3
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_1
Chapter 1
Mastozoology History and Perspectives
in Latin America: Marine and Freshwater
Mammals in Spotlight
Paulo C. Simões-Lopes
Abstract This chapter will introduce readers to the mastozoology history of the
marine and freshwater mammals of Latin America. Its inconspicuous beginning in
the nineteenth century, its emergence in the mid-twentieth century and the retrospective of the last 32 years based on an evaluation of 16 bi-annual congresses of
experts in aquatic mammals of Latin America. Brazil, Argentina and Chile have
covered about 75% of all Latin American scientific production (from 29 countries),
and studies about cetaceans covered 51–67% of all scientific production. Behavioral
and population ecology studies have grown continuously and works focused on
conservation, tourism, environmental education, the development of new research
methods and new equipment are growing markedly.
Keywords Cetaceans • Pinnipeds • Sirenians • Mustelids
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Beginnings
The nineteenth century marked the beginning of the large foreign expeditions
through South America as Voyage Amérique Méridionale, Castelnau Expedicion
Amérique Sud, and later, the Expedicion Antartic Belgique (the latter took place at
the beginning of the twentieth century). Famous personalities such as Étienne
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Alexander von Humboldt, Hermann von Ihering and Charles
Darwin himself devoted their efforts in cataloging the “tropical nature” as it was
called. However, the aquatic mammals were not the object of their immediate
P.C. Simões-Lopes (*)
Aquatic Mammals Lab (LAMAQ), Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade
Federal de Santa Catarina, P.O. Box, 5102, Florianópolis 88040-970, Brazil
e-mail: lamaqsl@ccb.ufsc.br
© Springer International Publishing AG 2018
M.R. Rossi-Santos, C.W. Finkl (eds.), Advances in Marine Vertebrate Research
in Latin America, Coastal Research Library 22,
DOI 10.1007/978-3-319-56985-7_1
Chapter 1
Mastozoology History and Perspectives
in Latin America: Marine and Freshwater
Mammals in Spotlight
Paulo C. Simões-Lopes
Abstract This chapter will introduce readers to the mastozoology history of the
marine and freshwater mammals of Latin America. Its inconspicuous beginning in
the nineteenth century, its emergence in the mid-twentieth century and the retrospective of the last 32 years based on an evaluation of 16 bi-annual congresses of
experts in aquatic mammals of Latin America. Brazil, Argentina and Chile have
covered about 75% of all Latin American scientific production (from 29 countries),
and studies about cetaceans covered 51–67% of all scientific production. Behavioral
and population ecology studies have grown continuously and works focused on
conservation, tourism, environmental education, the development of new research
methods and new equipment are growing markedly.
Keywords Cetaceans • Pinnipeds • Sirenians • Mustelids
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Beginnings
The nineteenth century marked the beginning of the large foreign expeditions
through South America as Voyage Amérique Méridionale, Castelnau Expedicion
Amérique Sud, and later, the Expedicion Antartic Belgique (the latter took place at
the beginning of the twentieth century). Famous personalities such as Étienne
Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, Alexander von Humboldt, Hermann von Ihering and Charles
Darwin himself devoted their efforts in cataloging the “tropical nature” as it was
called. However, the aquatic mammals were not the object of their immediate
P.C. Simões-Lopes (*)
Aquatic Mammals Lab (LAMAQ), Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade
Federal de Santa Catarina, P.O. Box, 5102, Florianópolis 88040-970, Brazil
e-mail: lamaqsl@ccb.ufsc.br