Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine最新文献

{"title":"Reflections on the future of European ethnobiology.","authors":"Victoria Reyes-García, Doyle McKey","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00803-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00803-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In recent years, ethnobiology has undergone significant transformation. A renewed research framework has emerged that prioritizes an ethics of care-one that emphasizes relationships, interdependence, and responsibility towards both human and non-human others throughout all stages of research. This paradigm shift, led largely by Indigenous scholars and researchers from the Global South, invites European ethnobiologists to critically reflect on how they can engage with, contribute to, and learn from these evolving approaches in light of pressing environmental and social challenges. In this Perspective, we explore the future of European ethnobiology in two main ways. First, we reflect on the specificities of a European lens within global ethnobiology, considering how European ethnobiologists might participate more meaningfully in transdisciplinary and intercultural dialogues. Second, drawing on core principles of the emerging global paradigm, we outline five key avenues for future development: (1) deepening commitments to an ethics of care; (2) responding more directly to contemporary challenges; (3) expanding research contexts; (4) reimagining methodological approaches; and (5) enhancing the societal relevance and applied impact of European ethnobiologists, both within and beyond Europe. We highlight current examples of European ethnobiologists already advancing these directions and underscore the field's dynamic evolution. We conclude by identifying critical challenges faced by European ethnobiologists, including the need to engage with rapidly evolving digital technologies and to navigate institutional and epistemic barriers that hinder the co-creation of knowledge across diverse worldviews.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"50"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-07-21","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12281988/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144683535","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Who are leeches? Exploring malleability in human-leech relations through ethnographies from Dagestan and Turkey.","authors":"Iwona Kaliszewska, Iwa Kołodziejska","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00801-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00801-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This paper introduces the concept of \"malleability\" as a lens for understanding human interactions with writhing animals, using leech-human relations as a case study. Our research is based on ethnographic fieldwork among Dagestani healers in Dagestan and Turkey, 2019-2024. We argue that the malleability of leeches influences leeches' capacity for reversibility and shapes human-leech communication through their physical transformations and social roles. Through their flexible bodies, leeches enable nuanced, multisensory exchanges, influencing how humans interpret their actions-whether as cooperative, resistant, or purposeful behaviour. Malleability also mediates human sensory and emotional responses, evoking reactions ranging from disgust to admiration. Our findings reveal that leeches occupy a spectrum of roles in human perception and practice, serving as near-companions or ethical subjects, despite the lack of bioethical protections for their use in research, and as commodities or tools in medical contexts. Their physical and semantic malleability enables this fluid reversibility in human perceptions and practices. Methodologically, we advocate for \"immersive duo-ethnography\", which incorporates the researchers' bodily experiences as tools for examining non-verbal interactions between writhing animals and humans. This approach reveals significant entanglements at the sensory and cognitive levels, avoiding reliance on oversimplified metaphors about molecular or chemical processes when precise tracking of such mechanisms is unfeasible. By focusing on embodied relationships, our work highlights the complex interplay of physicality and meaning in human-other taxa interactions.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"49"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12273386/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144660876","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Diachronic changes in local food heritage: the ethnobiology of wild foods in central Tuscany.","authors":"Mousaab Alrhmoun, Valter Guiggi, Syed Waseem Gillani, Muhammad Manzoor, Naji Sulaiman, Andrea Pieroni","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00797-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00797-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Ethnobiological and gastronomic knowledge of wild foods has long-shaped rural traditions in Italy. In Valdera, Central Tuscany, foraging has been especially important among older generations. This study explores shifts in wild food knowledge and practices over two decades, comparing data collected in 2024 with findings from a 2004 study.