History Museum Research Articles

Family interactions and conversations in the museum: the impacts of the immersive exhibition “Natural Variations: a journey through the landscapes of Portugal” for learning about science and connecting with nature

In this qualitative study, we analyze family conversations and interactions during a visit to the exhibition “Natural Variations: a journey through the landscapes of Portugal” at the National Museum of Natural History and Science, in Lisbon (Portugal). We seek to understand through conversations and interactions how an interactive exhibition, with an immersive nature, impacts learning experiences, the emotional connection with nature, and other behavioral aspects of visitors' experiences. Four groups, totaling 16 people (eight adults and eight children) participated in the study, having their visits recorded with a subjective camera. The audiovisual material was later encoded with a research protocol centered on interactions and types of conversations, with the support of the Dedoose software. The results indicate that the most frequent conversations were about the design and functioning of the exhibition, highlighting views on the museum experience as a whole; followed by conversations about scientific topics, often triggered by the relationship that visitors established with the animals on display. Furthermore, it was possible to observe that the immersive experience enabled family groups to become involved, interested, curious and emotionally connected with the exhibition contents.

Catalogue of Bombus wurflenii Radoszkowski, 1860 (Hymenoptera, Apidae) specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

Bombus wurflenii Radoszkowski, 1860 belongs to the subgenus Alpigenobombus and is one of the 40 bumblebee species that occur in Ukraine. This Boreal-Alpine species has a disjunctive range and is confined to the mountains and hills of Europe. It occurs in Scandinavia, in central and southern Europe (the Cantabrian Mountains, the Pyrenees, the Alps, the Apennines, the Balkans, the Carpathians). It is also known from the far east of Europe (the Ural Mountains), and from the north-eastern Turkey and the Caucasus (Rasmont, Iserbyt, 2010-2012; Rasmont et al., 2015). All scenarios of future distribution of Bombus wurflenii project a moderate reduction of suitable areas by 2050. By 2100 the climatic niche space of the species would be even more restricted. With low dispersal capability and since Bombus wurflenii is a specialized species linked to cold boreal and alpine-subalpine conditions, it would suffer substantially from global warming (Rasmont et al., 2015). Bombus wurflenii is a medium sized bumblebee. It is highly adapted for “nectar robbing”, i. e. perforating holes at the base of long flower corollas to reach the nectar. To do this, it uses its modified mandibles, each with six denticles on outer margin . In Ukraine the species is represented by the subspecies B. wurflenii mastrucatus Gerst. and occurs in the Ukrainian Carpathians only. It inhabits mountain forests from a height of 500 m a. s. l. to the subalpine zone inclusive. The highest number of population of the species is observed within the altitude range of 800-1100 m above sea level (Konovalova, 2010). B. wurflenii is nesting underground, using the abandoned nests of rodents in beech, beech-spruce and spruce forests, in polonynas, meadows and also on rocky slopes in the subalpine. The emergence of queens from hibernation happens in late spring and early summer. The development of small colonies lasts until July-August, culminating in the emergence of new reproductive generation. In the Carpathian highlands B. wurflenii is considered a common one. However, during last decades, the destruction of both nesting sites and forage flora of this species due to excessive recreational pressure, is a serious factor threatening the persistence of its population. For this reason, B. wurflenii has been included into the Red Book of the Ukrainian Carpathians as vulnerable one, also taking into account a relatively limited area inhabited by populations of the species. The species plays a significant role in the pollination of high mountain flora. A feeding diet of this bumblebee in the Ukrainian Carpathians includes at least 23 plant species belonging to 16 families (unpublished data of the author). Among its favourite forage plants are: Centaurea phrygia subsp. carpatica (Porcius) Dostál, Cirsium waldsteinii Rouy, Gentiana asclepiadea L., Rhododendron kotschyi Simonk., Vaccinium spp., Aconitum spp. In the entomological collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 42 specimens of B. wurflenii have been deposited. Only one specimen belongs to an old historical collection. It was collected from the Tatry Mts. in Poland on 30.07.1905 and identified by J. Snieżek. From the present territory of Ukraine B. wurflenii was recorded for the first time in 1939 in Chornohora mountain range, at an altitude of 1500 m a.s.l. (Fudakowski et al., 1939). The recent part of the collection includes specimens, found from 2000 to 2006 in mountain regions of Ivano-Frankivska and Zakarpatska provinces of Ukraine (fig. 1). The recent collection of B. wurflenii represents all three castes of the species: 1 queen, 32 workers and 8 males. Bumblebees were collected during June, July and August within altitudes of 800-1700 m a.s.l. in the following physiographic regions: UC: PlChr: Chornohora massif; UC: PlChr: Svydovets massif; UC: OCVV: Gg: Outer Gorgany range. The vast majority of specimens have been collected in protected territories: Carpathian Biosphere Reserve (Chornohora protected massif, Svydovets protected massif) and Carpathian National Nature Park.

