Poetic Science 

Ancient Chinese poetry is offering scientists new insights into the history of a porpoise species that has inhabited the Yangtze River for centuries. 

The Yangtze finless porpoise, Neophocaena asiaeorientalis, is the world’s only freshwater porpoise and is critically endangered, with around only 1,250 individuals remaining. 

Due to the limited number of official records on this cetacean species, a research team turned to classical poetry, some dating as far back as 618 CE – for their latest study. 

“We’re connecting 2,000 years of Chinese culture with biodiversity,” said Zhigang Mei of the Chinese Academy of Sciences in a statement. “Our work fills the gap between the super long-term information we get from fossils and DNA and the recent population surveys.” 

The researchers analyzed 724 poems that referenced the Yangtze finless porpoise, including works by Qing dynasty emperor and poet Qianlong, who mentioned the animals during his travels along Asia’s longest river in the mid-18th century. 

“The poets vividly described the actual behaviors of the porpoises (using language) such as ‘blowing waves,’ ‘surging waves,’ and ‘bowing to the wind,’” co-author Yaoyao Zhang told Scientific American. 

By combining these poetic references with historical records, the team was able to reconstruct the porpoise’s historical distribution across the Yangtze River and its tributaries. Their findings revealed that the porpoise’s range has declined by 65 percent over the past 1,400 years, with an even steeper 91 percent drop in its tributary habitats. 

Most of this decline occurred in the 20th century and aligns with previous studies linking population declines to human activities such as dam construction and hydraulic engineering projects. 

Similar environmental pressures led to the functional extinction of other Yangtze wildlife such as the baiji dolphin and Chinese paddlefish. 

Mei and his colleagues now plan to further explore ancient texts to better understand how the river and its wildlife have changed over time. He hopes that this interdisciplinary approach will contribute to the conservation of the endangered porpoise. 

“This work made me rethink the scientific value of historical literature and showed us the power of thinking across disciplines,” Mei said in the statement. “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.”