Lutra 54(2)_Editorial_Bekker_2011

The mammalogist’s toolkit

The use of tools by mammals is an exceptional phenomenon (van der Grift 2010). By contrast Homo sapiens use tools for most of their activities. But what tools do we need for scientific mammal research? A brief historical review will help put this question in perspective. Toolkits contain important equipment, and this is true for mammalogists as well as craftsmen and the evolution of the contents of these kits over time is impressive. We cannot fairly apply the same scientific standards to early Cro-Magnon and to post-modern man. But there are some common traits of ‘good science’ that were shared by our prehistoric forebears: keen observation and passing acquired knowledge onto the next generation. Since the dawn of mankind people have had a strong interest in vertebrates, with mammals perhaps triggering most of our curiosity. The numerous depictions....