Curation of Zoological Collections

Transcription

1 Entomologie II Managing and Curating Museum Collections II: Curation of Zoological Collections Part 1: Entomological Collections [im Rahmen des Workshopprogramms der Goethe Graduate Academy (GRADE), 19. I. 2012] Wolfgang A. Nässig Entomologie II, Senckenberg, Senckenberganlage 25, Frankfurt am Main Sektionswebsite: Publikationsliste: PDF dieser Veranstaltung:

2 Curation of Zoological Collections Part 1. Entomological Collections a) What is the general purpose of natural history collections? b) Collecting insects c) Killing insects d) Preparation ( setting ) of insects e) Documentation and labelling f) DNA analysis g) Collection of insects h) Storage and maintenance of entomological collections i) Cataloguing Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

3 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

4 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

5 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I , ISBN:

6 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept The International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature responsible for: The International Code of Zoological Nomenclature ( The Code ) ICZN, Article 61. Principle of Typification Statement of the Principle of Typification. Each nominal taxon in the family, genus or species groups has actually or potentially a name-bearing type. The fixation of the name-bearing type of a nominal taxon provides the objective standard of reference for the application of the name it bears.... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

7 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological comparison to type specimens or reliably determined specimens in the collection = 1 or 2 species? Phot.: Lepiforum ( unter Bestimmungshilfe: = 2 Arten) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

8 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals O. latruncula Phot.: Lepiforum Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

9 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Phot. P. Zub Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

10 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

11 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Genitalia morphology is the classical way for species identification and still a necessary standard method no DNA study alone can overcome this method, only a phylogenetic analysis based on an integration of results of different methods can deliver somehow reliable results ( Integrative taxonomy or integrative phylogenetic reasoning). Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

12 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Variability analysis (biogeographically based [statistical] analysis) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

13 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Variability analysis (biogeographically based [statistical] analysis) DNA analysis (if specimens have not been wrongly treated or are too old) Barcode of Life ca. 560 base pairs of the mitochondrial DNA of the cytochrome-c oxidase, subunit I (COI) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

14 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Variability analysis (biogeographically based [statistical] analysis) DNA analysis (if specimens have not been wrongly treated or are too old) Why are collections of insects (invertebrates) no problem for species protection issues? Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

15 Natural History Collections a) What is the purpose of natural history collections? History ( curiosity cabinets ) Modern collections: Museums are scientific heritage of mankind The type concept Determination Morphological study: external morphology, genitalia morphology, comparison with other individuals Variability analysis (biogeographically based [statistical] analysis) DNA analysis (if specimens have not been wrongly treated or are too old) Why are collections of insects (invertebrates) no problem for species protection issues? To summarize: A scientific collection is a database containing not just metadata (i.e., data about data), but the original data (= specimens!) themselves, always available for further new research with new methods Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

16 b) Collecting insects Collecting methods: net light sugar bait or other baits many different trap types... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

17 b) Collecting insects Collecting methods: net light sugar bait or other baits many different trap types... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

18 b) Collecting insects Collecting methods: net light sugar bait or other baits many different trap types... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

19 b) Collecting insects Collecting methods: net light sugar bait or other baits many different trap types... Download unter: Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

20 b) Collecting insects Collecting methods: net light sugar bait or other baits many different trap types personal searching by eye,... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

21 c) Killing insects Killing jars Traps with alcohol Injection of ammonium solution with nicotine... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

22 c) Killing insects Killing jars Traps with alcohol Injection of ammonium solution with nicotine... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

23 d) Preparation ( setting ) of insects Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

24 d) Preparation ( setting ) of insects Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

25 d) Preparation ( setting ) of insects Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

26 d) Preparation ( setting ) of insects... and practical demonstration by Massimo Terragni, technical assistant Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

27 e) Documentation and labelling Labelling for different purpose Never forget exact and correct labelling! Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

28 e) Documentation and labelling Labelling for different purpose: violet: protocol numbers and photos (together with written documentation elsewhere) green: fill-out labels (by hand) for exact date bright blue: donation or purchase labels bright green: dissection labels (one for the specimen, one for the genitalia slide or vial) reddish: type labels (holotype/paratype) dark yellow: labels from the SMFL type catalogue bright yellow: barcode numbers (labels for the specimens) Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

29 f) DNA analysis Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

30 g) Collection of insects... and further examples in personal demonstration... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

31 h) Storage and maintenance of entomological collections... humidity... light... Feeding museum beetle larvae and again further examples in personal demonstration... Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

32 i) Cataloguing... an endless question. There is no way to produce a catalogue of about a million or more stored specimens (no manpower, no time, no sense in doing so without verification). Old catalogues here are incomplete, records are not individually verified with original literature and specimens and often contain errors, and only a specialist for a given group can perform such serious verifications. Neither a student, a technical assistant nor a scientist specialised for another group can do such work. Type catalogues are nevertheless very necessary, should be accessible via internet, but must fulfill high standards in reliability to be of any real help. However, original data (= specimens!) is always better than just metadata (i.e., just data about data). The Senckenberg platform SeSam is not yet in use by section Entomology II. Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I

33 The End Zoological Collections I, W. A. Nässig, 19. I