, , , , , , , , , ,

A Victorian naturalist traded aboriginal remains in a scientific quid pro quo

Sepia-toned photograph showing seated Victorian gentleman in bowtie

Enlarge / Nineteenth-century naturalist and solicitor Morton Allport, based in Hobart, built a scientific reputation by exchanging the remains of Tasmanian Aboriginal people and Tasmanian tigers for honors from elite societies. (credit: Allport Library and Museum of Fine Arts, State Library of Tasmania)

When Australian naturalist and solicitor Morton Allport died in 1878, one obituary lauded the man as “the most foremost scientist in the colony,” as evidenced by his position as vice president of the Royal Society of Tasmania (RST) at the time of his death, among many other international honors. But according to a new paper published in the journal Archives of Natural History, Allport’s stellar reputation was based less on his scholarly merit than on his practice of sending valuable specimens of Tasmanian tigers (thylacines) and aboriginal remains to European collectors in exchange for scientific accolades. Allport admits as much in his own letters, preserved in the State Library of Tasmania, as well as to directing grave-robbing efforts to obtain those human remains.

“Early British settlers considered both thylacines and Tasmanian Aboriginal people to be a hindrance to colonial development, and the response was institutionalised violence with the intended goal of eradicating both,” said the paper’s author, Jack Ashby, assistant director of the University Museum of Zoology at Cambridge in England. “Allport’s letters show he invested heavily in developing his scientific reputation—particularly in gaining recognition from scientific societies—by supplying human and animal remains from Tasmania in a quid pro quo arrangement, rather than through his own scientific endeavors.”

Thylacines have been extinct since 1936, but they were once the largest marsupial carnivores of the modern era. Europeans first settled in Tasmania in 1803 and viewed the tigers as a threat, blaming the animals for killing their sheep. The settlers didn’t view the Aboriginal population much more favorably, and there were inevitable conflicts from the settlers displacing the aborigines and from the increased competition for food.  In 1830, a farming corporation placed the first bounties on thylacines, with the government instituting its own bounty in 1888. (Ashby writes that the true sheep killers were the dogs the settlers bred to hunt kangaroos.).

Read 13 remaining paragraphs | Comments

https://arstechnica.com/?p=1986689


January 2025
M T W T F S S
 12345
6789101112
13141516171819
20212223242526
2728293031  

About Us

Welcome to encircle News! We are a cutting-edge technology news company that is dedicated to bringing you the latest and greatest in everything tech. From automobiles to drones, software to hardware, we’ve got you covered.

At encircle News, we believe that technology is more than just a tool, it’s a way of life. And we’re here to help you stay on top of all the latest trends and developments in this ever-evolving field. We know that technology is constantly changing, and that can be overwhelming, but we’re here to make it easy for you to keep up.

We’re a team of tech enthusiasts who are passionate about everything tech and love to share our knowledge with others. We believe that technology should be accessible to everyone, and we’re here to make sure it is. Our mission is to provide you with fun, engaging, and informative content that helps you to understand and embrace the latest technologies.

From the newest cars on the road to the latest drones taking to the skies, we’ve got you covered. We also dive deep into the world of software and hardware, bringing you the latest updates on everything from operating systems to processors.

So whether you’re a tech enthusiast, a business professional, or just someone who wants to stay up-to-date on the latest advancements in technology, encircle News is the place for you. Join us on this exciting journey and be a part of shaping the future.

Podcasts

TWiT 1013: Calamari in Crisis – Touching the Sun, Fake Spotify Artists, Banished Words This Week in Tech (Audio)

Touching the Sun, Fake Spotify Artists, Banished Words AI Needs So Much Power, It's Making Yours Worse How many billions Big Tech spent on AI data centers in 2024 NASA Spacecraft 'Touches Sun' In Defining Moment For Humankind Elon Musk Calls Out NASA's Moon Ambitions: 'We're Going Straight to Mars' Elon Musk and the right's war on Wikipedia Trump Asks Supreme Court to Pause Law Threatening TikTok Ban US Treasury says Chinese hackers stole documents in 'major incident' Judge blocks parts of California bid to protect kids from social media Finland probes Russian shadow fleet oil tanker after cable-cutting incident US appeals court blocks Biden administration effort to restore net-neutrality rules The Ghosts in the Machine (fake spotify artists) Massive VW Data Leak Exposed 800,000 EV Owners' Movements, From Homes To Brothels Banished Words | Lake Superior State University 2025 Public Domain Day 2025 Happy Birthday, Bitcoin! The top cryptocurrency is old enough to drive End of the lines? QR-style codes could replace barcodes 'within two years' Host: Leo Laporte Guests: Richard Campbell, Anthony Ha, and Stacey Higginbotham Download or subscribe to This Week in Tech at https://twit.tv/shows/this-week-in-tech Get episodes ad-free with Club TWiT at https://twit.tv/clubtwit Sponsors: ZipRecruiter.com/Twit joindeleteme.com/twit promo code TWIT canary.tools/twit – use code: TWIT zscaler.com/security
  1. TWiT 1013: Calamari in Crisis – Touching the Sun, Fake Spotify Artists, Banished Words
  2. TWiT 1012: Our Best Of 2024 – The Best Moments From TWiT's 2024
  3. TWiT 1011: The Year in Review – A Look at the Top Stories of 2024
  4. TWiT 1010: The Densest State in the US – TikTok Ban, Drones Over Jersey, GM Quits Robotaxis
  5. TWiT 1009: Andy Giveth & Bill Taketh Away – Trump's Tech Titans, Crypto Boom, TikTok's US Ban, Intel CEO Exits

Notifications

Error: Episode unavailable - Open in a new tab