Ancient poetry reveals hidden history of the endangered pork whales

Ancient poetry reveals hidden history of the endangered pork whales

A research team in China came up with creative methods to come up with a based on old poems. The scientists researched over 700 old Chinese poems from the dynasties tang to Qing, which mention the Jangtse pork whales. Their goal was to find out where and when poets described the animal, since little is known about the population history of this kind.

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sobering results

The results were terrifying: the data show that the historical habitat of the pork whale has shrunk by 65% ​​in the past 1,200 years, with the most drastic declines in the past hundred years. The research team published the results on May 5 in the journal Current biology .

"Some older fishermen told me that they used to see pork whales in areas that they have now completely disappeared from," said Zhigang Mei, co-author of the study, by email to CNN. "This really aroused my curiosity: where did this pork whale live historically?"

The habitat of the Jangtse pork whale

The Jangtse pork whales only live in the middle and lower Yangtse river basin in East China. From the 1980s to the 2010s, the population dropped by an estimated 60%, according to a study of 2014 , which on illegal fishing, industrial contamination of waters,

challenges in data collection

Since there are only hard scientific data about the pork whales for the past few decades, scientists have a very limited understanding of their spatial distribution. This leads to a problem that as Shifting Baseline Syndrome Hydrobiology of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Wuhan.

"This research answers important questions about what a healthy population is," he said, emphasizing that this would help to set realistic management goals. "Without historical Baselines, there is a risk that expectations over generations will be postponed down and that a continuous falling status is accepted as’ normal ’."

The role of ancient poems

When Mei and his team searched for answers in archives, they were surprised. Official records such as local gazette or circular chronicles did not contain any information about the pork whales - only about terrestrial mega sauces such as tigers and elephants, species that often have conflicts with people.

In contrast, porpoises have less likely close encounters with people. This is due to the fact that sightings were often reported by less educated anglers or wealthy travelers who caught the shy pork whales when driving on the Yangtse river, but they were not formally documented, explained Mei.

poem analysis for nature conservation research

The authors roamed hundreds of poems that go back to 830 AD and mention the pork whales. For each poem, the scientists searched for proofs for locations, for example through the descriptions of unique geographical characteristics of the Jangtse Flower basin. The team also researched the time period of the poem and personal history of each poet to ensure their accuracy. About half of the poems contained precise location information, which means that the team was able to map sightings for every dynasty.

a bridge between culture and nature conservation

The use of historical materials for scientific purposes is not unusual - especially in paleontology or archeology - is used less frequently in wild research research, said Corti, a preserving ecologist at the Australian university of Chile. "It is a very useful tool, especially if you refine the analysis to convert qualitative data into quantitative," he added.

Ultimately, the authors create a connection between endangered species and culture, which could increase the public interest in the Jangtse pork whales. If the Jangtse pork whale can serve as a flagship type, similar to the panda, this will support the preservation of this kind, according to Mei.

Future of the Jangtse pork whales

In view of the fact that breeding in captivity since 1996 - a process in which endangered species are bred and then released into the wild - the authors hope that their new findings can inform future nature conservation measures, for example in the identification of areas in which the animals can be exposed.

But it is important not to pull out rash conclusions, warned Corti. The use of such information for today's wildlife management requires a thorough understanding of behavior, morphology, nutrition and other factors of the kind. "Many mistakes can be made" if historical observation data for future management decisions are used.

"If you want to try to find out what has happened in the past, you have to know what is happening now," remarked Corti.

Overall, this research shows that there is a considerable need for action to ensure the survival of the Jangtse pork whale and maintain the balance in the ecosystem.