A Naturalist in the Gran Chaco
A Naturalist in the Gran Chaco

Author: John Graham Kerr

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2015-04-02

Total Pages: 275

ISBN-13: 1107495059

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Sir John Graham Kerr (1869-1957) was a Scottish zoologist and politician, well known for his work in relation to the embryology of lungfishes. Originally published in 1950, this book provides an account of Kerr's travels and discoveries within the Gran Chaco region of South America. The text is divided into two main parts: the first discusses the Pilcomayo Expedition of 1889-91, providing detailed information on the 'Natokoi or Toba Indians', together with their natural environment; the second gives an account of the 1896-7 Lepidosiren Expedition, mainly focusing on Kerr's observations of the South American lungfish. Numerous illustrative figures are also incorporated, including photographs, drawings and maps. This book will be of value to anyone with an interest in the Gran Chaco region, anthropology, zoology and the history of science.

A Naturalist in the Gran Chaco; 7
A Naturalist in the Gran Chaco; 7

Author: Sir John Graham Kerr

Publisher: Hassell Street Press

Published: 2021-09-09

Total Pages: 284

ISBN-13: 9781014012333

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This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. To ensure a quality reading experience, this work has been proofread and republished using a format that seamlessly blends the original graphical elements with text in an easy-to-read typeface. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

The Afterlives of Animals
The Afterlives of Animals

Author: Samuel J. M. M. Alberti

Publisher: University of Virginia Press

Published: 2011-09-20

Total Pages: 324

ISBN-13: 0813932084

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In the quiet halls of the natural history museum, there are some creatures still alive with stories, whose personalities refuse to be relegated to the dusty corners of an exhibit. The fame of these beasts during their lifetimes has given them an iconic status in death. More than just museum specimens, these animals have attained a second life as historical and cultural records. This collection of essays—from a broad array of contributors, including anthropologists, curators, fine artists, geographers, historians, and journalists—comprises short "biographies" of a number of famous taxidermized animals. Each essay traces the life, death, and museum "afterlife" of a specific creature, illuminating the overlooked role of the dead beast in the modern human-animal encounter through practices as disparate as hunting and zookeeping. The contributors offer fresh examinations of the many levels at which humans engage with other animals, especially those that function as both natural and cultural phenomena, including Queen Charlotte’s pet zebra, Maharajah the elephant, and Balto the sled dog, among others. Readers curious about the enduring fascination with animals who have attained these strange afterlives will be drawn to the individual narratives within each essay, while learning more about the scientific, cultural, and museological contexts of each subject. Ranging from autobiographical to analytical, the contributors’ varying styles make this delightful book a true menagerie. Contributors: Samuel J. M. M. Alberti, Royal College of Surgeons * Sophie Everest, University of Manchester * Kate Foster * Michelle Henning, University of the West of England, Bristol * Hayden Lorimer, University of Glasgow * Garry Marvin, Roehampton University, London * Henry Nicholls * Hannah Paddon * Merle Patchett * Christopher Plumb, University of Manchester * Rachel Poliquin * Jeanne Robinson, Glasgow Museums * Mike Rutherford, University of the West Indies * Richard C. Sabin, Natural History Museum * Richard Sutcliffe, Glasgow Museums * Geoffrey N. Swinney, University of Edinburgh

Behold the Black Caiman
Behold the Black Caiman

Author: Lucas Bessire

Publisher: University of Chicago Press

Published: 2014-10-24

Total Pages: 325

ISBN-13: 022617557X

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"Behold the Black Caiman "by anthropologist Lucas Bessire is a haunting ethnography based on a decade of fieldwork among a group of Ayoreo-speaking tribes in the Gran Chaco, the largest forested area in South America after the Amazon. Bessire shows that, far from being untouched noble savages, most of the Ayoreo tribes are struggling to survive on the margins of industrialized society as cattle ranches encroach on the dense wilderness that they once called home. As one of the poorest and most marginalized indigenous groups in the region, the Ayoreo endure unfathomable levels of violence and discrimination. Faced with such brutality, the Ayoreo believe that survival within modernity requires a radical transformation, including the abandonment of nearly all of the practices that count as authorized native culture in Latin America. Bessire argues that their attitude is not evidence of contamination or loss--as many anthropologists, NGOs, and state representatives would have it--but is rather a profound moral response to their desperate situation. The book thus aims to revise the anthropology and history of Ayoreo-speaking people, and indigenous people in general, who have long been seen as the ultimate primitives outside the State, market, and history. Written in the tradition of classic texts such as"Chronicle of the Guayaki Indians"and"Tristes Tropiques," the book tells a tragic story of catastrophic violence that is urgently relevant to identity politics both within Latin America and beyond."