Palaeo-bioinspiration draws on the fossil record to advance innovation

Bioinspiration is an approach to innovation based on the observation of biological systems, of which only 0.1% remain since life began 3.7 billion years ago. Expanding the scope of bioinspiration to the fossil record greatly increases the diversity of potential biological "muses" and provides a means to understand the form, function and origins of current living systems. This extended approach, here termed "palaeo-bioinspiration", has already been applied to the fields of hydrodynamics, aeromechanics, actuators, protective technology and building construction. To reach its full potential, palaeo-bioinspiration has to overcome the misconception that fossils are "failures" or "primitive", and temper the widespread belief that extant biodiversity is inherently "optimised". By encouraging interdisciplinarity, investing in technical infrastructure and collaborating with both Natural Science institutions and industry, palaeo-bioinspiration could become a powerful asset within the bioinspiration domain.