I would refer our readers to an earlier work by J. Swift (1729) on sampling exotic organisms in his "A Modest Proposal" http://art-bin.com/art/omodest.html
On Wed, Dec 5, 2012 at 12:26 PM, Tania Bird <[email protected]> wrote: > > Dear Clare, > > > > I apologise if i am repeating others' sentiments, but It seems quite sad > to me that while previous emails regarding bushmeat in ecolog refer to the > alarming and rapid decline of populations and state that even the hunters > and traders are concerned with species disappearing, yet your 'fun' science > experiment is based on collecting these ever rarer specimens without any > valid scientific hypothesis other than your own enjoyment. Are you aware of > the other literature and posts about bushmeat research? It is one of the > biggest issues for wildlife conservation. > > > > Please consider the larger implications of your 'research'. There are > plenty or other 'tasty' experiments you can create that won't undermine > conservation efforts or endanger populations and will likely be > considerably more ethical. Or perhaps there is some way you can answer your > questions about these species without consuming them? > > > > Regards, > > > > Tania > > > > > > Tania Bird MSc > > > > There is sufficiency in this world for man's need but not for his greed- > Gandhi > > Sent from my iPhone > > > > On 4 Dec 2012, at 19:50, "Clara B. Jones" <[email protected]> wrote: > > > >> Ecolog-l-ers: > >> 1. ...several individuals have posted me asking to share more about why > i > >> want to sample "bushmeat"... > >> 2. ...there's really no reason not to be open w this project [intended > to > >> be fun, anecdotal, and a type of "sciency" play for me]... > >> 3. ...the primary thing i'd like to get some sense of is whether > qualities > >> of the aftertastes [and associated physical after-effects] of > terrestrial > >> folivores and/or primarily folivorous animals correlate in any manner > with > >> preferences of the animals as prey... > >> 4. ...however i go about this, there will be many problems related to > >> reliability & validity that i will not be in a position to [nor, > >> particularly, interested in] control [variation of all sorts, e.g., > >> gustatory variations, chemical defense, and, sebaceous gland, > variations, & > >> in humans, cooking & other culinary treatments, etc, etc]... > >> 5. ...nonetheless, though this project is"fishing", it's something i've > >> wanted to do for a long time... > >> 6. ...obviously, i can begin with folivorous taxa i've already tasted [a > >> few in No Am*, a few in Central America*]... > >> 7. ...based upon 1 of my studies + interviews + observation, etc, in the > >> tropics over some period of *T*, frugivores &/or non-folivorous > herbivores > >> are preferred tissue [as one would expect, i suppose]...[e.g., > frugivorous > >> spider monkeys preferred to folivorous howler monkeys; many animal > tissues > >> preferred to opossums] > >> 8. ...the literature i've perused so far [v interesting stuff by Tom > Kunz] > >> basically rules out volant taxa [birds, bats]...in the US... > >> 9. ...among terrestrial taxa in the US, i would guess that some spp of > rats > >> & snakes [& numerous insects] are folivores or, predominantly, > folivorous... > >> 10. ...however, on balance, i do not know what they might be nor would i > >> know whether they are common or, whether the snakes might be poisonous > but > >> edible... > >> 11. ...directly related to the above, for quite some time, i've been > >> interested in what, if any, adaptive significance [rather than simply > >> byproduct effects] "gaminess" may be all about; though, i haven't > looked at > >> the literature to see what is already stated on this topic... > >> 12. ...because, for me, at present, this exercise is equivalent to > "play" > >> [an aside to other things], i am only hoping to generate some ideas, > maybe > >> a few serious questions, maybe thoughts about rigorous research > designs... > >> 13. ...i am aware that there are many scientific and commercial studies > >> related to my exercise...both in the field [e.g., Paul Garber's work w > >> monkeys], in the lab [e.g., John Garcia's work w rats], and in industry > >> [e.g., "taste tests"]... > >> 12. ...if any of this interests any of you, please do not hesitate to > >> contact me...best, clara > >> > >> *...as a granddaughter and daughter of 3 gourmands, as a field worker, > as a > >> traveler, as a relative & friend of many serious hunters & fishermen, as > >> well as, as a serious home cook, i have more experience than average > with a > >> relatively wide range of capture [e.g., some trapping], preparations, > and > >> foods, themselves [e.g., exotic produce & meat, eggs, entrails, wild > >> foraging, etc]...i severely qualify these statements knowing, and, > >> acknowledging, that many of you have, not only, more, and a wider range > of, > >> examples & experiences than i, but that, many of you have, no doubt, > >> sampled a much wider range of exotic organisms than have i and on many > more > >> continents...i understand that, in the domain of "wild" foods, there are > >> "lifers" as well as in birding... > >> > >> -- > >> Clara B. Jones > >> Director > >> Mammals and Phenogroups (MaPs) > >> Blog: http://vertebratesocialbehavior.blogspot.com > >> Twitter: http://twitter.com/cbjones1943 > >> Cell: -828-279-4429 > >> Brief CV: > >> > http://vertebratesocialbehavior.blogspot.com/2012/10/clara-b-jones-brief-cv.html > >> > >> > >> "Where no estimate of error of any kind can be made, generalizations > about > >> populations from sample data are worthless." Ferguson, 1959 > -- Pacific Cooperative Studies Unit Botany University of Hawaii 3190 Maile Way Honolulu Hawaii 96822 USA 1-808-956-8218
