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Marian Stamp Dawkins on why animals matter

There is an urgent argument for the need to rethink animal welfare, untinged by anthropomorphism and claims of animal consciousness, which lack firm empirical evidence and are often freighted with controversy and high emotions. With growing concern over such issues as climate change and food shortages, how we treat those animals on which we depend for survival needs to be put squarely on the public agenda. Marian Stamp Dawkins seeks to do this by offering a more complete understanding of how animals help us.

Below, you can listen to Marian Stamp Dawkins talk about the topics raised in her book Why Animals Matter: Animal consciousness, animal welfare, and human well-being. This podcast is recorded by the Oxfordshire Branch of the British Science Association who produce regular Oxford SciBar podcasts.

Listen to podcast:

[audio:http://oxfordscibar.jellycast.com/files/audio/Oxford%20SciBar%20Podcast%20Oct%202012%20Prof%20Marian%20Stamp%20Dawkins.mp3]

Marian Stamp Dawkins is Professor of Animal Behavior and Mary Snow Fellow in Biological Sciences, Somerville College, Oxford University. She is the author of Why Animals Matter: Animal consciousness, animal welfare, and human well-being; Observing Animal Behaviour: Design and analysis of quantitative data ; and the forthcoming Through Our Eyes Only?: The Search for Animal Consciousness. She was awarded the 2009 Association for the Study of Animal Behavior medal for contributions to animal behavior.

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