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study was conducted in Valdera, Central Tuscany, through structured interviews with local residents. Using the same methodological framework as a 2004 survey, participants were asked about wild food plants, mushrooms, and wild animals they recognized, used, and how they incorporated them into traditional dishes. This approach enabled a diachronic comparison of taxa diversity, plant families, and culinary applications. Special attention was given to how social and ecological dynamics, such as aging populations, urbanization, and changing educational backgrounds, influenced the retention or erosion of local traditional knowledge over the past two decades.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 86 folk taxa of wild plants were documented. The findings reveal a decline in the number of recorded taxa, from 59 folk taxa and 28 botanical families in 2004 to 57 folk taxa and 26 families in 2024. Despite the samples including a similar number of informants, the decrease in used folk taxa is significant, with several species absent in 2024, including notable wild greens taxa such as Capsella, Coleostephus, Clematis, Daucus, Epilobium, Helosciadium, Lactuca, Muscari, Rubus, Scabiosa, Potentilla, and Viola spp., as well as a few wild seasoning plants such as Allium roseum, Ammi, Juniperus, and Thymus spp. and wild snack species (Gladiolus, Sulla, Oxalis, Lamium spp.). Shifts in plant family diversity and culinary applications were observed, with a decline in the use of wild leafy plants, wild seasoning plants, and wild plant snacks, possibly associated with a reduced role of women in foraging wild greens and less exposure to nature, i.e., fewer activities done into natural environments such as shepherding and/or collection of wild snacks by children and teenagers. A similar trend was observed in mushroom and animal foraging and hunting, where the interviewees could recall details about 24 taxa of food mushrooms and 62 taxa of wild animals, as well as their culinary transformations, which were often related to the past and their younger lives. The analysis revealed that the age group affects knowledge about local wild plants, mushrooms, and animals. While higher education was linked to better systematization of botanical knowledge, individuals with an agricultural background showed significantly greater practical familiarity with plant uses.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>These findings emphasize how traditional plant knowledge is increasingly threatened by social and ecological changes, underscoring the importance of developing conservation strategi","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"48"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12261750/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144643978","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Medicinal plants traded in Hakka communities of southeastern Guangxi, China.","authors":"Yongqing Liufu, Yaozhang Xie, Min Shao, Qiongyao Fu, Zhongxin Duan, Dipak Khadka, Binsheng Luo","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00796-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00796-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Hakka are one of the major subgroups of the Han  Chinese in China, with a unique migration history and a rich traditional medicine system. Traditional markets serve as centers for the exchange of Hakka medicinal culture and play a vital role in maintaining residents' health. However, medicinal plants traded in traditional Hakka markets have not been documented in southeastern Guangxi, China.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We documented the medicinal plants traded in the market of Hakka communities in southeastern Guangxi, China, by interviewing 106 traditional shopkeepers. Relative frequency of citation (RFC) and relative importance value (RI) were used to evaluate the most medicinal plants traded in the market of Hakka communities, and the Jaccard index of similarity (JI) was used to assess the similarity of plants used by Hakka from different communities in China.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We documented 305 medicinal plant species, with the Fabaceae family being the most represented (27 species). In terms of life form, herbs constituted the largest group, accounting for 130 species (42.62%). Regarding plant parts used, leaves were the most commonly utilized, reported for 122 species (32.36%). The recorded medicinal plants exhibit 63 therapeutic effects and are used to treat 117 ailments across 14 disease categories. The most frequently cited medicinal use was for the treatment of physical trauma (126 species, 41.31%), followed by digestive disorders (96 species, 31.47%), skin diseases (90 species, 29.51%), and detoxification (79 species, 25.90%). Twenty-eight plant species had a relative citation frequency (RFC) greater than 0.5, and 23 species had a relative importance (RI) value of ≥ 1.25. A comparative analysis with medicinal plants recorded in Hakka communities of Guangdong and Ganzhou revealed some similarities, with Jaccard index (JI) values of 0.10 and 0.06, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The local shopkeepers of traditional markets in Hakka communities in southeastern Guangxi are prosperous in their knowledge of medicinal plant use. We recommend conserving these medicinal plants of local people by promoting the traditional market, which fosters people's livelihood through income generation and supports the sustainability of the traditional knowledge system.