Conservation Paleobiology

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We will develop techniques that can be used to understand the biology and ecology of rare and endangered species without direct observations or experiments on those species. Rare and endangered species are often difficult to study because their populations are very small and because direct observations and experiments can harm the species. We will apply geochemical and paleontological methods to the analysis of shells and bones in museum collections, archeological sites and natural accumulations. We will use growth lines in bones and teeth to determine age spans and growth rates. We will use the geochemistry of the bones and shells to determine diet, water sources, and salinity. We will examine three rare and endangered species in the northern Gulf of California: the Colorado delta clam (a mollusk), the totoaba (a fish) and the Gulf of California harbor porpoise (a marine mammal). These species are endangered by either direct human activity or through environmental changes caused by the near-complete diversion of Colorado River water for human uses. The techniques developed and tested in this project may be applied to the conservation biology and restoration of other rare and endangered species.