Exploring the world of prehistoric reptiles

Chinyere Opia 00:15

You’re listening to Science in Africa. This is a Nature Africa podcast; and I am Chinyere Opia.

In this episode, we’re journeying to South Africa to meet Nonhlanhla Vilakazi. She works at the University of Johannesburg, where she teaches in the Department of Zoology.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 00:36

I also do research at the Cradle of Humankind. That's where we find most of our fossils here in South Africa, especially those that have to do with our ancestors.

Chinyere Opia 00:46

Nonny, as she likes to be called, is a paleoherpetologist.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 00:49

Paleoherpetology is the study of fossil or extinct reptiles and amphibians. We know that with paleontology, we study life on earth but with Paleoherpetology, it’s specific. That's why we study reptiles. So, our fossil reptiles, your lizards, your snakes, and how they came to be.

Chinyere Opia 01:10

So, what exactly does your work entail?

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 01:13

I look at reptiles from the Cradle of Humankind, you know, with the Cradle a lot of people look at the hominids, our human ancestors, but I look at the reptiles, what they tell us about the environment, if there are changes, what our ancestors had to endure during that time. So that's what I look into. We were able to describe the first fossil fang. So, it's rinkhals, we were able to describe that, it's quite small, it's very tiny. And it tells us about the environment. We know that most of these reptiles like savanna type areas where there are rocky outcrops. So, it tells us about the environment back then and we are able to reconstruct the environment and corroborate by looking at other fossils like your bovids, your Springboks, and everything else.

Chinyere Opia 2:00

The prehistoric world has fascinated a lot of people.

Many are intrigued by dinosaurs, ancient creatures and a world where secrets lie buried beneath the sands of time. But as enthusiasts seek to uncover the wonders of prehistoric life, many are left with more questions than answers. The Paleoherpetologists become like detectives, but instead of solving crimes, they unearth the secrets of the past!

Chinyere Opia 2:34

Now, for our curious listener, you might wonder about the difference between a paleontologist and an archaeologist.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 2:41

An archaeologist basically studies civilization, so they study your past human lifestyle and cultures. But with paleontology, we study the history of life on Earth. So, with archaeology, it’s specifically what involves humans, but with paleontology, it involves everyone. So, from your flowers, your plants and animals, other animals. That's the difference.

Chinyere Opia 3:02

Fossils and artifacts sure have fascinating stories to tell! But some people might wonder why we should care about fossils.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 3:12

I am going to be specific when it comes to reptiles, they are very, very important, because they tell us about the changes in the environment. And as you can see, we have issues with climate change. So, if we study fossils, or study past life, it informs us about what we are seeing now and about the future.

Chinyere Opia 3:31

So, fossils hold the keys to our planet's past. Like time capsules that let us glimpse into ancient ecosystems. Wow, that's like being a time traveller! And speaking of time, why do fossils matter in our world today?

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 3:48

If we know what happened with extinctions, mass extinctions and what came to be, what caused that, it's easier for us to create, or establish models on what to expect in the future when it comes to our environment, the changes or climate change. So, they're very, very important.

Chinyere Opia 4:06

So, fossils help us reconstruct the past environments, and even predict how future ecosystems might respond to changes like climate change or other environmental challenges. But some people might argue that focusing on prehistory is less important than addressing present-day problems, especially in regions like Africa.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 4:25

Science is interdisciplinary. So, by me looking at fossils, it doesn't mean that I focus on fossils only. We also have sedimentologists, we also have geologists, we have everyone on board, we have people who look at the geography. So, it ties in very nicely. The fossils will tell us about the past, and through that we are able to predict the future. Yes, Africa has all these other, more pressing issues, but those pressing issues, they are tied to what we see today, climate change, and we can only understand that by looking at the fossils, the past life, because the past life will tell us if we are going through the same patterns that our ancestors saw. We need to look at those patterns and understand what happened with it and if we can be able to prevent that from happening ever again.

Chinyere Opia 5:17

So, it's all interconnected. It’s about finding a balance between the past and the present. And finding this balance by accessing well-preserved fossils, decoding ancient behaviors, and piecing together the puzzle of prehistoric ecosystems should be quite a challenge.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 5:33

Most of our hepatologists look at the outward morphology. So, they look at the skin, the scales, and the color patterns of reptiles, they don't look at the bones. And when looking at muscle, and you know, the skin, it doesn't help a paleontologist or paleoherpetologist, because we only find bones. So, we don't have enough comparative material for us to study these fossils. So now it gives me a lot of work, because now I have to go back and create my own database and that takes a very, very long time. So that's my biggest challenge. Having comparative material.

