Neotropical mammals in natural history collections and research in Rome, Italy

Riccardo Castiglia,Spartaco Gippoliti

doi:10.46357/bcnaturais.v15i3.254

Abstract

The occurrence and the history of Neotropical mammal specimens in the collections of naturalistic museums in Rome, Italy, and their scientific utilization is here reviewed. These specimens belong to several scientific expeditions made after the discovery of the new Continent. The oldest specimens date back to the famous Museum of Athanasius Kircher at the Collegio Romano (1651) and to the Museo Zoologico della Università di Roma that was established inside the University of the Pontificial State (Archigymnasium) (1823). Many of these early specimens are now lost due to the complex history of Roman scientific museology, but some specimens are now available mainly in two institutions, the Museo Civico di Zoologia (established in 1932) and the Museo di Anatomia Comparata “Battista Grassi” of “Sapienza” University of Rome (1935). Among the numerous specimens, is noteworthy the presence of a hairy long-nosed armadillo, Dasypus pilosus, the first record in an Italian zoological collection and the 26th known specimen of this species in world museums. More recently, some Roman researchers have maintained a scientific interest for Neotropical mammals, including primates, with collaboration with South American mammalogists. A greater historical knowledge of scientific activities concerning the work of Italians researchers on Neotropical biodiversity should be pursued.

Highlights

After the discovery of the ‘New World’, live and dead American mammals reached the most important cities of Europe, and Rome was no exception
Capanna (2009) illustrated the history of the publication in Rome of Francisco Hernandez’s Novae Hispaniae Theosaurus in 1648. He recalled how armadillos were famous in Baroque Rome, with one specimen in the Museum of Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) at the Collegio Romano that probably was the model utilized by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for his reproduction in the Fontana dei Fiumi in Piazza Navona (Capanna, 2007, 2009). This contribution aims to provide a review on the occurrence and the history of Neotropical mammal specimens in the collections of naturalistic museums in Rome and their scientific utilization
MATERIAL AND METHODS We reviewed historical evidences and current specimens of South American origin housed or known to have been held in the two oldest public natural history collections sited at Rome, Italy (Giuseppini & Capanna, 2010): the Museo Civico di Zoologia, and the Museo di Anatomia Comparata “Battista Grassi” of the “Sapienza” University of Rome

Summary

Introduction

After the discovery of the ‘New World’, live and dead American mammals reached the most important cities of Europe, and Rome was no exception. Capanna (2009) illustrated the history of the publication in Rome of Francisco Hernandez’s Novae Hispaniae Theosaurus in 1648 He recalled how armadillos were famous in Baroque Rome, with one specimen in the Museum of Athanasius Kircher (1602-1680) at the Collegio Romano that probably was the model utilized by Gian Lorenzo Bernini for his reproduction in the Fontana dei Fiumi in Piazza Navona (Capanna, 2007, 2009). This contribution aims to provide a review on the occurrence and the history of Neotropical mammal specimens in the collections of naturalistic museums in Rome and their scientific utilization. Except in a few cases, we did not attempt a systematic taxonomic revision of the material and the main goal of the present paper is to resume a forgotten chapter about the history of scientific relationship between Italy and South America

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Conclusion