Museum Collections Research Articles

Description of A.N. Minh’s trip from Volga to the Caucasus in 1868 as a source on the history of Russian regions and everyday life

A review of the publication «Trip to Pyatigorsk in 1868» by the famous local historian, cultural and educational figure A.N. Minh is presented. The manuscript is stored in the State Archives of the Saratov Region. Before publishing, it was available only to a narrow circle of researchers. Now, thanks to the efforts of the workers of the State Archives of the Saratov Region and their assistants, numerous historians and specialists in other fields of scientific knowledge, employees of museums, libraries and other cultural institutions, students of higher and secondary schools, all those who are interested and fascinated by history Russia and its regions can familiarize themselves with it in detail. Minh’s work combines the characteristics of a personal diary, guidebook, statistical, geographical, historical and ethnographic researches. It is an interesting source and gives food for thought to everyone involved in the history of Russian regions (Saratov and Volgograd regions, Don and Stavropol territories, Pyatigorsk, Kislovodsk, Yessentuki and all Caucasian Mineral Waters), the history of everyday life and culture (especially related to travel, spa treatment and relaxation). There is extensive literature on the issues raised in the new publication, but Minh’s book clarifies and supplements the accumulated information with important details. The information was obtained as a result of personal observations, conversations with contemporaries, attention to materials of folklore, «oral history», archival documents, books and periodicals, inspection of museum collections, historical and natural attractions. The publication provides an opportunity for a wide range of specialists and readers to study “Trip to Pyatigorsk in 1868” by Minh.

Creative Heritage of I. Yizhakevych in the Collections of the Central State Archives-Museum of Literature and Arts of Ukraine

The paper studies the creative heritage of Ivan Yizhakevych — the People’s Artist of the Ukrainian SSR — through documents stored in various collections of the Central State Archives-Museum of Literature and Arts of Ukraine (hereinafter — the CSAMLA of Ukraine), by analyzing the descriptions of archival documents and their content, and making the attribution of the sketches, preserved in the artist’s collection. The research methodology is based on scientific methods of analysis, iconography, synthesis, description, classification, and comparison. Having analyzed the collections, including the fund 58, stored in the CSAMLA of Ukraine, several clarifications were made regarding the names of some drawings, sketches of I. Yizhakevych, literary works illustrated by the artist, and the dates of drawing for artworks marked as “undated.” Some images were identified as the sketches for some artist’s later paintings and drawings. For some reproductions of the artist’s works, stored in his fund, the year or the issue of the magazine, in which they were published, were clarified. The list of the collections, where researchers can find the information about Yizhakevych and reproductions of his artworks, was complemented. Prospects for further research are associated with study of the artworks of I. Yizhakevych in the museum collections of Ukraine, and of those published as illustrations in the fairy tales, literary works, and educational publications. It is necessary to study his monumental paintings, icons, and portraiture in order to clarify the sketches that remained unidentified. Taking into account the number of sketches, stored in the CSAMLA of Ukraine, which were not identified or correlated with completed artworks of the artist, it is clear that his great creative heritage requires further research. It is essential to catalogue the drawings and paintings created by I. Yizhakevych.

Preserving Brazil's Military Heritage: some museum management strategies

Navigating the intricacies of museum collection management within the structured confines of the Brazilian Army, this paper presents a unique yet compelling avenue for exploring the intersection of military discipline and cultural preservation. It delves into the intricacies of museum collection management within the structured and disciplined environment of the Brazilian Army, overseen by the Directorate of Historical and Cultural Heritage. Its primary objective is to shed light on the directorate's endeavours, including the challenges it faces in aligning with museological legislation and its pivotal role in curating the military museological collection. Both achievements and daily hurdles are examined in detail. Through a blend of bibliographical research and case studies, the paper was meticulously crafted, harnessing their synergy to yield comprehensive insights and facilitate robust discussions. The findings underscore the presence of proactive initiatives within the museum landscape, offering viable solutions to challenges encountered by various cultural institutions nationwide. It emphasises the importance of standardising methodologies and procedures, fostering collaboration among interdisciplinary professionals to disseminate operational tools effectively. These policies not only inform day-to-day practices but also provide valuable guidance for decision-making, serving as a crucial resource for professionals and students in the military museological cultural field and cultural managers nationwide, while also highlighting the Army's significant contribution to Brazil's cultural landscape. This analysis serves as a bridge to diverse audiences, seeking to narrow the gap between the institution and society, while reinforcing the notion that our national heritage is a collective treasure.