Catalogue of the genus Capnodis Eschscholtz, 1829 (Coleoptera, Buprestidae) specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

The representatives of the genus are distributed in circum-Mediterranean region. Fifteen species are known from the Palearctic (Löbl, Löbl, 2016), 4 of them occur in the territory of Ukraine. There are 5 species in the museum's collections. Capnodis carbonaria (Klug, 1829) is distributed in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Macedonia, Ukraine (Crimea), southern territories of Russia, Egypt, Cyprus, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey (Löbl, Löbl, 2016). Larvae develop in the roots of Amygdalus, Armeniaca, Malus, Prunus . The species was Mentioned from the Mountainous Crimea (Рихтер, 1952). Capnodis cariosa (Pallas, 1776) is distributed in Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Romania, Ukraine, southern territories of Russia, Egypt, Cyprus, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkey (Löbl, Löbl, 2016). Larvae develop in the roots of Pistacia . The species was mentioned from Odeska state province . Capnodis miliaris (Klug, 1829) is distributed in Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Greece, Italy, southern Russia, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkmenistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan (Löbl, Löbl, 2016). Larvae develop in the roots of Populus, Salix (Salavatian, 1950). The species was not mentioned from Ukraine. Capnodis tenebricosa (Olivier, 1790) is distributed in Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, France, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Malta, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Ukraine, southern Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Lebanon, Egypt (Sinai), Syria, Turkmenistan, Turkey (Löbl, Löbl, 2016). Larvae develop in the roots of Rumex . The species was mentioned from Podillia province (gubernia) (Hildt, 1893), Odeska state province (Рихтер, 1944), the Crimea , Kharkivska state province . Capnodis tenebrionis (Linnaeus, 1761) is distributed in Azerbaijan, Albania, Armenia, Austria, Bosnia Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Georgia, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Kazakhstan, Malta, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Ukraine, central and southern territories of Russia, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Turkmenistan, Turkey (Löbl, Löbl, 2016). Larvae develop in the roots of Amygdalus, Armeniaca, Cerasus, Crataegus, Cydonia, Malus, Mespilus, Persica, Prunus, Pyrus. Females lay eggs at the base of the trunk at ground level or in the soil near the base of the tree. The larva bores its tunnel under the bark down into the root, hibernates, and the next year it continues to bore in the sapwood up and constructs its pupal chamber under the bark of the trunk 10 - 30 cm above the soil level (Bílý, 2002). The species was mentioned from Chorna (Czarna in orig.) – the former Sambir district, now Bieszczady County, Poland (Nowicki, 1858), from Kamianets-Podilskyi (Belke, 1859), Synkiv, Ternopilska state province (Wierzejski, 1867, Łomnicki, 1870, 1886), Kyiv and Volyn gubernias (Hochhuth, 1871), Galicia, Volyn, Podillia, Kherson, Kyiv, Katerynoslav provinces (gubernias), the Crimea (Якобсон, 1905), Zalishchyky, Horodok, Synkiv (Kuntze, Noskiewicz, 1938), Ivano-Frankivsk vicinity, Zaporizka, Odeska, Ternopilska state provinces, Kherson, the Crimea , Donetska, Zaporizka, Odeska, Mykolaivska state provinces, the Crimea . During the first half of the 20th century, this species was rather common in Central Europe, but later it has disappeared completely from the most of localities. The reason for the sharp decrease in the number of species is changes in the principles of horticulture after the Second World War, as a result of which the species lost the optimal conditions for its development (Bílý, 2002). In the collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Scienses of Ukraine 44 specimens of the genus have been deposited. The illustrated catalog of those is presented below. The findings have been collected by the following collectors: Didushytskyi P., Grolle Yu., Noskiewicz J., Stöckl A., Wierzejski A., Zahaikevych I. – in the period from about 1867 to the middle of 20th century.

