MUSEUM MANIFESTO. MIGRATIONS

Today, movements between countries are a source of conflict and drama. In Europe, thousands of people drown every year crossing national borders by sea. Although humans have always migrated, as have all species, migrations have become a political issue that inflates the numbers and trends. Against this background, natural history provides a dispassionate overview of human mobility to enable a calm, informed debate to take place.

Mobility is essential to maintaining life on Earth. Animals and plants migrate, develop characteristics adapted to their new environment, and then mix with the new arrivals. Once again, the group’s genetic heritage is made richer by this mixing, thus ensuring the evolution and sustainability of species.

Just like other species, "migration has played a major role in human expansion and evolution" from the time our ancestors of the genus Homo appeared on the African continent 7.5 million years ago, right up to the current biological and cultural diversity we see today.

These days, modern forms of transport make it easier to move around and enable journeys to be longer. This does not mean that the number of migrants is on the rise. "Only a tiny proportion of humans wish to migrate. Overall, 97% of humans live in their country of birth."

Museum Manifesto. Migrations

Co-publication Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle / Reliefs Éditions

Authors: collective, under the direction of Guillaume Lecointre, zoologist, systematician and professor at the Muséum

Bilingual French/English

2018

94 p.