History Museum In London Research Articles

The Malacological Works and Taxa of Sylvanus Hanley (1819–1899)

ABSTRACT The malacological works of Sylvanus Hanley (and his relative Charles Thorpe) are discussed and their dates in some cases clarified. The taxa that first appear in these works are listed, their type specimens noted when known, and the current status of the available taxa discussed. Of the 375 species-group names that first appear in these works, 367 are available, and 8 are nomina nude. Of the 367 available species-group taxa, approximately 219 are now considered valid. Approximately 60% of the available species are represented by type material, mainly in the Natural History Museum in London and in the Leeds City Museum in Leeds, U.K. Hanley also described several genus-group and family-group names, some of which are still considered valid.

Whose Story is it Anyway? The Challenges of Conducting Institutional Histories

This paper is based on my experiences as an oral historian on the <em>Museum Lives</em> project, a joint undertaking between Kingston University and the Natural History Museum in London, which seeks to record the lives and careers of the Museum’s curators and scientists (retired and current). By focussing on scientists at a single institution the project becomes a study not only of individual scientists and the natural sciences but of the institution itself. As a result, in planning and conducting the interviews there are three narratives to be taken into account as narrators relate their stories: as practitioners within the science, as members of the institution and as individuals in their own right. In their accounts, the narrators talk for their science and for the Museum, but even more revealingly, perhaps for the first time, the project gives them space to talk of themselves, as members of the wider society. This paper will investigate the tensions that arise as a result of these separate but interconnected strands and the impact these tensions have on the stories which emerge.

Around the World

In science news around the world this week, outbreaks of H5N1 continue in poultry in south and southeast Asia—and the human death toll mounts; the University of Tokyo plans to shift the start of its school year from April to autumn; researchers are looking for signs of life in the Tissint meteorites; the Natural History Museum in London is under fire for its scientific cooperation with an Israeli company that conducts research in the occupied West Bank; Marco Antônio Raupp will become Brazil's new minister of science, technology, and innovation; and NASA's twin moon orbiters were officially christened Ebb and Flow.

Fifty Thousand Years of Extinction

Fifty Thousand Years of Extinction

The tree as evolutionary icon: TREE in the Natural History Museum, London (William T. Stearn Prize 2010)

As part of the Darwin celebrations in 2009, the Natural History Museum in London unveiled TREE, the first contemporary artwork to win a permanent place in the Museum. While the artist claimed that the inspiration for TREE came from Darwin's famous notebook sketch of branching evolution, sometimes referred to as his "tree of life" drawing, this article emphasises the apparent incongruity between Darwin's sketch and the artist's design -- best explained by other, complementary sources of inspiration. In the context of the Museum's active participation in struggles over science and religion, the effect of the new artwork is contradictory. TREE celebrates Darwinian evolutionism, but it resonates with deep-rooted, mythological traditions of tree symbolism to do so. This complicates the status of the Museum space as one of disinterested, secular science, but it also contributes, with or without the intentions of the Museum's management, to consolidate two sometimes conflicting strains within the Museum's history. TREE celebrates human effort, secular science and reason -- but it also evokes long-standing mythological traditions to inspire reverence and remind us of our humble place in the world.

Phylogenetic Analysis Says Fungi Got Bacterial Genes via Transfers

Fungi not only undergo horizontal gene transfers (HGT)—exchanges of genetic material between species, according to Thomas A. Richards of the University of Exeter in England and his collaborators there and at the Natural History Museum in London. The process also fundamentally shaped how eukaryotic microbes obtain nutrients, he says. Details appear in the July 2011 Fungal Biology Reviews (25:98–110).

Biodiversity crunch

Biodiversity crunch

Systemic foundering

Systemic foundering

Archaeopteryx lithographica: an extreme makeover

This contribution outlines the steps taken to improve handling and safe access of the fossil Archaeopteryx lithographica (London specimen) for staff and visitors to the Natural History Museum in London. A review of risks and an outline of techniques applied are included.

Seven new synonyms within the genus Onthophagus (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae) from the Oriental Region

Examination of the type material of the Oriental representatives of the genus Onthophagus Latreille, 1802 (Coleoptera: Scarabaeidae: Scarabaeinae: Onthophagini) deposited at the Natural History Museum in London, National Museum of Natural History in Paris, Museum of Natural History in Basel and National Museum in Prague revealed seven new synonyms. The names synonymized herein were described as separate species mainly for two reasons. The first reason owes to the insufficient knowledge of entire Onthophagus diversity from Oriental Region and the fact that authors describing new species did not check the type material or even original descriptions for already described taxa. The following synonymized species were likely described due to this oversight: O. anamalaiensis Balthasar, 1974; O. chulapornus Masumoto, Ochi &amp; Hanboonong, 2008; O. demaak Masumoto, 1989; O. jucundus Arrow, 1931; O. laosensis Frey, 1971; and O. parvidens Frey, 1971. The second reason is the great range of intraspecific variation of such allometric characters as shape of head, horns and pronotum in Onthophagus. Therefore, detailed examination of the external characters for the large series of specimens, and careful study of male genitalia are required for reliable species identification. Unfortunately, this was not the case for many new species descriptions. In particular, O. perroti Paulian, 1978, was described as a species but actually only represents the minor form of O. orientalis Harold, 1868. The lectotype of O. gracilipes is designated in order to preserve the stability of zoological nomenclature.