Catalogue of Endomychidae (Insecta, Coleoptera) family specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

The family Endomychidae is a moderately large group of small to medium-sized beetles with worldwide distribution and maximum diversity in tropical and subtropical regions, which includes about 1,600 species in 90 genera, 9 subfamilies (Shockley et al., 2009; Robertson et al., 2015). Of these, 7 species are known from the territory of Ukraine, of which 5 species occur in the Ukrainian Carpathian region (Nowicki, 1865; Roubal, 1936, Mateleshko, 2002, 2005, 2009; Mateleshko & Chumak, 2006; Mateleshko & Roshko, 2006; Mateleshko & Lovas, 2010; Chumak et al., 2015; Koval, et al., 2018; Diedus et al., 2021) and three species are known from the Sumy, Kharkiv, Kherson provinces and the Crimean Autonomous Republic (Drogvalenko, 1999). Representatives of the family are mainly mycophagous. The most common habitats are fungi, rotten wood and fungus-infested bark. Many species live in leaf litter and decaying plant debris, where they feed on mold and fungi. The collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine (SMNH) presents 58 specimens of the family Endomychidae, belonging to 4 species and 4 genera, as follows: Dapsa denticollis (Germar, 1817) – 3 spec., Endomychus coccineus (Linnaeus, 1758) – 29 spec., Lycoperdina succincta (Linnaeus, 1767) – 21 spec., Mycetina cruciata (Schaller, 1783) – 5 spec. The illustrated catalogue of these species is given below, the species being listed in an alphabet order. The collection material has originated from the western part of Ukraine and southern part of Poland and was collected during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Most of the material was collected from the western part of Ukraine, and is presented in the collection by three species: D. denticollis, E. coccineus and L. succincta from Roztochchia georegion (Lviv (Holosko, Kryvchytsi, Znesinnia, Snopkiv), Yamelnia, Ivano-Frankove); E. coccineus from Male Polissia (Radvantsi); two species from Opillia – L. succincta (Bartativ, Zubra) and E. coccineus (Prybyn). Only one species, E. coccineus, is known from the Cisparpathian Upland (Kolomyia, Sadzhawka) where it was collected in early 20th century (15.06.1902; 23.05.1901). Regarding the material collected from the territory of Poland, 4 specimens of two species are available in the SMNH collection: E. coccineus (Kraków, Rabka-Zdrój, Szymbart) and L succincta (Sztutowo). In addition to the main museum collection, the four above-mentioned species are contained in the collection of A. Stöckl: one spec. D. denticollis from Serbia, collected by Reitter; 5 spec. E. coccineus from the western part of Ukraine (Lviv, Riasne, Ivano-Frankove); 3 spec. L. succincta: one spec. from Poland (Konskowola), two – from Ukraine (Ivano-Frankove, Lviv); and 2 spec. of M. cruciata collected in Ukraine (Pistyn). Other specimens of this collection lack information on the collectors.

Catalogue of Sceliphron destillatorium (Illager, 1807) (Hymenoptera, Sphecidae) specimens deposited in the State Museum of Natural History NASU, Lviv, Ukraine