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"47"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12254970/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144620994","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Local knowledge, perception and practices regarding edible insects among different ethnic groups in Northern Uganda.","authors":"Martha F Alaroker, Ronald Twongyirwe, Philip Nyeko, Francis Sengendo, Valtonen Anu, Bruno Massa, Harriet Angwech, Geoffrey M Malinga, Sabine Van Miert","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00799-9","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00799-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Insects are widely recognized as a valuable source of protein and solution to food security, particularly in developing countries like Uganda. This study documents the local knowledge and practices of edible insects consumed and perception and attitudes towards edible insects by different ethnic groups in northern Uganda.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This cross-sectional study was conducted from October 2023 to January 2024 in the districts of Adjumani, Nwoya, Oyam and Zombo in northern Uganda, where 600 questionnaires which comprised of both closed and open-ended questions were administered to randomly selected respondents (60% female, 40% male) in 24 villages spread across four ethnic groups (Acholi, Langi, Alur and Madi). We aimed to find out, whether differences exist in the types of edible insects consumed and which ones were preferred based on ethnicity, age, gender and education level.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Our study revealed that eleven edible insect's species belonging to two orders (Orthoptera and Isoptera) and four families-Tettigoniidae, Termitidae, Gryllotalpidae and Acrididae were consumed as food among the Acholi, Alur, Madi and Langi. These species include: Ruspolia differens, Locusta migratoria, Kraussaria angulifera, Macrotermes subhyalinus, Macrotermes bellicosus, Macrotermes michaelseni, Pseudacanthotermes militaris, Syntermes spp. soldiers, Lanista varelai and Gryllotalpa africana. L. varelai, locally known as 'Ocene-labolo' in Acholi, is reported as edible insect for the first time. Additionally, one unidentified edible insect, locally known as 'Mumu' in Alur or 'Lakwinyekimo' in Acholi, was reported to be used as food. Preference for edible insects varied among the ethnic groups, with R. differens being the most preferred among Alur (85%) and Acholi (41%). Conversely, M. subhyalinus (33%) and M. bellicosus (64%) were the most popular among the Langi and Madi, respectively. The respondents had positive perception on edible insect's consumption as an alternative protein source (98%) to conventional protein source, particularly for insects that were already known to be eaten in the study areas.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The high diversity of utilized edible insects identified in our study area and the responses indicate that entomophagy is a common practice in the region. Therefore, along with being an important delicacy and traditional foods, edible insects can improve household nutrition status by providing an alternative protein source to alleviate food insecurity and malnutrition among rural communities.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12235808/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144585468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The influence of socioeconomic factors on the knowledge of reptiles and mammals in the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Northeast Brazil.","authors":"Pedro Victor Cardoso Dos Santos, Felipe Silva Ferreira, Samuel Vieira Brito","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00780-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00780-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Local ecological knowledge is transmitted across generations and arises from various human interactions with the environment. Cultural and socioeconomic variables such as age, sex, educational level and locality can influence both the acquisition and transmission of this knowledge. However, Brazil's diverse environmental contexts reveal gaps in information regarding interactions with local fauna. Given this scenario, this study aims to investigate whether socioeconomic factors influence knowledge about reptile and mammal species in Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Additionally, it seeks to provide a list of the recognized animals and document interactions between residents and fauna. Data were collected through semi-structured questionnaires and open-ended interviews, resulting in records of 36 species (plus 6 identified only at genus level) in 33 families and 10 orders, of which 53% were non-avian reptile and 47% mammals. We observed three types of interactions between residents and fauna: dietary, medicinal and conflict-related. Among the variables analyzed using a generalized linear model, only locality significantly influenced traditional faunal knowledge in the communities studied.