Museum Of Biology Research Articles

Components of a Digital Specimen Architecture for Biological Collections

In 2020, we began developing software components for an Application Programming Interface (API)-based integration architecture (the “Specify Network”) to leverage the global footprint of the Specify 7 collections management platform (www.specifysoftware.org) and the analytical services of the Lifemapper (lifemapper.org) and Biotaphy (biotaphy.org) Projects. The University of Kansas Lifemapper Project is a community gateway for species distribution and macroecological modeling. The Biotaphy Project, an extension of Lifemapper, is the product of a six-year, U.S. National Science Foundation-funded collaboration among researchers at the Universities of Michigan, Florida, and Kansas. Biotaphy's primary scope is to use big data methods and high-performance computing to integrate species occurrence data with phylogenetic and biogeographic data sets for large taxonomic and spatial scale analyses. Our initial integrations between Biotaphy and the Specify Network enable Specify users to easily discover remote information related to the specimens in their collection. The widely-discussed, digital specimen architecture being championed by DiSSCo (Distributed System of Scientific Collections www.dissco.eu) and others (https://bit.ly/3jfsAgz) will change data communications between biodiversity collections and the broader biodiversity data community. Those network interactions will evolve from being predominantly one-way, batch-oriented transfers of information from museums to aggregators, to an n-way communications topology that will make specimen record discovery, updates and usage much easier to accomplish. But museum specimens and their catalogs will no longer be an intellectual endpoint of species documentation. Rather, records in collections management systems will increasingly serve as a point of departure for data synthesis, which takes place outside of institutional data domains, and which will overlay the legacy role of museums as authoritative sources of information about the diversity and distribution of life on Earth. Biological museum institutions will continue to play a vital role as the foundation of a global data infrastructure connecting aggregators, collaborative databases, analysis engines, journal publishers, and data set archives. In this presentation, we will provide an update on the components and capabilities that make up integrations in the Specify Network as an exemplar of the global architecture envisaged by the biodiversity research community.

A new species of subgenus Asonicogryllus He, 2019 from Yunnan (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Gryllinae).

We studied the relationship of the genera Loxoblemmus Saussure, 1877 and Asonicogryllus He, 2019 by reconstructing the phylogenetic tree based on 2 mitochondrial genes and 2 ribosomal genes. The result shows that Loxoblemmus is paraphyletic. Thus, we place Asonicogryllus as a subgenus of Loxoblemmus. Meanwhile, we report a new species of Asonicogryllus, L. (A.) bronzus He sp. nov. The new species is similar to L. (A.) kwanghua, but it has well developed forewings and hindwings. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

A new species of the genus Parapentacentrus Shiraki, 1930 from Yunnan, China (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Itarinae).

The genus Parapentacentrus Shiraki, 1930 includes two species with long wings. In this paper, we report one new species, P. brevipennis He sp. nov., from Jinping, Yunnan, China. The new species have short forewings and hindwings, and have differences in the shape of supra-anal plate and male genitalia. DNA Barcode (COI gene) of this new species are provided. The type specimens are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Review of the genus Larnaca Walker, 1869 from China (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae).

The Chinese species of Larnaca are reviewed. A new species, Larnaca (Larnaca) walle sp. nov. is described from China. Female of Larnaca (Larnaca) emarginata Bian, Guo Shi, 2015 is described for the first time. The type specimen is deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University.

New and little-known Eugryllacris from Yunnan, China (Orthoptera: Gryllacrididae: Gryllacridinae).

Eugryllacris species from Yunnan, China were investigated from 2018~2021. A new species, Eugryllacris tiga sp. nov. is described from China. The male morphology and ecology of E. cf. vaginalis Pictet Saussure, 1893 and E. guomashan Ingrisch, 2018 are illustrated for the first time. The type species are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

A new species of Dune Cricket from China (Orthoptera: Ensifera: Schizodactylidae)

A new species, Schizodactylus jimo He sp. nov., is described from Yunnan, China. The Schizodactylidae is recorded from China for the first time. The new species is similar to S. salweenensis, but different based on the shape of epiproct and other characters. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Goniurosaurus chengzheng sp. nov., a new species of Leopard Gecko from Guangxi, China (Squamata: Eublepharidae).

