Folk Zoology

[Sharon Hill]

Here is the YouTube presentation of the virtual Folk Zoology conference hosted by Floe Foxon.

I contributed a section on Pop Goes the Cryptid.

You can watch it all or choose chapters via time stamp.

Virtual academic conference on the intersection between folklore and zoology, organized by Floe Foxon and featuring presentations from paleontologists Christine Janis PhD and Tyler Greenfield BA, zoologist Aaron Bauer PhD, geoscientist Sharon Hill BS EdM, anthropologist Gregory Forth PhD, and folklorist Daisy Ahlstone PhD. For more on folk zoology, see https://linktr.ee/folkzoologysociety00:00
Introduction by Floe Foxon03:13
Extinct quadrupedal kangaroo in rock art by Christine Janis08:47
History of megalodon in cryptozoology by Tyler Greenfield29:20
World's largest gecko Kawekaweau by Aaron Bauer1:13:09
Pop goes the cryptid by Sharon Hill1:31:19
Interview with Gregory Forth on ape-men and Homo floresiensis1:55:28
Manufacturing cryptids by Daisy Ahlstone2:38:56
Closing remarks by Floe Foxon

 

[oldrover]

I have a lot of respect for Daisy Ahlstone, but I have several concerns about that presentation. I'd advise anyone who is interested in the interaction between Europeans and thylacines during the 19th and early 20th centuries to read the recent research. There's strong evidence to suggest a disconnect between the folklore surrounding the animal and the motivations which led to its extinction.

I have to add that the indiscriminate crediting of David Fleay with images really disappointed me. These were all very well known photographs and their provenances are very easy to establish.

 

[Kondoru]

That was good. I was particularly thrilled by the gecko.

What is the difference between folk zoology and cryptozoology?

 

[Sharon Hill]

That was good. I was particularly thrilled by the gecko.

What is the difference between folk zoology and cryptozoology?

Cryptozoology has a crap-ton of baggage, mostly related to Bigfoot/LNM/Yeti stuff. I think this is a way to approach the simple idea of examining the data through the lens of folklore and zoology.

He's a data scientist, I'm more interested in the social aspects, so I don't know if this approach interests me as much but it can't hurt, considering the abysmal state of "cryptozoology" these days.