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12211199/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144545781","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ethnobotanical study of traditional medicinal plants used by the Miao people in Hainan, China.","authors":"Tian-Liang, Shengzhuo Huang, Jun Zeng, Shoubai Liu, Honglei Jin, Yijun Chen, Battseren Tsambaa, Urtnasan Mandakh, Xilong Zheng, Wenli Mei, Almaz Borjigidai, Haofu Dai","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00795-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00795-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The Miao people in Hainan possesses a profound historical heritage and unique ethnic culture. Through centuries of confronting survival challenges in tropical rainforest mountains, they have accumulated abundant knowledge of disease prevention and treatment. However, the traditional medicinal knowledge of the Hainan Miao people has been scarcely documented to date. This ethnobotanical study aims to: (1) record Miao people's traditional medicinal knowledge; (2) analyze medicinal properties and threats; (3) put forward suggestions for promoting the development of traditional medical knowledge of the Miao people.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>From 2020 to 2022, 35 key informants (Miao healers, local herbalists, and plants gatherers, age range is 30-99 years) were interviewed in 11 regions of Hainan by means of participatory observation, semi-structured interview, key informant interview, and group discussion. The quantitative analysis employed the use value (UV), informant consensus factor (ICF), relative frequency of citation (RFC), and similarity index (Cj). The International Classification of Primary Care-2nd (ICPC-2) was used to classify the diseases treated by medicinal plants.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 348 medicinal plant species belonging to 114 families were recorded. These were primarily herbaceous plants (37.71%), with leaves (48.85%) most used, and decoction (39.94%) most frequently employed. Among them, 37 medicinal plants documented in this study were recorded for their medicinal value for the first time, enriching the database of medicinal plant resources. These plants are used to treat 140 different diseases, which can be categorized into 14 disease categories, primarily focusing on the treatment of musculoskeletal (L), respiratory (R), and digestive (D) disease with medicinal plants. The informant consensus factor (ICF) values for these categories are 0.55, 0.51, and 0.5, respectively. In addition, the use value (UV) values of Stephania succifera and Sarcandra glabra are relatively high. Plantago asiatica, Imperata cylindrica, Homonoia riparia, and Aquilaria sinensis had high relative frequency of citation (RFC) values, between 0.05 and 0.16. Furthermore, the Hainan Miao and the Li ethnic groups exhibit a high degree of similarity in their use of medicinal plants due to their similar living environments and the inheritance of traditional medicinal knowledge. In contrast, compared to the Guizhou Miao ethnic group, significant differences arise due to the differing geographical environments and living habits.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>This demonstrates that through oral transmission and personal instruction, knowledge of medicinal plants diversity has been passed down from generation to generation, ensuring its continuity and preserving a unique traditional culture for treating various diseases. However, the aging of knowledge holders poses a threat to the loss of traditional ","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12168294/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144310715","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Honey production, an economic alternative for coastal areas with mangrove ecosystems: a case study in Sabancuy, Campeche, southeastern Mexico.","authors":"Crhistian Laynes-Magaña, William Cetzal-Ix, Héctor M J López-Castilla, Iván Tamayo-Cen, Jesús F Martínez-Puc, Eliana Noguera-Savelli, Benito B Dzib-Castillo, Saikat Kumar Basu","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00794-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00794-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Mangrove ecosystems recognized for their biodiversity and ecosystem services that offer unique opportunities for sustainable livelihoods such as honey production. This study characterizes the beekeeping practices associated with mangroves in Sabancuy, Campeche, Mexico, emphasizing their ecological and economic significance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Through 28 semi-structured surveys, we have analyzed the socioeconomic and ecological perspectives of the local beekeepers operating in these coastal environments. The surveyed beekeepers, with an average age of 49 years and 23.6 years of experience, primarily engage in complementary honey production, leveraging both migratory and stationary apiary systems. Hive management practices include queen replacement, artificial feeding, colony division, and adherence to organic certification protocols.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The study highlights an annual average honey production of 65.37 kg per colony, with peak yields occurring during the transition from dry to rainy seasons (May-June). Integrating floral phenology and phylogenetic frameworks the principal plant resources supporting honeybees, enhancing the sustainability of the mangrove-based beekeeping.