The systematist as a storyteller: reflections on the role of narrative in Systematics

André W. do Prado (Murdoch University, Australia).

Historical narratives play an important explanatory role in evolutionary biology. Systematics, as a scientific endeavour, has been criticized for a long time, often treated as an arbitrary classification, and for often avoided narrative explanations, as it was seen as highly speculative. This talk aims to provide reflections on how Systematics could take advantage of explanatory narratives as a contribution to both its theoretical framework and its public dissemination, since it is well-known how narratives are engaging humans. The discussion will address topics such as the similarities between the work of a systematist and of a historian, the concept of species as prospective narratives and the importance of nature appreciation, aiming to explore different ways of how narratives permeate the work of a taxonomist. The theoretical approach will be based on classical authors such as Ernst Mayr and Willi Hennig, as well as contemporary systematists as Robert O’Hara, Ronald Jenner, and Malte Ebach.