The fossil record, from ancient to recent times, can help identify traits and environmental conditions that were associated with higher risk of extinction in past climate-change events which can inform conservation strategies and decision-making into the future. This review highlights the ecological and environmental information available in the marine fossil record and how this can be used to assess current extinction risk and develop conservation plans and restoration targets. We also identify future research directions in conservation paleobiology and emphasize the need for cross-disciplinary and coproduced research.
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January