Representatives of the genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 are found in almost all biogeographical regions of the world (Yuan, 2022). At present, 35 species of this genus have been known (Pulawski, 2020). Of these, six species have been recorded from the territory of Ukraine as follows: three invasive species: Sceliphron caementarium (Drury, 1773); Sceliphron curvatum (Smith, 1870) and Sceliphron deforme (F. Smith, 1856) (Kletʹonkin, 2023); and three native species: Sceliphron destillatorium (Illiger, 1807); Sceliphron madraspatanum (Fabricius, 1781) and Sceliphron spirifex (Linnaeus, 1758) (Tymkiv et al., 2015). The most common is Sceliphron destillatorium (Illiger, 1807), which occurs throughout the territory of Ukraine. Representatives of the genus Sceliphron Klug, 1801 belong to two subgenera: Sceliphron and Hensenia. Although species of both subgenera take care of their offspring and feed the larvae with spiders, their nests differ in shape and number of mud cells. Wasps of the subgenus Hensenia build a certain number of single-celled mud nests in shape of jugs. Instead, wasps of the subgenus Sceliphron build cells that joint into large mud nest. S. destillatorium is the South–Palaearctic species. Its range covers the Mediterranean region (southern and south-eastern Europe, northern Africa and south-western and southern Asia) (Wisniowski et al., 2013). S. destillatorium is a solitary wasp. It belongs to the family Sphecidae (Insecta: Hymenoptera) of the subgenus Sceliphron (Gülmez1 et al, 2017). S. destillatorium female builds a nests of the moist soil material, which she collects and transports herself. The nest consists of tubular cells placed side by side, the number of which varies (Chatenoud et al., 2012). After building the first cell, the female hunts spiders to feed her offspring (Pytel-Huta, 2023; Yuan, 2022). Female S. destillatorium brings the paralysed spider into the cell, lays an egg and continues to hunt. Each cell stores a certain number of spiders. The number depends on the size of the victims and the sex of the future generation. Once the cells have been built, the female S. destillatorium covers them with an additional layer of soil (Polidori, 2005). In the wild, females build their nests in shady, sheltered places (rock ledges, empty tree trunks, etc.). However, at present, they are increasingly nesting in people's houses (usually under roofs, attics, etc.) (Yuan, 2022). Adult wasps feed on angiosperm nectar. The collection of the State Museum of Natural History, National Academy of Sciences in Lviv contains 14 specimens of this species collected in the western part of Ukraine and one specimen collected in the central part. A few samples (4) of this species were collected in 1922, 1923 and 1926, collector – J. Noskiewicz. The date and place of collection of the remaining specimens are unknown. All data have been entered into the web resource Data Centre “Biodiversity of Ukraine” http://dc.smnh.org/.

Malacofauna of Crimea as a possible source of introductions to other regions of Ukraine: land snails of non-Crimean origin

Background. Due to global climate changes, a number of land mollusc species, previously known only from southern Ukraine or only from Crimea, are increasingly being recorded in different parts of the country. Apparently, not only species of the Crimean origin but also some other molluscs, native or alien to the Crimean Peninsula, could have been introduced from Crimea in different time periods. Therefore, the main purpose of this study was to generalise and give a critical analysis of data on the present distribution in Ukraine outside Crimea for 8 such species, whose primary source of dispersal could be, at least partially, the Crimean Peninsula. Materials and Methods. We used the results of our own long-term (from 1994 to 2023) research of the land mollusc fauna in different parts of Ukraine, examined collections of other researchers and amateurs, numerous stock materials of the State Museum of Natural History in Lviv, analysed a number of literature sources from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day, as well as reports from two citizen science databases (iNaturalist and UkrBIN). Results and Discussion. We have sequentially analysed the available data about the present distribution and chronology of discovery in different administrative regions of Ukraine outside Crimea for Cecilioides raddei, Phenacolimax annularis, Oxychilus deilus, Xeropicta derbentina, X. krynickii, Monacha cartusiana, Eobania vermiculata, as well as Helix lucorum with the shell colouration characteristic of the mountainous Crimea. It has been established that one or more species have now been reliably recorded in all parts and almost all administrative regions of Ukraine, with the exception of Sumy and Kirovohrad ones. Conclusion. The conducted analysis confirms the potential influence of Crimea on the formation of the present species composition of alien land molluscs not only in the south, but also in other parts of Ukraine. Most of the analyzed species are so far known only from those administrative regions that border the Black and Azov Seas. Two species, X. derbentina and M. cartusiana, are now rather widespread in Ukraine, but most of their known records were made no earlier than 1990s. The data systematized in this study can become the basis for monitoring the further spread of the species under study into different parts of Ukraine, which may become especially relevant in the post-war period.

