The datafication of nature: data formations and new scales in natural history

In this essay, I consider the scales and connections lost gained as natural history adopts digital data infrastructures. On basis of ongoing work in Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, track relations between insect specimens their material informational ecologies. Using Latour's notion ‘circulating reference’, follow they make way into taxonomies, databases, digitization apparatuses. focusing on human-data mediations museum practices ordering, describing, distributing specimens, show how datafication nature makes present conventionally dissociated contexts, including German colonialism. Proposing concept a formation, suggest that ethnographers have much to contribute bringing forward sociocultural historical specificities contingencies within data. La donnéification de la : formations données et nouvelles échelles en histoire naturelle Résumé Cet article s'intéresse à disparition certaines connexions tandis que d'autres font leur apparition, dans un contexte où l'histoire adopte des infrastructures digitales. Sur base travaux cours au Musée d'histoire l'autrice suit piste entre les spécimens d'insectes leurs informations écologiques matérielles numériques. L'autrice applique « référence circulante » Latour pour suivre fil bases dispositifs numérisation. En se concentrant sur médiations humain-données pratiques du musée matière commande, description distribution spécimens, l'article montre comment rend présents contextes conventionnellement dissociés, parmi lesquels le colonialisme allemand. proposant formation données, il suggère ethnographes ont une contribution forte apporter abordant aléas spécificités socioculturelles historiques renferment données. I'm sitting office head curator for Lepidoptera (butterflies moths) collection at one world's oldest largest museums, talk about relation global collections. Perched us atop table is an drawer, wooden rectangular box with glass lid filled dozens tiny moths neatly pinned tight rows. An A4 sheet paper lies top drawer. It shows phylogenetic tree diagram, consisting branches, nodes, leaves arranged circle represent evolutionary relationships moth species assembled drawer underneath. The moths’ genetic data, derived from legs, had just been received Dutch-based biotechnology company specializing DNA sequencing services. Based similarity analysis, sequences were grouped subsequently translated where lengths tree's branches are proportional amount character change, thus indicating relationship level species. We talking speed taxonomic research, which, together care management collections, constitutes curator's main work. Taxonomic research concerned description, identification, naming species, museums form central site pursuit providing home experts materials, most importantly specimens. Nowadays also referred biodiversity discovery, has long history, usually said originate Carl Linnaeus (1707-78), whose system organisms remains place day. artefacts furnishing bear witness traditions still directing work: microscope; trays (small cardboard boxes containing specimens); pincers pens; more drawers butterflies; desktop computer; overflowing spare pins labels. Book shelves line two walls, crammed aged leather-bound volumes, papers, journals. At same time, piece bearing diagram indicative novel data-based technologies, sequencing, changing work, its institutions. tells me real bottleneck scaling up taxonomy fully realizing data-driven discovery tenuous, often non-existent connection molecular (genetic) published names. ‘We have’, he emphasizes, ‘250 year's worth names’ identifications based morphological traits such colour, size, shape. Now these need be matched unique signatures each so-called barcodes, became attainable through end twentieth century. And, indeed, bears no moths, Barcode Index Numbers (BINs), denoting algorithmically clusters barcode assumed distinct What interests essay becomes populated by BINs, following, explore meeting what editors called ‘data moment’ discovering, naming, digitizing, Berlin. My aim conjuncture disconnections specimen emergent ecology. doing so, advance formation’ gather heterogeneous, contingent, not always explicit processes remake context collections seek transform themselves Guided Stoler's use term ‘imperial formations’ (2008: 192), refer adjacent exceeding formal computerized programming coding. argue thinking handling complicates expectations assumptions associated (Kitchin 2014), abstraction standardization phenomena, while prompting rethink categorical differences big small, physical, past present. Specifically, demonstrate decontextualization course databasing, classifying, digitizing entails recontextualization does so dispel distribute complexity. concern here evident point characterized history. With text, want bring conversation sets literature: body generally become (boyd & Crawford 2012; Ruckenstein Schüll 2017; van Dijck 2014) sociopolitical effects; social cultural studies science, specifically, examining lives objects materials go making science claims (Franklin 2003; Knorr Cetina 1999; Woolgar 1986). A specific analytical category emerge latter ‘inscription’, which describes transformation entities phenomena mobile traces diagrams, documents, or signals (Latour inscriptions world can move