Analysis of Morphological Change during a Co-invading Assemblage of Lizards in the Hawaiian Islands

Phenotypic change plays diverse roles in species’ colonization, but most invasion studies target single species. To compare ecomorphological changes among co-invading species with overlapping niches, we examined three lizards on the island of O‘ahu (Anolis carolinensis, A. sagrei, Phelsuma laticauda). Using specimens from three decades of unfolding invasions obtained through museum collections and contemporary field work, we quantified shifts in three traits: snout vent length (SVL), forelimb-, and hindlimb-length (limb lengths relative to SVL). We hypothesized that competition among these three species has led to ecological shifts that will be detectable through morphological change. Overall, we found that unique patterns of phenotypic change were both species-specific and sex-specific within species: (1) male A. sagrei, female A. carolinensis, and male P. laticauda increased in SVL and (2) relative hindlimb length increased in female A. carolinensis since the 1980s. The observed changes involve traits that may be consequential to invasion dynamics. This study illustrates how museum- and field-based research can be integrated to document nuanced temporal patterns in the phenotypes of co-invading species that share similar niches in native ranges, raising questions about the underlying process(es) driving species- and sex-specific change in co-invaded systems.

Passive Haptics and Conversational Avatars for Interacting with Ancient Egypt Remains in High-Fidelity Virtual Reality Experiences

As extended reality continues to grow, new possibilities arise to provide users with novel ways to experience cultural heritage (CH). In particular, applications based on virtual reality (VR), such as virtual museums, have gained increasing popularity, since they can offer new ways for preserving and presenting CH content that are not feasible in physical museums. Despite the numerous benefits, the level of immersion and presence provided by VR experiences still present challenges that could hinder the effectiveness of this technology in the CH context. In this perspective, it is crucial to provide the users with high-fidelity experiences, in which also the interaction with the objects and the characters populating virtual environments are realistic and natural. This article focuses on this challenge and specifically investigates how the combined use of tangible and speech interfaces can help improve the overall experience. To this aim, a immersive VR experience is proposed, which allows the users to manipulate virtual objects belonging to a museum collection (in the specific case, Ancient Egypt remains) by physically operating on 3D printed replicas and to talk with a curator’s avatar to get explanations by using their voice. A user study was conducted to evaluate the impact of the considered interfaces on immersion, presence, user experience, usability, and intention to visit, comparing the richest configuration against simpler setups obtained by either removing the tangible interface, the speech interface, or both (and using only handheld controllers). The results show that the combined use of the two interfaces can effectively contribute at making the CH experience in VR more engaging.

Miniature Portrait as an Element of Cultural Heritage in Museum Collections

Miniature Portrait as an Element of Cultural Heritage in Museum Collections

Кримські татари в історичній та культурній спадщині України XV–XVII ст.

The article aims to study the history of the Crimean Tatars of the XV–XVII centuries within historical cultural heritage materials. The territorial is limited to the Volyn region, namely the cities of Ostroh and Dubno. The study methodology is based on the principles of historicism and objectivity. Besides these principles, we use the principle of systematicity to study the documents. The factor analysis was effective in examining the social and political processes that took place in the late medieval and early modern periods. We also use the typological method considering material culture objects. Analytical and synthesizing methods were used to generalize the information obtained. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that it studies the historical, cultural, and material heritage of one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine - the Crimean Tatars in the late Middle Ages and early modern times. During the Ukrainian independence historians and archaeologists prepared some publications on the subject, but the generalized monographic study is absent. In addition, a significant part of material artifacts are kept in the collections of various museums and are not available in exhibition halls. Conclusions. The study of the Crimean Tatars’ material heritage on the territory of mainland Ukraine is important. Despite the rather complicated relations during the XV–XVII centuries, there are many examples of cooperation against common enemies, such as the Moscow state or the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. Communities of immigrants from Crimea lived in many Ukrainian cities, towns, and villages, and together with the locals, they contributed to the common welfare and prosperity. All this has left a significant mark on the history, culture, and historical memory of different peoples. The presented artifacts of the Crimean Tatars from the collections of the museums of Ostroh and Dubno will contribute to the study and popularization of the cultural heritage of one of the indigenous peoples of Ukraine. We are firmly convinced that other Ukrainian museums (especially in their collections) hold many items related to the Crimean Tatars. Therefore, our research will continue.