Рец. на кн.: Сергей Кан. Лев Штернберг: этнолог, народник, борец за права евреев / Пер. с англ. А. Глебовской. СПб.; Бостон: Библиороссика; Academic Studies Press, 2023. 694 с. (Современная иудаика)

This book written by Sergei Kan is dedicated to Lev Shternberg (1961–1927), who was a major Russian ethnographer and public figure, one of the founders of the so-called Leningrad school. The Russian translation of the book is reviewed. The large-scale study, rich in archival sources from all possible collections (American Philosophical Society, American Museum of Natural History, the Kunstkammer, RAS Archives, etc.), has been written in the best traditions of the prominent historian George Stocking’s approach. The reviewer notes several undoubted merits of Kan’s work. The main one is an attempt to place the Russian scholar’s research in the context of the Western anthropology of his time. One of the most profound ideas of the book concerns the assessment of Morgan’s influence on Sternberg’s work, and, in a broader perspective, on the development of the social sciences in Russia and the USSR, where, according to the author, social evolutionism played a much more progressive role than in Europe or the USA. That theory served rather to confirm the necessity of social reform, and neither then nor later was it associated with the reaction in the natural sciences, Eurocentrism, and white racism that Boas saw in it. At the same time, the edition under review contains a few inaccuracies and factual errors, some of which were already present in the original edition, while others have arisen due to a not entirely accurate translation.

The history of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Batyushkovo, Dmitrovsky district (XVII-XIX centuries)

This article provides historical information about the architectural monument characteristic of the Moscow patrimonial (Posadsky) architecture – the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the village of Batyushkovo, Dmitrovsky district. The author has studied and systematized data on the owners, construction and repair of the church since the XVII century, collected data on local clergy. The research is based on materials from the archive of the Dmitrov Kremlin State Museum-Reserve, the archive of the Shchusev State Museum of Architecture, the archive of the New Jerusalem State Historical and Art Museum, the Russian State Archive of Ancient Acts and the Central State Archive of Moscow. The work contains research on the history of the Dmitrov region, studied archival sources: metric books and church records. There is practically no historical information about the state of the church for the period from the XVII to the beginning of the XIX century, and information about the landowners of the village in the second half of the XVIII – early XIX century is sketchy. A valuable contribution to the study is information about the biographies of each of the owners of the village of Batyushkovo: their kind of activity, position in society. The most important aspect is the publication of previously unknown sources: drawings of the Church of St. Nicholas the Wonderworker in the middle of the XIX century by architect Vasily Dregalov.

First evidence of vampyromorph cephalopod jaw structures from the Sinemurian, Lower Jurassic of Dorset

A new specimen of the Coleoidea from the Charmouth Mudstone Formation of the Dorset Coast has been identified as Loligosepia bucklandi (Voltz, 1840). The specimen includes the gladius and jaw fragments, which represent one of few records of its kind, but the head area, arms, hooks and suckers are not discernible. It can be favourably compared to other L. bucklandi fossils in the Natural History Museum in London and the J.F. Jackson Collection in the National Museum Wales in Cardiff. The range of L. bucklandi is determined to be from the Turneri Zone, Brooki Subzone to the Obtusum Zone, Stellare Subzone of the lower Sinemurian, with the new specimen stratigraphically a little older than the precisely located specimens in the J.F. Jackson Collection.

New additions to the North Korean fauna based on the tenthredinid sawflies (Hymenoptera) housed in the Hungarian Natural History Museum

The North Korean sawflies housed in the Hymenoptera Collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum are studied, with a focus on the subfamilies Athaliinae and Allantinae. Five genera and 10 species including one subspecies of the two subfamilies are identified. Athalia indiana Benson is reported for the first time from East Asia (North Korea), and further eight species and one subspecies are discovered in the new country of North Korea: Allantus helanshanicus Wei, Li and Xiao, Apethymus kolthoffi (Forsius), A. sidorenkoi Sundukov, Athalia japonica (Klug), A.proxima (Klug), A.rosae ruficornis Jakowlew, Beleses satonis (Takeuchi), Taxonus carbonarius Takeuchi, and T.montanus Togashi. Additionally, Athalia infumata (Marlatt) and Allantus exitus Lee and Ryu, syn. nov. are considered a junior subjective synonym of Athaliaproxima (Klug) and Allantus luctifer (F. Smith), respectively. Diagnoses and photographs of the newly recorded species are provided, as well as new distributional records and brief notes on the new synonymy.