A new species of Aspidophorodon Verma (Hemiptera, Aphididae) from the Altai Republic

Aspidophorodon (Eoessigia) vera, sp. nov. is described from specimens collected in the Altai Republic on Pentaphylloides fruticosa. Apterous viviparous females are described and illustrated, and biometric data provided. This aphid species is closely related to A. (E.) indica (David, Rajasingh et Narayanan, 1972). Type specimens are deposited at the Institute of Systematics and Ecology of Animals, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences (Novosibirsk, Russia), the Zoological Institute, the Russian Academy of Sciences (St. Petersburg, Russia), and the Natural History Museum (London, England).

Taxonomic revision of the type specimens of Ethiopian Nippostrongylinae (Nematoda) deposited at the Natural History Museum of London

We studied the original material of several species of Nippostrongylinae (Nematoda: Heligmonellidae) described by H. A. Baylis in muroid rodents from Nigeria: Heligmonina praomyos Baylis, 1928, Heligmonina oenomyos Baylis, 1928, Heligmonina cricetomyos Baylis, 1928, Neoheligmonella affinis (Baylis, 1928), Neoheligmonella intermedia (Baylis, 1928), Neoheligmonella gracilis (Baylis, 1928), Neoheligmonella impudica (Baylis, 1928), Neoheligmonella moennigi (Baylis, 1928), and Heligmonoides murina Baylis, 1928. The comparison of the material examined to the original descriptions, revealed the presence of at least seven other species mixed among the type and voucher material. For the nominal species of Baylis lectotypes and paralectotypes are designated. Due to the poor condition of the material, the other species found were only identifiable to generic level. Most of them were coparasitic with Baylis’ species. The following species associations were found: Heligmonina praomyos + Neoheligmonella moennigi, Heligmonina oenomyos + Neoheligmonella sp. 1, Heligmonina cricetomyos + Neoheligmonella moennigi, Heligmonina sp. 2 + Neoheligmonella sp. 4. Tables with the identification of the specimens studied are provided. New morphometrical data and illustrations on this material are also provided, particularly on the anterior part of the body and genital apparatus in the females. The occurrence of coparasitism as a frequent phenomenon among the Trichostrongylina is highlighted.

John Lawson's Plant Collections from North Carolina 1710–1711

In 1710 and 1711, naturalist and author John Lawson sent collections of dried plants from eastern North Carolina to James Petiver in England. Two hundred and ninety five of these specimens survived and are maintained in the Sloane Herbarium of the Natural History Museum in London. Many of the specimens bear tags in Lawson's hand giving the date, location, and notes describing use or habitat. One hundred and one taxa are listed here along with discussion of some of the notes that connect Lawson's plant collecting to important events in his life and to the colonial history of North Carolina. The story concerning how these specimens were collected and maintained provides insight into the methods of botanical science in the early eighteenth century.

Into the Mouth of the Hadrosaur

A dental exam has supplied evidence that Edmontosaurus —one of the most common dinosaurs of the late Cretaceous, some 67 million years ago—chewed unlike any animal alive today. Edmontosaurus belonged to a group of plant-eating dinosaurs called ornithopods. In 1984, researchers studying the sutures between bones in fossil skulls concluded that ornithopods had flexible upper jaws. When the lower jaw clamped shut, they said, the pressure would spread outward from both sides of the upper jaw. The upper rows of teeth would then grind against the lower teeth, rather than slicing as they do in other dinosaurs. Now three paleontologists have acquired the strongest independent evidence yet for this unique jaw motion. Vincent Williams of the University of Leicester in the United Kingdom and colleagues examined microscopic wear patterns on 13 teeth from a 13-meter-long Edmontosaurus found in Wyoming. The dinosaur and its close kin, known as hadrosaurs, had as many as 1000 teeth in multiple rows that moved forward as functional teeth were worn down, says Leicester co-author Mark Purnell. Patterns of tiny scratches on the teeth revealed that the jaws moved just as had been predicted, the team reported last week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences . “They would have been able to process very tough vegetation,” such as horsetails, says co-author Paul Barrett of the Natural History Museum in London. ![Figure][1] Rows of unerupted teeth in the lower jaw below the chewing surface look like overlapping leaves. CREDIT: VINCE WILLIAMS Paleontologist Lawrence Witmer of Ohio University College of Osteopathic Medicine in Athens calls the study “one of the best microwear papers I've seen.” But he still isn't convinced that the upper jaw could flex. [1]: pending:yes

