Animal Archives At The End of the World
Author’s Note: Back in July, I had the opportunity to present some research on biodiversity archives and species extinction at ASLE and AESS’s Biennial Conference. Since my actual presentation and our subsequent roundtable discussion were only open to conference registrants, I wanted to take this opportunity to share an extended version of my presentation with you.
Defining The Animal Archive
Before I dive into these different case studies, I feel that it’s worth explaining what I mean when I use the phrase “animal archive.” These kinds of archives are comprised of physical and/or digital collections of preserved specimens, biological data, and other information pertaining to different species. Some of the archives I’ll be discussing have institutional backing, others created by concerned peoples or groups to study various species, and there are others that have become accidental records of biodiversity throughout history.
I will be focusing specifically on archives that track past, present, and future animal extinctions, either as their central subject of study or an unintended consequence of their long-term collecting. Beyond looking at the sheer volume of this data collection and the biological materials that comprise these archives, I’m interested in how these stories of extinction are told and how…
