America's Galapagos : the historic Channel Islands survey /

Laverty, Corinne Heyning,

America's Galapagos : the historic Channel Islands survey / Corinne Heyning Laverty. - Salt Lake City : The University of Utah Press, (c)2019. - 1 online resource

Includes bibliographies and index.

Introduction : North America's Galapagos ; The Los Angeles County Museum Channel Islands Biological Survey -- Big Dog Cave -- Before Big Dog Cave -- Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo spoiled it all -- The island of the caves, San Clemente Island -- Camp Chinigchinich -- The rock island, Santa Barbara -- The lost island, San Nicolas -- The search for the lone woman's whalebone hut -- The lonely island, San Miguel -- The king of San Miguel befriends the CIBS -- To Rosa, the mysterious -- The forested island, Santa Cruz -- The expedition continues -- Field work, first half 1940 -- Summer 1940 -- A flurry of letters and the end of the 1940 field year -- The magic isle, Santa Catalina -- Early 1941 -- Back at the museum -- Hue and cry -- An unmeeting of minds -- Santa Rosa (again) -- Unlucky thirteen -- Epilogue.

"Laverty has researched and written about the Channel Islands Biological Survey conducted just prior to World War II off the coast of southern California and aborted due to the war and island location. The manuscript illuminates the scientific process and delves into the realities and difficulties of scientific fieldwork in the late 1930s. It also tells the behind-the-scenes story of the work of a natural history museum. The eight Channel Islands each support different ecosystems, both flora and fauna, and human histories. Five of the eight islands comprise Channel Islands National Park. The expedition researchers--John Adams Comstock, Art Woodward, Jack von Bloeker Jr., and Don Meadows--hoped to achieve the exhilaration and recognition from new discoveries but were thwarted by the war and their inability to complete and publish the survey data. However, early archaeology done on the islands, some by the biological survey crew, initiated on-going work there. Prehistoric sites found on the islands have less pothunting and destruction than those on the mainland, hence they are more productive for addressing numerous questions. Today, they are helping to answer questions about the routes and timing for the peopling of the Americas"--Provided by publisher.



9781607817307

2019014063


Ecological surveys--California--Channel Islands.
Natural resources--California--Channel Islands.
Excavations (Archaeology)--California--Channel Islands.


Electronic Books.

QH541 / .A447 2019