Six species of geckos in the genus Goniurosaurus have been recorded from Guangxi, China. Here we describe a new species, Goniurosaurus chengzheng sp. nov. The new species is similar to allied species from Guangxi, but unique in a combination of the following characters: (1) four body bands with three between limb insertions; (2) precloacal pores 20; (3) body color reddish- brown; (4) snout to eye distance: eye to ear distance 1. We used the mitochondrial genes 16S and cytb to confirm the distinctiveness of the species and place it within a molecular phylogeny of Goniurosaurus. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Taxonomy of genus Orophyllus Beier, 1954 (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Pseudophyllinae)

Only one species, Orophyllus montanus occurring in southern China is placed in Orophyllus. In this study, we studied samples from Hainan, Guangdong, Guangxi, Guizhou, Sichuan and Zhejiang enabling us to provide new information on this genus. Gene tree was constructed by COI gene. The results showed that there were new taxa other than the type species, namely O. grandivalvatus sp. nov. (), O. nigrisartorius sp. nov. (), O. supeciliarilamellatus sp. nov. (), O. guttatus sp. nov. () All materials were deposited in Biological History Museum of East China Normal University (ECNU) and the Shanghai Entomological Museum, Chinese Academy of Sciences (SEM).

A new species of Parapteronemobius from Zhejiang, China (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae: Nemobiinae).

Parapteronemobius contains 7 species or subspecies distributed in East Asia with only one species recorded from China. In this study, we reported the second species, P. chenggong He sp. nov., from Zhejiang. The new species differs from P. dibrachiatus in body size, male genitalia and COI gene. The phylogeny of this genus in subfamily Nemobiinae are discussed based on COI, 18S and 28S genes. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Report of a new genus Majialandrevus, with a new species M. dingguo from Western Yunnan, China (Orthoptera: Gryllidae: Landrevinae).

We reported a new genus Majialandrevus from Western Yunnan, China. The new genus differs from other genera in having the following combination of characters: short forewings, male genitalia with blunt distal parts of posterolateral epiphallic lobes, absence of medial lobes of epiphallus and ectoparamere being membranous. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Report of a new genus Arboramima belonging to tribe Diestramimini, with a new species A. cattusis from Guangxi, China (Orthoptera: Rhaphidophoridae: Aemodogryllinae).

A new genus (Arboramima Zong, Qin He gen. nov.) with a new species (Arboramima cattusis Zong, Qin He sp. nov.) is reported from Guangxi, China. The morphology of the new genus and species are provided. Samples of Aemodogryllinae species were selected for the reconstruction of phylogenetic tree based on mitochondrial COI fragment. The results supported the validation of the new genus. The type specimens are deposited in Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

Updates to the checklist of the wild bee fauna of Luxembourg as inferred from revised natural history collection data and fieldwork.

BackgroundMuseums and other institutions curating natural history collections (NHCs) are fundamental entities to many scientific disciplines, as they house data and reference material for varied research projects. As such, biological specimens preserved in NHCs represent accessible physical records of the living world's history. They provide useful information regarding the presence and distribution of different taxonomic groups through space and time. Despite the importance of biological museum specimens, their potential to answer scientific questions, pertinent to the necessities of our current historical context, is often under-explored.The currently-known wild bee fauna of Luxembourg comprises 341 registered species distributed amongst 38 different genera. However, specimens stored in the archives of local NHCs represent an untapped resource to update taxonomic lists, including potentially overlooked findings relevant to the development of national conservation strategies.New informationWe re-investigated the wild bee collection of the Zoology Department of the National Museum of Natural History Luxembourg by using morphotaxonomy and DNA barcoding. The collection revision led to the discovery of four species so far not described for the country: Andrena lagopus (Latreille, 1809), Nomada furva (Panzer, 1798), Hoplitis papaveris (Latreille, 1799) and Sphecodes majalis (Pérez, 1903). Additionally, the presence of Nomada sexfasciata (Panzer, 1799), which inexplicably had been omitted by the most current species list, can be re-confirmed. Altogether, our findings increase the number of recorded wild bee species in Luxembourg to 346. Moreover, the results highlight the crucial role of NHCs as repositories of our knowledge of the natural world.

Two new species of genus Svistella Gorochov, 1987 from China (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae: Trigonidiinae).

The genus Svistella contains 8 species worldwide with 7 recorded from China. In this study, we reconstructed the gene tree based on COI gene, and reported two new species, S. wuyong He sp. nov. and S. malu He sp. nov. The new species differs from allied species in color, male genitalia, songs and molecular study. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

A new species of genus Homoeoxipha Saussure, 1874 from China (Orthoptera: Trigonidiidae: Trigonidiinae).

