Editorial: Zoology in the new millennium

2 Pages·1999·0.34 MB·English

by  Daniel Lunney

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