Five previously undescribed thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) specimens held in the museums of the University of Melbourne

ABSTRACT The last known captive thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) died in Hobart's Beaumaris Zoo in 1936 and the species has since become an icon of extinction. In the 21st century, there is considerable interest in documenting, analysing, and rediscovering thylacine specimens in museum collections. Due to their age, location, and collecting practices, the teaching collections of Australia's oldest universities are a potential source of undocumented thylacine specimens. Within three departmental museum collections, the University of Melbourne holds five thylacine skulls. The skulls were visually inspected, measured, sexed, and described in detail for the first time. Archival research was undertaken to determine provenance and historical details. The five skulls were added to the University's collections between 1893 and 1932. They are derived from four adult males and one adult female. Specific locality data are available for three skulls, collected at Lake Saint Clair, south of Cressy, and Woolnorth. Holding five skulls, University of Melbourne's collection constitutes one of the top ten largest thylacine assemblages in Australasia, and the second largest held by an Australasian university.

COMPARATIVE ANTHROPOLOGICAL CHARACTERISTICS OF ATTIC WHITE-GROUND VASE PAINTING

Introduction. Of the numerous ceramic production centers of ancient Greece, the Attica region is notable for its continuous development of vase painting styles. Compared to the black-figure and red-figure painting techniques, the polychrome painting of Attic vases on a white-ground may indicate polymorphism in the pigmentation of the ancient Greeks. Materials and methods. The material was collected in digitized museum collections and thematic literature. The color and nature of the characters' hair were studied from vase painting and funerary painting. Anthroposcopic method and simple statistics were used. The significance of differences between groups was assessed using the chi-square test. Results and discussion. In all samples of Attic vase painting, the wavy nature of the hair is predominant, and this frequency does not change significantly over time. The highest frequency of straight nature of the hair (13.3%) is observed in white-ground vase painting. In comparison with the characters in vase paintings, modern Greeks have predominantly straight, lightly wavy hair, especially in women, and then wavy hair. For all style groups of Attic vase painting, no gender differences in nature of the hair were identified. The depiction of hair color on white-ground vase paintings of the early classical and classical times is significantly different: in the earlier vase painting, black and dark brown predominate, and in the later ones, brown/light brown and red-brown. The minimum frequency of dark shades of the hair is noted in Hellenistic funerary painting; it shows, like the white-ground vase painting of the classics, a lighter-pigmented population. The hair color of the modern Greek population is predominantly dark. Based on the hypothesis that the artist depicts familiar forms as traditional ones and reflects the anthropological characteristics of his group, the polymorphism of pigmentation and nature of the hair of the ancient and modern Greek populations is different. Conclusion. Groups of art sources that differ in chronology and style do not represent the hair pigmentation of the population of ancient Greece in the same way. To further study polymorphism of pigmentation of the ancient population, it is necessary to correct the methodology to correlate the actual colors used in vase/mural painting with the hair color classes of the traditional color scale, as well as the use of additional comparative materials.

An enigmatic Anthophorine bee from the south of France revealed as a new species: Anthophora (Paramegilla) ahlamae n. sp. (Hymenoptera: Apidae)

Summary A bee specimen identified as Anthophora planca Pérez, 1895, from France, was discovered in collections of Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin. This male specimen presents a morphology that does not conform to any of the Anthophora Latreille, 1803 species known from France, or indeed from Europe. After careful examination, it cannot be identified as Anthophora planca Pérez which is considered to be a nomen dubium (type lost), but furthermore it does not belong to any currently described species. Additional specimens of this species were collected in Morocco, Spain (Melilla) and Algeria. The new species is named Anthophora (Paramegilla) ahlamae Rasmont & Wood, n. sp. The new species is documented by numerous high-resolution photographs. Its diagnosis is compared with the near species Anthophora (Paramegilla) gallica (Dalla Torre & Friese, 1895) and A. (Paramegilla) podagra Lepeletier, 1841. DNA barcodes data are presented, allowing for confirmation of placement within the subgenus Paramegilla Friese, 1897. A detailed distribution map is provided along with ecological observations. Anthophora ahlamae n. sp. may be specialised on flowers of the genus Ballota L. (Lamiaceae).

MONOGRAPHIC PALEONTOLOGICAL COLLECTIONS - IMPORTANT SOURCE OF INFORMATION IN PALEONTOLOGICAL RESEARCH

Comprehensive review of monographic paleontological collections from the Earth Science Museum at Moscow State University is undertaken. Systematic and number composition, territory of collecting and the age of enclosing deposits are analyzed. The importance of monographic collections as a fundamental element for the description of new taxa, stratigraphic constructions and correlation of deposits of the same age in remote areas is emphasized. Directions of research work with materials of the monographic collections are shown. Information on the form of accepting collections in Museum from authors is provided.

Testes size seen through the glass of amphibian care

Despite the great diversity of parental care types found in amphibians, studies linking them to post-copulatory sexually selected traits are scarce, presumably due to a lack of data. Valencia-Aguilar et al. used fieldwork and museum collections to show that paternal care appears to trade-off with testes size in glass frogs.

