On the edge between science and art: Historical biodiversity data from Japanese 'gyotaku'

(Pensoft Publishers) Japanese cultural art of 'gyotaku,' which means 'fish impression' or 'fish rubbing,' captures accurate images of fish specimens. It has been used by recreational fishermen and artists since the Edo Period. Distributional data from 261 'Gyotaku' rubbings were extracted for 218 individual specimens, roughly representing regional fish fauna and common fishing targets in Japan through the years. The results of the research are presented in a paper published by Japanese scientists in open-access journal Zookeys.
Source: EurekAlert! - Biology - Category: Biology Source Type: news