A team of conservation researchers is turning to an unexpected source to track the decline of one of the world’s most endangered animals: medieval Chinese poetry. In a new study published in Current Biology, scholars have compiled more than 700 poems written over the past 1,400 years to map the changing habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise—a charismatic freshwater mammal known for its apparent smile and cultural significance in China.
The porpoise, which once thrived throughout the Yangtze River and its tributaries, has seen its habitat shrink by at least 65%, with most of that loss occurring over the last century. By examining poems from historical Chinese literary collections, the researchers have created one of the most detailed long-term reconstructions of this animal’s range.
“We’re connecting 2,000 years of Chinese culture with biodiversity,” says Zhigang Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mei grew up along the Yangtze River and remembers elders revering the porpoises as spiritual beings that could predict the weather and fish levels. “Our work fills the gap between the super long-term information we get from fossils and DNA and the recent population surveys. It really shows how powerful it can be to combine art and biodiversity conservation.”
Medieval Poetry as an Ecological Archive
Stretching over 6,300 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea, the Yangtze River has long been central to Chinese life and literature. The finless porpoise is unique as the world’s only known freshwater porpoise. Moreover, it was once a common sight along its waters. Over the centuries, poets such as Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong documented encounters with these animals, particularly when the porpoises became especially active before storms.
“Compared to fish, Yangtze finless porpoises are pretty big, and they’re active on the surface of the water, especially before thunderstorms when they’re really chasing after fish and jumping around,” says Mei. “This amazing sight was hard for poets to ignore.”
A Ming Dynasty woodblock-printed illustration from “Sancai Tuhui” (in English, Compendium of the Three Powers), compiled by Wang Qi (1573–1620), which is a 49-volume book of poems on birds and animals. This poem meticulously documents the Yangtze finless porpoise through morphological details, surfacing postures, and maternal care behaviors. From “Sancai Tuhui,” compiled by Wang Qi (1573–1620)
The team reviewed 724 poems dating as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). To ensure historical accuracy, they analysed each poet’s style, context, and biography, distinguishing between realistic observations and imaginative embellishments. By correlating literary references with geographic and biographical data, the researchers were able to date and locate the sightings recorded in verse.
The Qing Dynasty (1636–1912) provided the largest number of poems (477 in total) referencing the porpoise, followed by the Ming Dynasty with 177, the Yuan with 27, the Song with 38, and the Tang with just 5.
Translation of a poem written in 1190, during the Song Dynasty
Based on these references, the researchers reconstructed the historical distribution of the Yangtze finless porpoise. They found that while the range along the main river has declined by 33% since the Tang Dynasty, the decline in the river’s connected lakes and tributaries is even more severe—at 91%.
A Century of Decline
The sharpest drop occurred during the 20th century, when dam construction and hydraulic engineering projects severely disrupted the porpoise’s mobility and habitat. These findings are consistent with previous scientific assessments of human impact on the Yangtze ecosystem. Notably, two other species endemic to the river, the baiji dolphin and the Chinese paddlefish, have gone functionally extinct in recent decades.
“Protecting nature isn’t just the responsibility of modern science; it’s also deeply connected to our culture and history,” Mei says. “Art, like poetry, can really spark an emotional connection, making people realize the harmony and respect we should have between people and nature.”
Translation of a poem written in 1390, during the Ming Dynasty.
The researchers plan to delve further into the ancient poems, hoping to uncover more details about historical porpoise behaviour and population sizes. They also aim to encourage interdisciplinary approaches that combine science with cultural heritage, exploring other historical art forms such as novels and paintings for ecological insights.
“This work made me rethink the scientific value of historical literature and showed us the power of thinking across disciplines,” says Mei. “Chinese poetry, this ancient art form, can be a serious scientific tool. Using the past to understand the present, ‘decoding’ the stories behind the art: it’s not just research, it’s like having a conversation with the poets of the past.”
The article, “Range contraction of the Yangtze finless porpoise inferred from classic Chinese poems,” by Yaoyao Zhang, Jiajia Liu, Shilu Zheng, Jianghua Wang, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang and Zhigang Mei, appears in Current Biology. Click here to read it.
