UCL Discovery
UCL home » Library Services » Electronic resources » UCL Discovery

In My Tribe: What the Snouters (and Other Jokes) Reveal About Tribes in Science

Cain, J; (2019) In My Tribe: What the Snouters (and Other Jokes) Reveal About Tribes in Science. Endeavour , 43 (1-2) pp. 2-10. 10.1016/j.endeavour.2018.12.001. Green open access

[thumbnail of Cain_In My Tribe. What the Snouters (and Other Jokes) Reveal About Tribes in Science_AAM.pdf]
Preview
Text
Cain_In My Tribe. What the Snouters (and Other Jokes) Reveal About Tribes in Science_AAM.pdf - Accepted Version

Download (2MB) | Preview

Abstract

This paper tells the history of this famous joke in science: Gerolf Steiner’s invention of the Rhinogradentia using the pseudonym Harald Stümpke. It follows this story from this joke’s creation in the 1940s, to the relabelling of Rhinogradentia as “snouters” in the 1960s, to later use as an inside joke within zoology and taxonomy. Steiner’s original monograph for these imaginary creatures followed standard conventions in taxonomy and did not disclose its fictitious nature. It was a tall tale for specialists to cherish. Later, Steiner’s joke took on a life of its own as his monograph functioned to identify communities of shared understanding and to spot lapses in expertise. This study places Steiner’s story within “jokelore,” arguing the rhinograde narrative has been repeated, shared, extended, and mimicked by diverse groups so they may accomplish either social work or intellectual work within the context of particular tribes and intellectual traditions.

Type: Article
Title: In My Tribe: What the Snouters (and Other Jokes) Reveal About Tribes in Science
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1016/j.endeavour.2018.12.001
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.endeavour.2018.12.001
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: jokelore, Rhinogradentia, snouters, tribalism, systematics, mammalogy, academic tribes
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Maths and Physical Sciences > Dept of Science and Technology Studies
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10051037
Downloads since deposit
268Downloads
Download activity - last month
Download activity - last 12 months
Downloads by country - last 12 months

Archive Staff Only

View Item View Item