&lt;i&gt;Key to Nature&lt;/i&gt;: Herramientas digitales para la enseñanza de biodiversidad

Key to Nature is a European project that aims to implement digital tools for teaching biodiversity. It involves 14 public and private institutions from 11 European countries, performing different roles, like providing data (Botanical Garden of Madrid, Natural History Museum of London among others), and offering the latest innovations on e-learning (Centre for Usability Research, University of Leuven, Giunti Labs, Italy...) The project, with a 4,8 millions budget half of which is financed by the European Community, lasts three years, the first one just through.

Art Forms in Nature EXAMINATION AND CONSERVATION OF A BLASCHKA GLASS MODEL OF THE PROTOZOAN AULOSPHAERA ELEGANTISSIMA

The paper describes the examination and conservation treatment of a glass model of a micro-organism made by the German glass artisans Leopold and Rudolf Blaschka in the late nineteenth century. The beautiful object is part of a collection held at the Natural History Museum in London and has been chosen for priority conservation due to its relatively poor condition. The model is assembled from several hundred parts with the help of organic materials. Major conservation issues identified were breakages and detachments of extremely fragile glass spines, the partially unstable glass composition and consequent deterioration, the presence of a water-soluble organic coating and inappropriate previous storage conditions. Characterization of the original materials and their deterioration processes was carried out using a range of analytical facilities, allowing the development of suitable treatments. These included a two-stage cleaning process, reattachment of broken spines with Paraloid™ B72 and reversible remounting of fragments using nylon micro-tubing.

Additional specimens of the oldest wombat Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti (Vombatidae; Marsupialia) from the Wipajiri Formation, South Australia: an intermediate morphology?

ABSTRACT The oldest described vombatid, Rhizophascolonus crowcrofti, is known from late Oligocene/early Miocene deposits in South Australia. It was described based on a single isolated tooth originally interpreted to be P3. It is also the only described vombatid known to have had tooth roots, all others being hypselodont. This paper describes two additional isolated teeth referable to this taxon from the same deposit and presents a re-interpretation of the type specimen as an M4. Possible function of the extensive, but asymmetrically distributed, molar enamel is discussed. Analysis of the structure and probable function of all three teeth leads to the hypothesis that R. crowcrofti was rhizophagous. (Parts of this abstract were presented at the London Evolutionary Research Network [LERN] 5th annual conference at the Natural History Museum in London on September 14, 2007.)

A MOUTHFUL OF EVIDENCE

SIMILAR TO the concentric rings that provide a chronicle of environmental conditions during a tree’s growth, the historical record of an infant’s diet may be extracted from layers of baby tooth enamel. Paleontologists hope to mine fossilized teeth in this way for information about early-human eating habits, such as whether we have always weaned children as young as modern humans do. Early weaning results in shorter intervals between subsequent births and could have been the foundation for rapid population growth in early humans. This is one possible explanation for our species’ global primacy, says bioanthropologist Louise T. Humphrey at the Natural History Museum in London. It turns out that the relative ratio of calcium and strontium in tooth enamel provides a dietary signature, indicating whether a baby was breast-fed or formulafed. Because teeth are already growing in a developing fetus, these signatures can even pinpoint the time of birth, when the infant stopped being nourished ...

Uhler Types of Aphrophoridae Newly Found in the Natural History Museum, London (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea)

Paralectotypes of three Aphrophora species, A. flavipes Uhler, 1896, A. intermedia Uhler, 1896, and A. major Uhler, 1896 (Hemiptera: Cercopoidea: Aphrophoridae), described by P. R. Uhler (1896) from Japan, recently found in the Natural History Museum in London are documented. The dorsal habitus images, taxonomic notes, host plant and distribution information of the three Aphrophora species are provided.

The first record of Dracunculus mulbus (Nematoda: Dracunculidae) in the Papuan olive python Apodora papuana (Ophidia: Boidae)

Abstract A male specimen of Dracunculus (Nematoda: Dracunculidae), collected in 1973 from the lung of the Papuan olive python Apodora papuana (Peters et Doria) and now deposited in the helminthological collection of the Natural History Museum in London, is identified as Dracunculus mulbus Jones et Mulder, 2007, a species recently described from the water python Liasis fuscus Peters in northern Australia. Apodora papuana is a new host record for D. mulbus and Papua New Guinea is apparently a new geographical record.