Top Image: Photo by Huangdan2060 / Wikimedia Commons
A team of conservation researchers is turning to an unexpected source to track the decline of one of the world’s most endangered animals: medieval Chinese poetry. In a new study published in Current Biology, scholars have compiled more than 700 poems written over the past 1,400 years to map the changing habitat of the Yangtze finless porpoise—a charismatic freshwater mammal known for its apparent smile and cultural significance in China.
The porpoise, which once thrived throughout the Yangtze River and its tributaries, has seen its habitat shrink by at least 65%, with most of that loss occurring over the last century. By examining poems from historical Chinese literary collections, the researchers have created one of the most detailed long-term reconstructions of this animal’s range.
“We’re connecting 2,000 years of Chinese culture with biodiversity,” says Zhigang Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. Mei grew up along the Yangtze River and remembers elders revering the porpoises as spiritual beings that could predict the weather and fish levels. “Our work fills the gap between the super long-term information we get from fossils and DNA and the recent population surveys. It really shows how powerful it can be to combine art and biodiversity conservation.”
Medieval Poetry as an Ecological Archive
Stretching over 6,300 kilometres from the Tibetan Plateau to the East China Sea, the Yangtze River has long been central to Chinese life and literature. The finless porpoise is unique as the world’s only known freshwater porpoise. Moreover, it was once a common sight along its waters. Over the centuries, poets such as Qing dynasty emperor Qianlong documented encounters with these animals, particularly when the porpoises became especially active before storms.
“Compared to fish, Yangtze finless porpoises are pretty big, and they’re active on the surface of the water, especially before thunderstorms when they’re really chasing after fish and jumping around,” says Mei. “This amazing sight was hard for poets to ignore.”
From “Sancai Tuhui,” compiled by Wang Qi (1573–1620)
The team reviewed 724 poems dating as far back as the Tang Dynasty (618–907 CE). To ensure historical accuracy, they analysed each poet’s style, context, and biography, distinguishing between realistic observations and imaginative embellishments. By correlating literary references with geographic and biographical data, the researchers were able to date and locate the sightings recorded in verse.
The Qing Dynasty (1636–1912) provided the largest number of poems (477 in total) referencing the porpoise, followed by the Ming Dynasty with 177, the Yuan with 27, the Song with 38, and the Tang with just 5.
Based on these references, the researchers reconstructed the historical distribution of the Yangtze finless porpoise. They found that while the range along the main river has declined by 33% since the Tang Dynasty, the decline in the river’s connected lakes and tributaries is even more severe—at 91%.
A Century of Decline
The sharpest drop occurred during the 20th century, when dam construction and hydraulic engineering projects severely disrupted the porpoise’s mobility and habitat. These findings are consistent with previous scientific assessments of human impact on the Yangtze ecosystem. Notably, two other species endemic to the river, the baiji dolphin and the Chinese paddlefish, have gone functionally extinct in recent decades.
“Protecting nature isn’t just the responsibility of modern science; it’s also deeply connected to our culture and history,” Mei says. “Art, like poetry, can really spark an emotional connection, making people realize the harmony and respect we should have between people and nature.”
The researchers plan to delve further into the ancient poems, hoping to uncover more details about historical porpoise behaviour and population sizes. They also aim to encourage interdisciplinary approaches that combine science with cultural heritage, exploring other historical art forms such as novels and paintings for ecological insights.
“This work made me rethink the scientific value of historical literature and showed us the power of thinking across disciplines,” says Mei. “Chinese poetry, this ancient art form, can be a serious scientific tool. Using the past to understand the present, ‘decoding’ the stories behind the art: it’s not just research, it’s like having a conversation with the poets of the past.”
The article, “Range contraction of the Yangtze finless porpoise inferred from classic Chinese poems,” by Yaoyao Zhang, Jiajia Liu, Shilu Zheng, Jianghua Wang, Kexiong Wang, Ding Wang and Zhigang Mei, appears in Current Biology. Click here to read it.
Top Image: Photo by Huangdan2060 / Wikimedia Commons
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