two of the most endangered primates in the world: the chimpanzee and the mountain gorilla. In 2023, we surveyed attitudes in rural Ugandan schoolchildren (n = 989) before and after an outreach program highlighting unique fossils and conservation of modern primates in Uganda. Respondents’ attitudes changed positively with respect to feelings of closeness and genetic similarity to chimpanzees and gorillas, and about the importance of saving and protecting primates. However, respondents also reported an increase in belief that many animals are meant to go extinct due to natural causes and that if chimpanzees and gorillas go extinct, it will be because of nature and not human input. This suggests that a new understanding of extinctions long ago actually could reduce people’s sense of urgency about conservation today. Responses indicated a lack of understanding of terminology related to conservation, extinction, and evolution, and that the surveyed population knows little about what fossils are. This shows that conservation and paleontology researchers must be abundantly careful in presenting ideas about conservation to local communities due to different linguistic and cultural contexts that might render efforts to communicate important information moot. This study and others like it can help guide future conservation efforts and teach us how to discuss past extinction in the context of current conservation.
