Anecdotes in Primatology: Temporal Trends, Anthropocentrism, and Hierarchies of Knowledge

Abstract

ABSTRACT Formal narrative descriptions of primates have long been used by primatologists to describe novel events that are not captured by other data collection methods. However, there has been a shift away from narrative accounts toward more quantitative methods both within primatology and more broadly in the natural sciences. Our objective was to investigate the shifting use of anecdotal evidence in primatology. We systematically reviewed anecdotal accounts published in the four major primatology journals since the year 2000. We found 163 published anecdotal accounts out of 3,960 total articles published between 2000 and 2016. There was an overall decrease in the rates of anecdotes published during this time. Those published covered a wide range of topics and taxa but were skewed toward larger, diurnal primates—in particular, apes. We suggest that anecdotal evidence should continue to be published but that the publication of these data should better reflect the taxonomic diversity of primates. We also suggest potential venues for anecdote publication that may compensate for their loss from formal scientific journals. [ narratives, qualitative data, anthropomorphic, primates, observation ]