Ancient Chinese poems hold the secrets of the Yangtze finless porpoise’s decline, revealing a gradual disappearance due to human activities and habitat loss. Scientists have now deciphered these ancient artworks to gain a better understanding of the critically endangered species.
A Critical Look at the Past: Ancient Poems Shed Light on the Yangtze finless porpoise‘s Decline
In ancient civilizations, citizen science played a significant role in advancing knowledge.
For example, the Antikythera mechanism, discovered in a shipwreck off Greece, showcases ancient Greek ingenuity in astronomy and mathematics.
Similarly, ancient Mesopotamian astronomers recorded celestial observations, contributing to our understanding of astronomical phenomena.
The works of ancient Greek physician 'Hippocrates' demonstrate early citizen science efforts in medical research.
The Yangtze finless porpoise, a critically endangered freshwater porpoise, has been the subject of ancient Chinese poems for over 1,400 years. Researchers have now used these artworks to reconstruct the animal’s past and shed light on its decline.
The Yangtze finless porpoise is a freshwater porpoise endemic to the 'Yangtze River' in China.
It was listed as critically endangered on the IUCN Red List due to habitat loss, pollution, and overfishing.
The population has declined significantly since the 1990s, with estimates suggesting fewer than 1,000 individuals remain.
Conservation efforts are underway, including protected areas and anti-pollution initiatives.
The Power of Ancient Artworks in Conservation
For centuries, poets in China have written about the Yangtze River‘s sights and sounds, including the porpoise. Now, scientists are using these poems to track the vanishing range of the Yangtze finless porpoise. By analyzing ancient poems, researchers can gain a better understanding of the animal’s historical distribution and population size, which is crucial for conservation efforts.
A Historical Perspective on Conservation
According to ecologist Jiajia Liu of Fudan University in Shanghai, ‘When we do conservation, we need to know the past distribution and the historical population size of the species.‘ However, most robust survey data on the porpoise have come from just the past few decades. To fill this gap, researchers relied on ancient poems, which provided a wealth of information about the animal’s presence in different regions.
The Tang Dynasty Poems: A Window into the Past
Researchers identified 724 poems tracing back to the Tang Dynasty (A.D. 618–907) that mentioned the Yangtze finless porpoise. By analyzing the poem context and written travel records, they were able to pinpoint each writer’s location and understand their relationship with the animal.
A Gradual Decline
Combined with scientific survey data, the poems revealed that the porpoise’s range has shrunk by 65 percent since the Tang Dynasty. The disappearance was gradual throughout the five examined dynasties, but a sharp decrease took place between the Qing Dynasty (A.D. 1636–1912) and today. Most of the loss occurred in the river’s tributaries and lakes, where the animal’s range has declined by about 90 percent.
The Yangtze finless porpoise is a critically endangered species found in the Yangtze River, China.
Its population has declined significantly due to habitat loss and degradation, as well as pollution from industrial activities.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), there were only 1,045 individuals remaining in 2020.
Conservation efforts are underway to protect their habitat and reduce human impact, but more needs to be done to prevent this species' extinction.
The Impact of Human Activities
Human activities are to blame for the decline of the Yangtze finless porpoise, according to Liu. Dam construction and land development have blocked porpoise migration, leading to a significant reduction in their population. However, unorthodox methods of learning about the mammal’s changing habitats can help researchers better understand and protect them.
A New Approach to Conservation
Liu notes that ‘poems are actually ancient citizen science.‘ While these data are not perfect, they do provide valuable information if used correctly. By combining ancient poems with modern scientific survey data, researchers can gain a more comprehensive understanding of the Yangtze finless porpoise‘s decline and develop more effective conservation strategies.
Conclusion
The study highlights the importance of interdisciplinary research and the power of ancient artworks in informing conservation efforts. As we move forward, it is crucial that we continue to support science journalism and strengthen scientific literacy to make informed decisions about our planet’s future.
- sciencenews.org | Ancient poems document the decline of the Yangtze finless porpoise