A new genus of scutigerid centipede from southern South America with the description of two new species and an updated molecular phylogeny of the myriapod order Scutigeromorpha (Myriapoda: Chilopoda).

Scutigeromorph centipedes are conspicuous, yet often ignored myriapods for which little work has been conducted in southern South America. After examining recent and museum collections from Chile and Argentina, two new species of generic uncertainty were identified. A new genus of scutigerid centipede, Edgethreua , is therefore described with two new species, E. chilensis from Central Chile (type species of the genus) and E. goloboffi from Argentinian Patagonia. The new genus is characterised by the presence of scattered setiform bristles with short paired spines and the absence of simple spinulae and spines on all stomatotergites, the presence of a single spine-bristle in the prefemur of the second maxilla, a patch of cuticular ridges and pores surrounding the sensilla of the proximal labral portion of the epipharynx, the morphology of the sensilla of the distal patch of the hypopharynx and the morphology of the female gonopods. A phylogenetic analysis of the new species using two nuclear ribosomal RNA genes (18S and 28S rRNA), two mitochondrial ribosomal RNA genes (12S and 16S rRNA) and the mitochondrial protein-encoding gene cytochrome c oxidase subunit I show that the new genus does not cluster with any other described genus of scutigeromorph represented in molecular phylogenies. The data indicate that the new genus is probably sister group to a clade including the genera Lassophora , Ballonema and the subfamily Thereuoneminae, although one analysis suggests a position as sister group to Scutigerinae. ZooBank: urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:A4D453F3-9031-4E21-84C7-87F16C07AD51.

Historical Field Records Reveal Habitat as an Ecological Correlate of Locomotor Phenotypic Diversity in the Radiation of Neotropical Geophagini Fishes.

AbstractPhenotypic macroevolutionary studies provide insight into how ecological processes shape biodiversity. However, the complexity of phenotype-ecology relationships underscores the importance of also validating phenotype-based ecological inference with direct evidence of resource use. Unfortunately, macroevolutionary-scale ecological studies are often hindered by the challenges of acquiring taxonomically and spatially representative ecological data for large and widely distributed clades. The South American cichlid fish tribe Geophagini represents a continentally distributed radiation whose early locomotor morphological divergence suggests habitat as one ecological correlate of diversification, but an association between locomotor traits and habitat preference has not been corroborated. Field notes accumulated over decades of collecting across South America provide firsthand environmental records that can be mined for habitat data in support of macroevolutionary ecological research. In this study, we applied a newly developed method to transform descriptive field note information into quantitative habitat data and used it to assess habitat preference and its relationship to locomotor morphology in Geophagini. Field note-derived data shed light on geophagine habitat use patterns and reinforced habitat as an ecological correlate of locomotor morphological diversity. Our work emphasizes the rich data potential of museum collections, including often-overlooked material such as field notes, for evolutionary and ecological research.

Ecometric models of small mammal hypsodonty can estimate paleoprecipitation across eastern Africa

Ecometric analyses use the relationships between functional traits and the environment at the community level to quantitatively estimate past climatic and environmental variables at fossil sites. Hypsodonty (tooth crown height) in North American rodent and lagomorph (Glires) communities is correlated with mean annual temperature and annual precipitation. Here, we examine the community hypsodonty of African Glires to test if this relationship translates to a continent with more extreme climates and to quantify paleoprecipitation at important fossil sites. Categorical hypsodonty values were gathered from the literature and museum collections for 94 modern African taxa (88%). We used maximum likelihood to model the ecometric relationship between hypsodonty and annual precipitation. We then produced trait-based estimates of paleoprecipitation for 26 well-sampled fossil localities from eastern Africa over the last 5.7 Ma. We confirmed other regional studies by identifying increasing aridity and decreasing annual precipitation (824 mm to 480 mm) in the Late Miocene of Kenya. From the Ethiopian Shungura Formation, we estimated temporal fluctuations in precipitation that correspond with the presence or absence of paleolakes and rivers. Small mammal community hypsodonty illustrates that east African communities have converged towards mesodont means and high standard deviations in response to climate change.

From Docent to Professional to Activist to Critical Race Theorist: A Biomythography of a Black American Museum Professional

ABSTRACT The wisdom of Audre Lorde informs us that “the master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house.” The origins of many museum collections are that their objects were obtained by colonizers who became the masters of colonized people’s cultural heritage. One of the master’s tools has always been to create and benefit from a system of free labor. Within the museum, the vestiges of the master’s tool of free labor remain, although with different shapes and aims. The system of free labor in the museum is tangential with the presence of the docent corps. This article explores the sensationalism of battles over the fate of docent groups in light of the need to make fundamental shifts in museum praxis.