beyond field laboratory, get tested against combined other inscriptions, allowing construction manipulation entities, planetary boundaries barcodes. Inscriptions representations but specifically materialized possess obduracy agency shape world. For ethnographies laboratories scientific knowledge production, references’, describe contiguous translations signs, served observe action 1999). expanding datafication, only do multiply, trajectories ever harder trace across machines, software, formats. Studies proliferating incursions quantification governance domains life afford similar capacities intervene (Turnhout, De Lijster Neves 2014). Here, too, pollution (see Blacker, volume) transformed circulate, aggregated, target policy interventions. Both literatures power (and data) materialize scale world, and, furthermore, methodological challenges posed moment, problem imagined tensions trade-offs small 2012). As special issue out, anthropology comes in, since ‘small’ means empirically constructed thick local situated engagements. Small regarded close bodies ground steeped neither vanquished nor abstracted without considerable information loss. And tension reproduces scalar common both namely incongruity ‘taxonomic’ ‘relational' precision (Wagner quoted Strathern 2004: 121 n. 3). One could either hone individual butterfly it all details (taxonomic precision), take entire species’ ecological encounters development, environmental function, relational complexes (relational precision). By proposing figure imagining tracing data-human away dichotomy instead gain detailed relationality. This urgent question moving comprehensively digitize available this, decisions taken retain detail, structuring access inquiry particular ways. Taking my cues anthropological recently, technology engagements scaling, examine empirical convention sees general specific, mutually exclusive (Asdal 2020; 1995). attends present, describing different yet connected moments formations: database record specimen; wasp; mass insects. actor-network theory's proposition ‘follow actors’ 1987), human nonhuman, references, institutional fieldsite 2013. following participant observation, dialogues colleagues, engagement data-related developments literature observation. curator, we his computer diagram. He opens barcodes text file, revealing set As, Cs, Gs, Ts, copies sequences, pastes search function Life Data System (BOLD) browser. BOLD provides, among things, public reference vouchered specimens: is, animals plants preserved serve verifiable permanent first, match found, second sequence matches Australian National Insect Collection over 90 per cent, establish informed office, barcode, valid name, voucher specimen. According (1999), traceability key condition efficacy references representative (of environments, collections) guarantor downstream publications. Given plethora proliferation portals like discoveries barcoding ‘chains transformation’ 1999: 70) – retraceable imperative multiply Retracing, however, might proliferate relations. was searching Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), online information, when arrived butterflies collected Cameroon.11 GBIF expansive resource 1.6 billion occurrence records: presence locations globe. Many funding streams stipulate default release datasets feed high-level documents Intergovernmental Panel Climate Change (IPCC) reports (e.g. Warren, Price, Graham, Forstenhaeusler VanDerWal 2018). freely web browser (at gbif.org) offers prominent bar users input taxon name retrieve list map) provided institutions worldwide, thirty-nine records appeared screen listed alphabetically name: Anapisa aurantiaca, Automolis invaria, Balacra daphaena, on. entries shared geographical co-ordinates (4.3N, 9.1E), date (1991 December), ‘basis record’ (Preserved specimen). They comprised full lineages, Kingdom (Animalia) level. Clicking Graphium fulleri, entry up. titled ‘Graphium fulleri (Grose-Smith 1883)’, Henley Grose-Smith (1833-1911), British entomologist, first identify publish 1883. further contains butterfly's (Riley's graphium), very map present-day Cameroon, well three photographs. top, bottom, third depicts specimen's labels side side. Curiously, state ‘Papilio sanganoides’, escapes initial perusal. photographs followed holding relating record, occurrence, taxon, location rows ‘Other’ case licence (Creative Commons 4.0). marked holotype, name-giving (thus counting valuable holdings collection). Like holotypes collection, specimen, accompanied red label, captured photograph, word ‘Type’. order back meet collection. our technicians, who responsible maintaining preserving rooms cavernous, dim, cabinets cupboards tower ceiling, forming narrow alleys dotted ladders old-fashioned trolleys. Were odd modern equipment, vacuum cleaner freezer, cursory view space would cast observer time building opened 1889. addition gleaned ‘catalogue number’ hope collection's catalogue contain some contextual integrated tell circulation reference. Stacked technician's catalogues oversized volumes mildly yellowed pages double-spread grid contains, extremely neat handwriting, number, location, collector, rare cases, additional concerning acquisition. Unfortunately, technician remarks, include dates, difficult cross-reference documentation (such accession books, inventories, auction catalogues, annual reports). number