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Editorial: Zoology in the new millennium PDF

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EDITORIAL Zoology in the new millennium Newspapers and TV shows have been reflecting and replication that yielded numerical values with on the past and contemplating the future as the standaid errors. ~ h ; ne xperimental design came new millennium takes over In the 1930s, zoologists of ace, it became invaluable to zooloeical researchers such as Ellis Troughton (Troughton 1.932) con- and- gave zoological thinking tKe measurable sidered the past, present and future of our fauna. framework for testine new ideas. Althoueh the Modern zoologists do not seem to be so reflective, postulating of hypoth&es had the appear&ce of at least not in print, although there are some fashion when the methods were beine develo~ed. outstanding exceptions as may be evident from the it has now become a benchmark f& accepiable pages of the Australian Zoologist over many years. zoological science. We agree with those concerned Typical of our editorial efforts over the last decade, with the rigorous application of scientific method this edition of the Australian Zoologist extends and analysis that it has not penetrated as far into Tmughton's tradition in being both reflective and some disciplines as it should. The environmental forward-looking. Jim Noble peers into the past consultancy industry, particularly, seems to skirt with sveculation on the traces of extinct fauna around it, often arguing that EISs are management remain'ing on the landscape; John Ling considers and planning documents and not supposed to be two centuries of commercial trade in fur seals and "hard" science. The untested conjectures which sea lions; Glenn Shea sheds new light on the characterize so many planning and management zoological attributes of a well-known lizard; Meri documents are unacceptable if we are seriously Oakwood and Paul Hopwood challenge contempor- concerned about predicting the long-term future ary society by considering the option of house- of our fauna. Many managers and planners are quolls as house pets and the pressing issues of unwilling to submit their ideas to rigorous mammal conservation are covered by Sandy evaluation, believing their role to he different from Pollock's investigation of the current status of the experimental science. In our view it is not. poorly known Northern Quoll. Most papers in this The RZS has as its twin objectives the promotion edition are reflective, each is zoological to its core, of the science of zoology and the conservation and each contains embedded within it the current of our fauna. It would be bizarre if one were paradigms of zoological thinking. This edition, conducted with more rigour than the other. So, the along with the past editions in the 1990s, and all issue we are concerned with is to acknowledge the books and transactions of the RZS. reflect the the importance of experimental design and use it full range of contemporary zoological thought and to conserve our native fauna. Thus we encourage exvertise. Collectivelv. these nublications condense the submission of "hard" zoology to the journal, a hecade of zoologiial effoit that symbolizes the and such papers are refereed by experts in the state of the discipline at the end of the second field. Those authors whose papers do not meet the millennium. So, what is the current state of the science, and what can we predict of its future? standards are. .ad vised accordingly. However, it would be inanoro~riatet o an,n lv, ex~erimenral > L~ ~ ~ - ~ ~ ~ - - - ~ ~ ~ - design to some of the topics that appear in the AN ISSUES-BASED JOURNAL Australian Zoologist, especially when they appear expressly for the purpose of stimulating debate As editors, we listen to comments by colleagues and generating new ideas which may in turn who read the Australian Zoologist. One, a distin- be taken up for experimental design. We are guished researcher, thought that there was not consciously contributing to a paradigm shift that much "hard zoology in the journal while another is helping to expand the zoological horizon for thought that it took an issues-based approach. the next millennium, while at the same time "Hard" zoology we take to mean rigorously tested hypothesis-driven research, while the term "issues- consolidating the gains of earlier issues-based based" we take to mean the application of struggles for better zoological practice. zoological thinking to contemporary fauna conser- vation concerns. We agree with both comments, SEALING THEIR FATE with the proviso that an issues-based focus is John Ling has produced a remarkable tale of the necessary given the current state of our fauna and fate of our fur seals and sea lions and has that "hard" zoology is but yesterday's issues-based expanded knowledge of these Australian marine zoology that has become a foundation stone of a mammals. One can deduce many lessons from major line of zoological thinking. Ling's account. Some will draw the conclusion The zoology of an earlier era largely consisted implied by the above subtitle, namely that an of description without the testing of ideas. Such exploitative sealing industry did irreparable descriptions generated views on cause and effect, damage to our fur seal and sea lion populations. but untested conjecture was sometimes misleading. The principles of ecologically sustainable develop- What was required, be it in the discipline of ment, which were not current last century, let alone physiology or ecology, was hypotheses that could the 1790s when commercial sealing flourished, be tested, experiments that could be repeated, now provide a conceptual benchmark for the December 1999 Australian Zoolpgist 31(2) 321 conservation of species and their life support of day in printed form if left to the decision of systems, such