The four paleontological major research directions in the United States from 2000 to 2010 are introduced :1.What rules govern biodiversity dynamics, and do those rules apply at all temporal and patial scales? 2.Why are major evolutionary innovations unevenly distributed in space and time? 3.How have biological systems influenced the physical and chemical nature of the Earth's surface, and how has biogeochemical cycling changed through time? 4.How does the biosphere respond to environmental perturbations at regional and global scales?, including key scientific question. Finally, it is introduced that applications of paleontology to understanding current environmental perturbations.