The genus Homoeoxipha contains 11 species worldwide with 4 recorded from China. In this study, we reconstructed the gene tree based on COI gene, and reported one new species, H. oscillantenna He sp. nov. The new species is similar to H. eurylobus Ma, Liu Zhang, but differs in the color of fore femur and the structure of male genitalia. Calling songs and nymph morphology are also provided. The type specimens are deposited in the Museum of Biology, East China Normal University (ECNU).

The proposition of a new method to convert formalin cadavers to academic and museology purposes

The embalming of a cadaver to study anatomy in humans, animals, and for expositions in biological museums is classically performed by formaldehyde injection. Despite its efficiency and wide application, this method delivers technical problems and high toxicity. Through an experimental model with Wistar rats previously embalmed in formalin, we developed two converting solutions (G1 and G2) to perform a macroscopic and qualitative analysis of the embalming maintenance, the color, the fungus proliferation, the pliability, and the post-conversion dissection of the specimens. This work aims to present the results of this experiment and discuss the data. After 365 days of the experiment, both solutions showed benefits in terms of reduction of toxicity, the use of a single solution to convert, storage without the need for containers with embalming solution, containment of fungus proliferation, and improvement of the color of the organs. Although these are the initial results without full achievement, we consider the G1 solution a suitable and advantageous alternative for the museology area.

Жерсіндірілген және натурализацияланған кәдімгі тиіннің Алматы қаласы жағдайында экологиясының кейбір мәселелері

The article presents data on some issues of ecology of the common squirrel (Sciurus vulgarus Linnaeus, 1758) in the green spaces of the city of Almaty. It is based on observations that were carried out in 2005-2006 and 2020-2021, route and questionnaire methods were used. The novelty of the work: For the first time, new data on the territorial distribution, features of the use of shelter, migration, feed composition were obtained, changes in the number of common squirrels in the green spaces of the city of Almaty were clarified. In the conditions of the city of Almaty, the occurrence of the common squirrel is different: in the Park of Culture and Recreation with the adjacent territory of the Zoological Park, it averages 3 individuals per hour (2005-2006-2 individuals), in the Park named after 28-guards-Panfilovtsev - 0.5 (2005-2006–1 individual), in the campus of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University - 2.5 (2005-2006-2 individuals), in the territory of the Head Botanical Garden-3 (2005-2006-3 individuals), in the park named after the First President - 4 and in the grove of Baum - 1 (2005-2006-0.3 individuals). In natural habitats, the main type of shelter is a nest (gayno) made of branches of coniferous trees, and in urban conditions, 3 (16.7%) of the 18 registered shelters were located under the roofs of a building (Biological Museum, Head Botanical Garden), gayno-2 (11.1%), birdhouse -1 (5.5%), the rest (66.7%) – in tree hollows. In the context of urbanization are the main food of seeds and buds of a pine, fir and oak nuts (100%), lichens (83.3%), which grow on the trunks of Apple trees and deciduous trees, mushrooms (27.7%) and fruits (16.6%). In Almaty, the main enemy of proteins is a common magpie (Pica pica Linnaeus,1758). She is a competitor in nesting territories, young animals often suffer from her.

Новые данные о традиционном гончарстве Индии (город Пуна, штат Махараштра)

Purpose. A brief survey of the pottery community in the Mundhwa area was conducted in March 2019 and February 2020 as part of the Russian-Indian anthropological expedition organized by the Paleoethnology Research Center, State Museum of Biology (Moscow, Russia) and Savitribai Phule Pune University (Pune, India). The purpose of the study was to provide an initial insight into how traditional pottery functions in these urbanized environments. Results. Various forms of pottery production have been identified. The most widespread was men’s pottery using a potter’s wheel. Only men are engaged in the manufacture of pottery here – Hinduism forbids women from working on a potter’s wheel. All craftsmen work almost all year round, reducing production during the rainy season. With the rapid urbanization and concentration of the population, the demand for pottery has increased. Potters buy practically all raw materials. The clay is brought by peasants from villages within a radius of 80 km by trucks several times a year. The preparation of raw materials, as well as kneading the clay paste, is carried out by most potters by hand. All potters use an electric potter’s wheel to create the vessels. The surface treatment of products by potters is carried out by smoothing using fingers or scrapers while the wheel is rotating. Firing is carried out in square ovens made of bricks. The firing of products begins in the evening, active combustion lasts two to three hours, after which the oven is left to cool until the morning, when the finished vessels are removed. One firing requires about 150 kg of wood. Potters who migrated here from Uttar Pradesh use open firing for their vessels. Conclusion. The authors found that: the traditional nature of the craft is preserved in the community: knowledge and skills are passed down through the family line, the potters use traditional raw materials, building techniques and firing devices; resettled potters demonstrate mixed skills in different levels of pottery production, for example using a mixture of different natural clays; under the pressure of economic conditions, the electric pottery wheel is spreading, the way firing is organized has slightly changed.