noted down did correspond under catalogue, surmise probably ‘main catalogue’, kept archives museum. mismatch points initially begun part zoological before divided sub-collections corresponding groups (Mammals, Birds, Reptiles Amphibians, Fishes, etc.). grabs slim brochure behind her desk, Mitteilungen aus dem Zoologischen Berlin (Notes Zoological Berlin) 1904, development. report notes consisted preparing African colonies systematic started. continue takes floor building, another stored. Once more, find ourselves towering cabinets, holds hundreds carefully drawers. alleyways, volunteer, elderly woman, old new ones. Volunteers sight museum, indispensable help caring addition, transferring updating labels, assist finally arrive cabinet continent meant hold fulleri. slides out drawers, call smartphone provide him visual butterfly. pulls places nearby table, it, delicately removes promising-looking check identity, stack underneath piece. Despite similarity, reveals wrong return cabinet, catches attention. encounter mismatch. While certainly photograph markings identical, oddities (missing antenna, crooked leg) label appears foersterius’. looks again inspects there closely, seeing, given Papilio sanganoides. prompts speculate lists current (Graphium fulleri), names constitute synonyms, product multiple descriptions change classification nomenclatural code. accompanying featured collected: ‘S. Kamerun’ (South Cameroon), ‘Ngoko Sanga’. presumably collector (‘Foerster’), honoured having named after (Papilio foersterius). likely refers Oskar Foerster (1871-1910), colonial officer various expeditions southern Cameroon colony Empire (1884-1916) (Schnee 1920: 651). told come late nineteenth early range consistent above-mentioned circumstances saw troops engage (Nghonda Zacharie 2007). region prolonged border negotiations conflicts French powers. Expeditions combining military expertise used territory people, drawing collecting fauna flora, naturalize colonized territories.22 All sent designated resolution Reichstag. Odd accompany once accessed formation. transformations inherit, times heighten, problems haunt participation imperial (Subramaniam When joined 2013 post-doctoral fellowship museum's scientist, itself ‘biodiversity factory’, colleague put it. Laconically described ‘animals papers out’, delivered processed turned morphology lineage, abundance, trends, ecosystems vision aspirations undergirding automation seamless integration disparate sites, times, databases. retracing remain deeply entwined traditional histories. factory centre calculation datafication. fact, demonstrate, rendering worlds inhabitants (digital) Not vast archive technologies sorting, storing, relating, persist efforts ‘traditional’ remit (although, course, never strictly domained, feminist postcolonial scholars demonstrated repeatedly). diversity unstable important note hegemonic nature, extension, moment essays volume grapple, outcomes continuations histories endure, even economies, routines change. compels reckoning tenacity history's modes especially practices. Names devices allow affording switch perspective relational. retrace wasp contour Shortly arriving Hymenoptera (ants, bees, wasps, sawflies) department learn ‘biodiversity’ negotiated scientists working there. comprising estimated 2.2 million spread floors held spectacular, custom-built cabinets. musty slightly sweet smell pervades space. Clusters metal storage QR (quick response) codes signal transitional moment. batch occurred (more below). found myself shiny bigger than centimetre. Thin driven bodies, stuck foam lining white box, unit pinning tray. Such populate many sizes device moving, protecting (Nadim 2020). Stacks empty wait corners filled, signalling expected arrival wasps recently northern Thailand, survey carried University Kentucky. unusual arrangement, soon learned. surveys expedition seeking areas, mobilizing actors world-wide continually filling jars killed collected, roughly sorted being respective universities identification. invited participate identifying, possibly, wasp, should turn science. Ph.D. student whom collaborate worked preliminary regional already narrowed rank genus Alysson, Bembicinae tribe, group solitary predatory excavate nests soil, digging shallow tunnels lay eggs. now whether constituted genus, began gathering known Alysson ultimate list, Catalogue Sphecidae. created maintained Dr Wojciech J. Pulawski, emeritus entomology California Academy Sciences (the San Francisco). Available pdf document September 2003, updated day, representing Sphecidae instrument knowing wasps. dated 1852 Latin Analecta ad Entomographiam, 200-plus-page compilation entomological covering insects Russian Empire. contrast, recent 1987 journal Acta Entomologica Sinica written Chinese. Parsing required interpretation conjecture discussions them congruent serviceable comparisons Northern Thailand. But lack comparability: enduring standards characteristics, agreement selection characteristics detail. therefore embarked second-order obtaining physical United States, Austria, Netherlands. Our zooming compare veins wings, abdominal contours, descriptions. slow process, taking years complete. Historian Lorraine Daston nomenclature ‘art transmission’ (2004: 157), shifting focus stability semiotic done practice. transmission emphasizes logistical managing terri