Chinyere Opia 6:10

For some researchers, promoting inclusivity and respect in all fields of science is a rising cause for concern. Many are calling for the need to rectify historical biases in research, collaborating with indigenous communities, and giving credit where it's due. As a result of this concern, there is an ongoing discourse about decolonising paleontology.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 6:31

For us to decolonise the study of paleontology, especially if you look into Africa, let Africans tell their story. I think it's easier that way, if you let Africans tell their own story, then it's not influenced by anyone outside. Now what we're doing, we know that, as a qualified paleontologist, I don't go out by myself to dig up fossils. I also have technicians. But whenever we write these articles, most of us don't even mention these technicians. And these technicians know more about fossils than us. It's just that they don't have proper documentation. They don't have qualifications over this, but they know more than us. And I believe that if we start by doing that, and acknowledging them, and let them tell the story, then that's how we will start decolonizing this discipline.

Chinyere Opia 7:23

After overcoming the hurdle of decolonizing paleontology, the next chapter should be on making paleontology more appealing. For Paleontologists like Nonny, representation is the key to unlocking this fascination.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 7:37

If you change the face of paleontology, then it's easier. people will be able to relate to it. When I first did paleontology, there was no one like me. So, you see, representation matters, When I teach and students start seeing someone like them. Because you know, the majority of our students are like me, so when they see someone like them, it's easier for them to understand that oh, I can actually do this. I don't have to be a medical doctor. It's not as foreign. So, I believe that representation matters, it's very, very important. If we change the face of the discipline, then we'll start seeing all these changes that we desire.

Chinyere Opia 8:14

The immersive power of AI technology now sparks my curiosity. How can AI enable us to step back in time to analyze fossil data, unlock patterns, connections and reveal stories of prehistoric times?

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 8:28

We usually create models. And like I said that with reptiles, they're very important. So, they are indicator species, you know, that when we grew up where I used to stay, there were frogs, lots of frogs, but we don't see that anymore. So, if we use AI, and see the patterns and understand why we don't see frogs that much now, they can tell us about the future if we’ll ever have frogs again or a certain a different kind of species of frogs. So, AI is very important because it gives us leeway in understanding and mapping out what we can expect in the future.

Chinyere Opia 9:03

One thing has become apparent today - increasing temperatures. The effects of high temperatures on prehistoric reptiles are more than just ancient history. Understanding how they coped in the past could shed light on how modern reptiles might deal with climate change today.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 9:21

Looking at reptiles, they are cold blooded, and they are very temperature specific. I fear that in the long run in the next maybe 20 to 30 years, the numbers of our reptiles would have dwindled, because now it's getting hotter and hotter. And we have all these extremes. So, it's quite funny, they can't even regulate their own temperatures. And that affects them as organisms. So, I'm a bit worried and concerned that, the next generation or three generations from now, they won't have what we are seeing today, most of them would have gone extinct.

Chinyere Opia 9:53

Earth’s climate has always been dynamic and life on this planet has faced its share of challenges. But like Nonny advocates, if we could just change our mindset about these reptile neighbors of ours, maybe we can join in the mitigation efforts to prevent the extinction of some reptiles like our slithering friends.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 10:13

Going out to the communities and explaining to them the importance, and I'm going to base this also on the African continent, you know, most of our black brothers and sisters don't have enough information on snakes, the first thing we do when we see snakes, we want to kill them, because we think they are dangerous. So, if we go out there and just explain to them, they’re important, that we are able to map out and see any changes in the environment by looking at their patterns, it will be very beneficial to us and generations to come. So, I think as scientists, we need to go out there and make science accessible. It's not about us only, it's not about our science communities only. But we need to be inclusive and involve everyone out there so that it's easier for us to at least save whatever is left of our planet earth. Because as you can see, we have extremes now and it's quite scary.

Chinyere Opia 11:05

Thank you so much, Nonhlanhla Vilakazi, for taking us on this incredible journey through time and the fascinating world of palaeoherpetology.

Nonhlanhla Vilakazi 11:13

Thank you very much for having me!

Chinyere Opia 11:16

That is all for today's podcast. If you are interested in more stories like this and other science-based articles, check out our Nature Africa website at nature.com/natafrica. I am Chinyere Opia. Thank you for listening.