as trees and soils. the author to submit. John Ling's reluctance to publish was no doubt influenced by the paradigm Ling applies a new methodological approach by of "hard" science and we are pleased he has combing historical records for zoological informa- agreed to publish here. It is our view that such tion. This is a growing discipline which some call proactive editing is helping to establish the ecological history because it applies historical issues of the new millennium and then harden the research tools to answering ecological questions. zoology in it. Historical research has been used in pursuit of modern zoological inquiry hy examining whatever THE SYMBOLISM OF ECOLOGICAL data sets exist, such as those to be found in HISTORY old newspapers or shipping records. It is now not possihle to conduct harvesting experiments on In the 212 years since European settlement there seals since they are no longer present in sufficient have been dramatic changes in the discipline numbers and the social and political mood is of zoology as well as the survival prospects of against it. However, it is of more than curiosity Australian fauna. However, there are plenty of value to know, if possible, about fur seal and sea signs, particularly in marine resources, that the lion numbers and distribution at the beginning of lessons of the sealing industry have not been European settlement of Australia. The historical learnt. Ecological history is a forward-thinking viewpoint allows us to see how some species have discipline that looks back for its data. The responded to drastic change. It provides insight fornard-looking component is a growing interest into why species that collapsed in numbers did not in seeing Australia over a longer time frame. go extinct, and yet did not recover when intense We can now picture the zoology of Australia in harvesting abated. If we had only recent knowledge 1788, but it is much harder to imagine what it and relied solely on experimental design to tell us will be like in 2212. There is a symbolic shift about the numbers, distribution and the response represented in looking at our zoological history. of fauna to change, we would he in weaker position We are keen to secure a better future for our to assess proposed conservation actions and prepare fauna, but how to achieve that is not easily recovery plans. However, such plans or assess- answered. We can be surer of some things than ments, including EISs or species management others, and one of the things we are more certain plans, also need the rigour imposed by experi- of is that a rich zoological future will need to mental research. Taken together, these methods be ground-e d in sound zoological science. The serve fauna conservation better by drawing on more ima~inativei t is in conceotion, the more as broad a range of intellectual endeavour as we rigorous it is in its execution and the more can muster. demandine it is in publication the better our " chances will he of conserving and restoring our One of us (DL) heard John Ling present an faunal heritage. outline of what became his paper at the 2997 AGM of the Mammal Society held in John's home Being at the cutting edge requires a sharpness patch of Clare, South Australia. John was asked as well as a hardness: sharp with the issues and if he intended to publish the account. He thought hard on minimum standards of scholarship and he ought to, but could not see where it might go. zoological accuracy. The interdisciplinary subject of Naturally, the Awtraliun Zoologirl was suggested. ecological history will require the researcher either He said he would think about it. Much later, John to be a zoologist or work with a zoologist. There called and wanted more information. He said is a bright future for this emerging discipline, the .p a.p er would he very long-, and that the tables hut it will require more boldness on the part of were essential. I'rcvious experrcnce had shown tl~at the authors, editors, funding bodies and employers such histor~cala ccounts arc ~cnetallye xtensive to see the significance of this line of research. as copious evidence from drsparate sources is Some ecological historians feel like those sealers, collected and slowly pieced together. We agreed mentioned by Ling, left on the sub-Antarctic to publish it, and here is the result after a careful islands when the seal market collapsed in London process of refereeing by relevant experts. Such in 1809. A line of such research takes years, and experts know the sealing ships by name, know one can be half wav throueh a task when fundine " " much about the science of fur seals and sea lions, disappears because the political market requires a and can quickly assess whether scholarship in different zooloeical ~mductN. onetheless, like those this area is sound, and whether the interpretations seal; which s;rviv'ed, ecological historians will are correct. nersist as it becomes increasinelv clear that such hulti-disciplinary research will iain respect in the Iohn Lin"e has had a lon"e and distinguished next millennium for the unia~lec ontribution it can career as a marine mammal zoologist, then ;director make to the study and conskvation of fauna. of the South Australian Museum. Yet, if the Mammal Society had not gone to Clare, and if REFERENCES John had not used his retirement productively (from a zoological standpoint), and if ecological Troughton, E., 1932. Australian furred animals, their history had not begun to gain some scientific past, present and future. Aust. 2001. 7: 173-93. respectability, John might have consigned his insights to oblivion in an abstract given to an Daniel Lunney, Lyndall Dawson AGM. From an editorial viewpoint it seemed that and Bradley Law this excellent paper was unlikely to see the light Editors 32 Austmlian Zoologist 3112) December 1999

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