History of ethnobiology

Abstract

The history of ethnobiology has been addressed by different authors to portray the development of the discipline, its main authors, and its theoretical and methodological approaches, challenges, gaps, and perspectives. At fi rst, ethnobiological studies were characterized by more descriptive approaches and by the documentation of the uses of plants and animals. Currently, it is considered that ethnobiology is in its interdisciplinary stage, where a greater cooperation among researchers from different areas is sought in order to handle more complex problems that can affect biological and cultural diversity. In this chapter, we briefl y review the history of ethnobiology starting with the characterization of its stages, its main authors, and prospects for the future.