山階鳥類研究所の標本・試料受け入れシステムとその収集状況

Abstract

We have registered morphological specimens and materials for DNA analyses offered to the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology (YIO) since 1987. Initially, we registered bird carcasses for stuffed specimens and stuffed specimens donated to the YIO, in a series of notebooks. In the late 1990s, we began to collect tissue samples for DNA analyses. These samples were registered in another series of notebooks. From 2005, the information on bird carcasses was placed in a computer database, and tissue sample data integrated therein. Most of the bird carcasses were collected opportunistically throughout Japan, partly including banded birds with more information. From a bird carcass, a stuffed specimen and tissue samples (muscle and liver) were obtained, which are of use in DNA barcoding. The database software automatically allocated a unique accession number to each individual; this was supplemented with information on species name, collection locality and date, collector, donator and situations when collected. We took a series of standard measurements of each carcass (body weight, total length, wingspan, etc.), and then dissected it to record the reproductive organs. Subsequently, we prepared a museum specimen, mainly skin or skeleton, from the carcass. A label with a unique number with a prefix of YIO- was attached to each specimen. Each label included the following information: specimen number, accession number, species name, date, locality, sex, collector, donator and notes. As of March 2009, we have registered a total of 16,176 specimens, including 951 species, 115 families and 27 orders. The collection comprises 2,958 frozen carcasses, 6,529 specimens and 5,517 tissue samples. Shortage of space in the collection room and deep freezers is a persistent problem. It is necessary to establish a procedure to provide tissue samples for outside researchers.