Biotic interactions and their consequences for macroevolution: learning from the fossil record and beyond

Every organism interacts with a host of other organisms of the same and different species throughout its life. These biotic interactions have varying influences on the reproduction and dispersal of the organism, and hence also the population and species lineage to which the organism belongs. By extension, biotic interactions must contribute to the macroevolutionary patterns that we observe in the fossil record, but exactly how, when and why are research questions we have been asking before the start of the journal Paleobiology. In this contribution for Paleobiology's 50^th anniversary, we present a brief overview of how paleobiologists have studied biotic interactions and their macroevolutionary consequences, recognizing paleontology's unique position to contribute data and insights to the topic of interspecies interactions. We then explore, in a semi free-form manner, what promising avenues might be open to those of us who use the fossil record to understand biotic interactions. In general, we emphasize the need for an increased effort in the understanding of ecological details, the integration of different types of information, and to strive for model-based approaches.