Identification of long-preserved specimens reveals the historical geographic range of the Patagonian lamprey Geotria macrostoma (Burmeister, 1868) in southern South America.

The lamprey genus Geotria Gray, 1851 currently includes only two species: G. australis and G. macrostoma. However, taxonomic relationships within the genus have traditionally been ambiguous and difficult to establish due to the extreme changes in morphology, dentition, and coloration that lampreys undergo during their life cycles, particularly during upstream migration and sexual maturation. Consequently, several lamprey specimens held in museum collections have remained unidentified, especially those from Argentina. In this study, a series of morphometric characters were subjected to discriminant function analysis (DFA) to identify the lamprey species collected during 1867-2004 from the de la Plata River and Patagonia. These specimens are housed at the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales "Bernardino Rivadavia" in Buenos Aires, the Museo de Historia Natural de Montevideo, and the Naturhistoriska riksmuseet in Stockholm. Based on the proportions of the length of the oral disc, prebranchial, and pre-caudal body regions, and the depth of the trunk, DFA provided conclusive evidence that the specimens corresponded to the recently revalidated G. macrostoma (Burmeister, 1868), which was originally incorrectly named as Petromyzon macrostomus Burmeister, 1868, Exomegas macrostomus (Berg, 1899), Geotria chilensis (Berg, 1895), and Geotria macrostoma f. gallegensis Smitt, 1901, as well as other nontype museum individuals of uncertain taxonomic status. The identifications of these long-preserved museum specimens provided key information on the historical geographic range of Argentinian lampreys and suggest that the disappearance of the species reported from northern localities (the Pampean Region) can be attributed to the degradation of their critical habitats, primarily caused by anthropogenic impact and climate change.

The role of climatic variables on nest evolution in tanagers.

Avian nests are fundamental structures in avian reproduction and face strong selective forces. Climatic conditions are likely to have shaped the evolution of specific nest traits, but evidence is scarce at a macroevolutionary level. The Thraupidae family (commonly known as tanagers) is an ideal clade to understand the link between nest architecture and climate because it presents wide variation in nest traits. To understand whether climatic variables have played a role in the diversification of nest traits among species in this family, we measured nests from 49 species using museum collections. We observed that dome-nesting species are present in dryer and hotter environments, in line with previous findings suggesting that domed nests are a specialisation for arid conditions. We also found evidence that nests with thicker walls are present in locations with lower precipitation and that solar radiation can influence the shape of domed nests; birds tend to build shorter and narrower domes in areas with high levels of solar radiation. Open nest architecture is also potentially influenced by wind speed, with longer and deeper nests in areas characterised by strong winds. Our results support the hypothesis that different climatic variables can drive the evolution of specific aspects of nest architecture and contribute to the diversity of nest shapes we currently observe. However, climatic variables account only for a small fraction of the observed structural variation, leaving a significant portion still unexplained.

Dynamics of Diversity of Spined Loaches of Genus Cobitis (Cobitidae) of Trans-Caucasus in the Anthropogenic Period According to the Data of Museum Collections. III. Morpho-genetic Variability, Taxonomic Status and Diagnostic Characters of Spined Loaches of the Black Sea Coast North of the Meskheti Ridge of the Lesser Caucasus

Dynamics of Diversity of Spined Loaches of Genus Cobitis (Cobitidae) of Trans-Caucasus in the Anthropogenic Period According to the Data of Museum Collections. III. Morpho-genetic Variability, Taxonomic Status and Diagnostic Characters of Spined Loaches of the Black Sea Coast North of the Meskheti Ridge of the Lesser Caucasus

A Folsom Foreshaft from the Blackwater Draw Site

AbstractThis article describes a bison rib bone foreshaft from the Blackwater Draw site, New Mexico. The object was recovered by James Hester in 1963, during the excavation of locality 4, and it was subsequently cataloged as a modified bone tool but not recognized as a hafting element. It is currently held in the Blackwater Draw Museum collections. This analysis provides a detailed description of the artifact's features and establishes its provenience from a Folsom context. A survey of known Paleoindigenous hafting implements and a discussion of theoretical Folsom foreshaft designs serve to reinforce the classification of the tool as a component of the Folsom weapon delivery system. The tool was likely broken during use and later recycled as a pressure flaker or as a polishing instrument. With the help of 3D imagery, a reconstructed model was printed and fitted with large and small Folsom points to test ideas borrowed from the theoretical literature on Folsom foreshaft design.