Abstract
We describe the pellet sampling data set from the Vertebrate Collection of the Museum of Zoology of the University of Navarra. This data set compiles all information about small mammals obtained from the analysis of owl pellets. The collection consists on skulls, mandibles, and some skeletons of 36 species of more than 72,000 georeferenced specimens. These specimens come from the Iberian Peninsula although most samples were collected in Navarra, a highly diverse transitional area of 10,000 kilometre square sitting across three biogeographical regions. The collection spans more than forty years and is still growing as a result of the establishment of a barn owl pellet monitoring network in 2015. The program will provide critical information about the evolution of the small mammals’ community in this transition zone as it changes over time.
Highlights
Background & SummaryNatural history collections are in the spotlight of scientific community as they provide long-term data of species distribution all around the world[1]
Many areas of scientific research such as climate change ecology, biodiversity distribution and invasive species rely on these biological records found in natural history collections[5,6,7]
Collections are usually composed of voucher specimens which are valuable and in coming years as they can be revised, verified and re-used in the future[2,8]
Summary
Natural history collections are in the spotlight of scientific community as they provide long-term data of species distribution all around the world[1]. The Museum of Zoology of University of Navarra (MZNA) was established in 1980 to safeguard material from the research carried out in the former department of Zoology and Ecology and Environmental Biology department[15] It is a Data Provider for the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and curates collections of vertebrates (see e.g., refs 16,17) and invertebrates[18]. The monitoring program is designed to provide new data at least twice a year increasing temporal resolution and allowing the assessment of seasonal trends in the small mammals’ community Specimens in this data set come from a heterogeneous area where Alpine, Atlantic and Mediterranean biogeographical regions[20] come in contact. Long-term series of data like this data set can bring to light shifts in the distributional ranges of species coping with warmer conditions, land uses changes or invasive species[4,22,24]
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