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Apiculture not only produces economic opportunities for the local communities; but also contributes to conservation goals by fostering biodiversity and ecosystem restoration. These findings underscore the potential of mangrove beekeeping as a replicable model for sustainable development in other coastal regions worldwide with similar ecosystems. Furthermore, this research seeks to bridge critical knowledge gaps about Apis mellifera in mangrove ecosystems by addressing socio-ecological factors influencing honey production, evaluating its benefits for local communities, and exploring its role within broader conservation strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12147363/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144259237","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Traditional ecological knowledge for great ape conservation in Gabon.","authors":"Mohamed H Mohamed-Djawad, Neil M Longo-Pendy, Serge Ely Dibakou, Costanza Puppo, Jean Nzue-Nguema, Désiré Otsaghe-Ekore, Patrice Makouloutou-Nzassi, Cyr Moussadji-Kinga, Alain P Kouga, Barthelemy Ngoubangoye, Pape Ibnou Ndiaye, Larson Boundenga","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00792-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00792-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) held by Indigenous communities is increasingly recognised as a cost effective, locally adapted complement to instrument-based wildlife monitoring. In southern Gabon, hunter trackers routinely distinguish chimpanzee Pan troglodytes troglodytes and western lowland gorilla Gorilla gorilla gorilla faeces in the field, yet the reliability of these identifications has never been rigorously tested.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Twenty-two experienced Indigenous participants guided systematic surveys across ~ 10 000 ha of unprotected forest near Makatamangoy and Tébé. For every faecal sample encountered, collaborators reached a consensual species identification using their customary criteria (colour, odour, texture, composition, quantity, associated footprints, vegetation disturbance). Samples (n = 637) were preserved in RNAlater^® and later assigned to species by 12S rRNA mitochondrial sequencing. Agreement between Indigenous and molecular identifications was summarised in a confusion matrix; accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, predictive values and Cohen's κ were calculated. The prevalence of each empirical criterion was expressed as the proportion of interviewees citing it, and species differences were tested with Fisher's exact tests (α = 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Indigenous knowledge correctly identified 633 of 637 samples (overall accuracy = 99.37%; κ = 0.987, p < 0.001). Sensitivity was 99.1% for chimpanzee and 99.0% for gorilla, while specificity exceeded 99.6% for both species. Seven primary criteria underpinned identifications; colour (100%) and odour (86.4%) were most frequently evoked. Twelve of 24 sub-criteria differed significantly between species. Chimpanzee faeces were more often described as brown-yellow, soft and abundant with faint heelprints, whereas gorilla faeces were typically black, fibrous, hard and accompanied by pronounced heel and fist prints plus flattened vegetation.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Indigenous trackers in Gabon demonstrate near-perfect accuracy in differentiating great ape faeces, validating TEK as a robust, low-cost tool for primate monitoring. Integrating this expertise into participatory conservation programmes could expand surveillance outside protected areas, enhance early detection of demographic or health changes, and strengthen community stewardship of threatened ape populations.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12139133/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144235692","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Priorities of marine ethnobiology: reflections from the perspective of sustainable marine management.","authors":"Alejandro Espinoza-Tenorio","doi":"10.1186/s13002-025-00791-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13002-025-00791-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This essay examines the priorities of marine ethnobiology amid the urgent, increasingly irreversible degradation of our oceans. A dilemma arises between choosing to safeguard the practices and resources most valued for their usefulness or economic worth and prioritizing the preservation and revitalization of traditional knowledge, regardless of its immediate practical applications. I argue that the solution, from the standpoint of sustainable marine management, transcends this dichotomy. The answer lies in reviving, understanding, and transforming all the diverse knowledge systems that emerge from the relationships between humans and marine ecosystems so that urgency does not obscure our historical and holistic understanding of our connection to the sea. Marine ethnobiology bridges this divide by integrating the holistic knowledge of communities and deepening our understanding of these relationships. Strengthening place-based knowledge systems can yield critical nature-based solutions to our global environmental crisis.</p>","PeriodicalId":49162,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ethnobiology and Ethnomedicine","volume":"21 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-06-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12131576/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144210037","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}