Notice Board

The Department of History Colloquium presents "Feral Animals in the American South: An Evolutionary History" by Dr. Abraham H. Gibson (Arizona State University) on September 23, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. in C-610.

Abstract:  For thousands of years, people have generally divided the world’s animals into two distinct categories, wild and domestic, but some animals cannot be shoehorned into this strict dichotomy.  Feral animals (erstwhile domestic animals who now live in the wild) are neither domestic nor wild, and instead represent a third category of life.  These animals have been ignored for too long.  Recovering their mute testimony reveals a fascinating, if not always flattering, perspective on human history.  This is especially true in southeastern North America, where social and cultural norms have created and sustained large populations of feral animals for
centuries.

Abraham H. Gibson teaches in the School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies at Arizona State University, and has previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania, Florida State University, Virginia Tech, and the College of Coastal Georgia.  He has published extensively on a variety of topics related to southern history, environmental history, and the history of science, and he has earned fellowships from the National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, and the Consortium for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine.