Contribution of Russian zoologists to the collecting and first descriptions of the World avian fauna

Abstract

A brief overview is given of the formation of museum collections of birds in Russia, collected as a result of academic expeditions around the world and across Russia. The imperishable value of zoological collections, concentrated in zoological museums and institutes, is underlined. The results of expeditions are described in chronology, beginning with 18th century (they were conducted under the auspices of the Russian Academy of Sciences and the Imperial Russian Geographical Society): the First Siberian expedition (D.G. Messershmidt), the First Kamchatka and the Great Northern expeditions (V.I. Bering, А.I. Chirikov, G.F. Müller, G.V. Stöller, I.G. Gmelin, S.P. Krasheninnikov), Great academic expeditions across Russia (P.S. Pallas, S.G. Gmelin, I.A. Güldenstädt, I.I. Lepyokhin, I.P. Falk, I.G. Georgi), round-the-world sea expeditions (I.F. Kruzenshtern and Yu.F. Lisyansky, F.F. Bellingshausen and M.P. Lazarev, F.G. Kittlitz and A.K. Mertens), as well as expeditions to Brazil (G. I. Langsdorf and E.P. Menetries) and expedition of I.G. Voznesensky in Russian America, the Commanders and Kamchatka. Reference is made to the importance of zoological expeditions of K.F. von Baer, A.F. Middendorf, G.I. Radde, N.A. Severtsov, M.N. Bogdanov, G.E. and M.E. Grumm-Grzhimailo. Particular attention is paid to the great Asian campaigns to Central Asia in the late XIX – early XX century of NM. Przevalsky, V.I. Roborovsky, P.K. Kozlov, G.N. Potanin, M.V. Pevtsov, B.L. Grombchevsky, M.A. Pyltsov and N.A. Zarudny. The contribution of the ornithologists of Russia M.N.Bogdanov, M.M. Berezovsky, M.A. Menzbir, V.L. Bianchi, F.D. Pleske, V.I. Dybowski, V.A. Godlewski, M.I. Jankowski, V.K. Taczanowski, P.P. Sushkin and S.A. Buturlin to the bird systematics at the end of the 19th century and the beginning of XX century is described. In conclusion, it is said about the unique value of zoological collections for the study of taxonomy and phylogeny, including on the basis of molecular genetic studies.