Taxonomy in the popular media

aj49 Andrew_S_JENSEN at UMAIL.UMD.EDU
Mon Jan 13 16:27:00 CST 1997


To those interested,

It occurs to me that there are at least a few, and probably many examples of
taxonomy taking a central role in popular television and movies.  For
example, a recent episode of X-Files hinged on the identity of a fungus
associated with mysterious deaths.  Or in the movie called the Silence of
the Lambs, in which the mystery was solved partly on the basis of the
identification of a moth, and the consequent biological information that the
detectives got based on the correct identification.  Maybe this has been
obvious to others, but it occurred to me for the first time that such shows
are great tools for explaining to one's inlaws or whoever the importance of
the seemingly esoteric science called taxonomy.  Movies and TV are closer to
home for most people than crop production, ecology and so-forth.  Do some of
you have other good examples of taxonomy in movies and TV?

Cheers,

Andy Jensen




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