Биология музейінің Қосмекенділері мен Бауырымен жорғалаушыларының алуантүрлігі және олардың герпетолог мамандарды дайындаудағы орны

The biological museum of the Al-Farabi Kazakh National University exhibits 50 species of local and World herpetofauna. Of these, representatives of amphibians are 13, reptiles - 37 species. Caudate amphibians are represented by 8 species from 3 genera and 3 families. Tailless-5 species from 4 genera and 4 families. From reptiles, the order of Turtles is represented by 4 species of 4 genera and 4 families. Scaly-32 species from 26 genera and 14 families, Crocodiles-one species from one genus and one family. 6 amphibian species are representatives of Kazakhstan, 2 species of the World herpetofauna, representatives of reptiles are represented by 21 and 16 species, respectively. The museum’s exhibits play an important role not only in the study of general biological disciplines (zoology, ecology, evolutionary studies, biogeography, nature conservation, etc.), but also in elective courses in the training of specialists. The article also shows the ways of using the variety of herpetofauna exhibits in the educational process of students, as well as many materials for students and researchers interested in the state of amphibians and reptiles in Kazakhstan.

Detailed Checklist of the Grammitid Specimens from the Biological Museum Herbarium under VNU University of Science (HNU)

This study aims to compile a detailed checklist of grammitid specimens kept in the Biological Museum Herbarium under VNU University of Science (HNU). The study adopted the Pteridophyte Phylogeny Group classification (PPG I 2016) to classify these specimens and fifteen references were used to identify their scientific names. Detailed field labels in HNU provided various and rich data for compiling the checklist. The study analyzed 43 collection field numbers and identified 16 species of 7 genera. The richest in species was Oreogrammitis with 5 species; two genera (Prosaptia and Scleroglossum), each with 3 species; one genus (Calymnodon) with two species; and three other genera (Cteropterella, Themelium and Tomophyllum), each with one species.

Scientific Collaboration at National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (Brazil) on Scopus Database: Analysis of Institutional Domain.

Domain analysis by means of scientific collaboration enables evidencing aspects that are involved in the establishment of relationships between researchers and institutions, such as the influence of institutional management models for the development of collaborative networks. This article aims to analyze the domain through the scientific collaboration network of the National Institute of the Atlantic Forest (INMA), a research unit currently affiliated to the Brazilian Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MCTI), formerly known as the Professor Mello Leitão Museum of Biology (MBML), in order to acknowledge the institutional research identity in its historical journey as a public institution. It is thus analyzed how co-authorship constitutes this network and what research profile it reveals. Co-authorship analysis is adopted as a methodology, as well as the analysis of administrative documents with the survey and categorization of employees, regarding their types of ties to the institution, combined with searches in the Scopus database for the corroboration of institutional affiliations. A corpus of 138 articles published by 41 researchers from 1993 to 2019 is consolidated in this base, which represents 44% of the Institute’s total research collaborators (93 collaborators). Of these 41, 92.5% have temporary links, such as scholarship holders and/or volunteers, with the remaining being public workers. It is recognized that the citation impact of the scientific production of scholarship holders, consigned to the Institute, is less than the citation impact of the volunteers' and public workers' production. It is evidenced that eight of the ten publications with the greatest impact and thematic prominence correspond to the field of zoology, with emphasis on the fields of herpetology and primatology. Macro-level collaborative relations are more intense with the United States, in both areas mentioned, covering 16% of the total corpus of articles in cooperation with that country. Zoology, besides its greater impact, accounts for more than half of the corpus production (65.9%).On the other hand, botany is responsible for 30.4% of the corpus, with its dispersed international cooperation in a broad variety of countries. Individual authorship articles are 57% consigned to botany. In summary, the accomplished analysis will contribute to the development of institutional domain analysis methodologies that present scientific collaboration as a basic procedure.