Gauge of Gluttony: Humanity's Dysanatomification of the Ecological Space
Dysanatomification: When humans disorder and maltreat the bodies of animals for commercial gain, causing the disturbance of natural processes such as the evolution of species.
Archaeological evidence suggests that humans have been interacting with, taming, and farming animals since before 8,000 BCE. It has been a complicated and long relationship ever since. From food to fashion, animals are at the core of exploitation. Cruelty for commercial gain. Fur for footwear. Horns for home décor. In the image above, we see tusks laid out ever so neatly. A wavy artwork with vectors paving a path from top to bottom. A mosaic of larceny. With only 40,000 elephants remaining in the wild, they are officially classified as endangered.
Humans are wired with empathy for animals. Psychological studies contest that we as humans feel the three types of empathy for animals that we do for other humans: affective empathy, cognitive empathy, and empathetic concern (Angantyr et al. 2011). The connection with animals plays a vital role in influencing the evolution and behaviours of humans. For instance, the animal and human communication occurs in the same manner despite difference in language, syntax, and linguistic capabilities. Communication embodies an audience, shared symbolic vocabulary and a mutually understood subject matter. Wild animals are capable of this communication. The vervet monkey calls out different alarms signalling which predator is coming toward them. Perhaps it is the snake. Maybe the leopard. The elephant uses low frequency “infrasounds” that can travel kilometres, below the capacity of human hearing. The panther scrapes and scratches, making visual marks to communicate with their pride. Every species is laced with a web of complex intelligence. However, even in all their sentience, humans have engaged in animal cruelty for centuries.
Gens una sumus
The Latin mantra for chess translates to “we are one people”. A game that symbolises war, where every decision can either bring advantage or disadvantage. These chess pieces presented in the image are made from ivory, carved from the tusks of elephants. Are we supposed to accept that this is a gluttonous cycle? Humans rob animals. Humans hurt animals. Humans strip animals of their power for commercial gain. Perhaps that is life, where each move leads to another until one calls “checkmate” and yet another species becomes obsolete. A simple game of chess.
My e-concept, ‘Dysanatomification’ explores the negative use and exploitation of an animal’s body for human material gain, and how human consciousness and empathy are not strong enough forces to stop this vicious cycle. Indeed, the empathy we feel towards animals is the imbrication of nonhuman and human beings. Yet even with this human consciousness, animals are at the heart of barbaric violence. Explored at the heart of my e-concept is how violence has transferred from past to present and has changed the ecological order and genetic makeup of species. With sufficient research on the poaching of elephants, I have come to unveil a tragic truth. Humans’ abuse for ivory products has caused elephants to evolve tuskless (Vinter 2021). Humans are changing the biological makeup with their exploitation of animals. As the e-concept of Extinction details, human hubris is catastrophic to species emerging through time, leading to extinction. This is at the heart of my concept, Dysanatomification.
The prefix of ‘dys-’ connotes meanings of ‘negative, badly, wrongly’. For instance, ‘dysfunction’ translates to a bad function, signifying the maltreatment and ill-use of animals. This concept is specific to the corporeal exploitation of animals hence my incorporation of ‘anatomy’. The suffix of ‘-ation’ refers to a state of acting or process of. Therefore, through this play of neologisms and linguistic combinations, I have created a concept that represents the negative use of animal anatomy for human gain and how empathy is not great enough of a force for some people to cease brutality. My central focus is the poaching of elephants for the use of ivory. Tampering with Mother Nature’s creatures continues to have ramifications of extinction, environmental damage, and cultural disruption. Elephants are spiritual creatures. Wild and wise, they are honoured vehicles, transmitting spiritual teachings for Buddhist and Hindu religions. Any harm to life causes the disordering to the pneuma and the psyche. The spirit and the mind.
The calf rests, shielded by her mother’s belly. Latching onto her, she becomes comforted by the milk. She doesn’t know it yet, but her tusks will be taken away from her. “My Body my Choice” applies to women and as it rightfully should. But what about animal autonomy? Why do we stop there? What constitutes animal life as less than human? A tusk’s purpose is to dig, lift objects, gather food and defend. So much use taken at such a cost. Poaching elephants for ivory is an environmental crisis that has multifaceted responses. Some humans abuse animal rights, some protest it. Ivory poaching has led to the evolution of tuskless elephants. They have become genetically engineered by mass poaching for ivory, at the bloody hands of human interference with nature. We can scrub as hard as Lady Macbeth did, but we are changing the anatomy of wild animals. Engaging in Dysanatomification.
Angantyr, M, Eklund, J, Hansen, E.M (2011), ‘A Comparison of Empathy for Humans and Empathy for Animals’, Anthrozoos, 24(4): 369-377
Vinter, R 2021, ‘Ivory poaching has led to evolution of tuskless elephants, study finds’, The Guardian, 22 October, accessed October 2022 from The Guardian
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/oct/21/ivory-poaching-evolution-tuskless-elephants-study
Elle Andreopoulos