«Колодец с горгульей» и принцип гиперцитации в архитектуре Ливадийского дворца

The article is devoted to studying the circumstances that served as the basis for the quotation of the original composition installed during the restoration of the Vincigliata Castle near Florence (1860s) in the sculpture A Well with a Gargoyle in the Livadia Palace. A comparative analysis of the copy and the original leads to the problem of hyperquotation in the work on the project of the imperial residence in the Crimea (1909–1914). For the first time, the article publishes the photographs of the historical courtyard of the Vincigliata sculptures from the State Historical Museum funds (Moscow) and the view of the Livadia well from the architect N.P. Krasnov’s author album from the funds of the Research Library under Russian Academy of Arts (Saint‐Petersburg).

New anthropomorphic figurines from the forest-steppe Trans-Urals

Two villagers from the Kunashak region of Chelyabinsk oblast donated the State Historical Museum of the Southern Urals (Chelyabinsk) two anthropomorphic figurines. They were found near Karino Village, Kunashakskiy District, on the right bank of the Sinara River. Besides, there is another anthropomorphic figurine probably originating from this area. The exact location of it discovery is not known. All three figurines were cast by an ancient master using the same model, but different sand-clay (earthen) molds. The model was a standing male warrior. A quiver hangs on his belt. The man’s legs are spread wide, his arms are spread and down. A long, slightly curved object extends upward from the warrior’s right shoulder. A bird sits on the left shoulder. After casting, the figurines were not further processed. The properties of the molds material and the metal determined the differences in the details of the figurines. The figurines from Karino are closest to the anthropomorphic figurines from the Sapogovskiy treasure, Elevator Village and the outskirts of Dalmatovo. The authors of the article combine them into the Sapogovskiy type of anthropomorphic metal-plastic art of the forest-steppe Trans-Urals. The anthropomorphic figurines of the Sapogovskiy type were compared with anthropomorphic metal-plastics of the second half of the first millennium BC from the neighboring regions (Middle and Lower Ob region, Kama region, Middle Volga region) and show their outstanding authenticity. The anthropomorphs of the Sapogovskiy type also differ from the anthropomorphs of the Itkul culture of the Trans-Urals. The research analyses the locations of the anthropomorphic figurines finds. It concludes that the warrior figurine from Elevator village is an isolated find that is in no way connected with the Sapogovskiy treasure. All figurines of the Sapogovskiy type were found in the area of the Gorokhov archaeological culture. All of them were created by bearers of the Gorokhov archaeological culture. The figurines represent various strata of the Gorokhovsky society. These figurines bear the peculiarities of the worldview of the Gorokhovskaya population. These peculiarities are determined by the genesis of the Gorokhov culture and the mixed Ugro-Iranian roots of its bearers.

An annotated catalogue of selected historical type specimens, including genetic data, housed in the Natural History Museum Vienna

An annotated catalogue of selected historical type specimens, including genetic data, housed in the Natural History Museum Vienna

Bibliotekarji proti Plečniku

Purpose: The article presents the role of librarians in the construction of the first pur­pose-built independent library building in Slovenia. The librarians drew up guidelines for the construction of the building, actively participated in the planning and drew at­tention to non-functional solutions. The Plečnik building, which was built for the uni­versity library of the University of Ljubljana, today houses its successor, the National and University Library. Methodology/approach: The article is based on archival material that documents the construction of the university library and is stored in the archive and in the Manuscript Collection of the National and University Library and in the Historical Archive and Mu­seum of the University of Ljubljana. It covers the period from 1930 to 1944. Results: Archival material shows that librarians were aware of contemporary architec­tural trends in the construction of library buildings, but their efforts for functional solutions were not taken into account. Plečnik’s plan was criticized mainly because of the wide corridors and staircases, the inadequate lighting of the Great Reading Room, the excessively long transport routes for the material and the poor security of the ware­houses, which are accessed from the staircases, which are open to users. Some archi­tects have also pointed out similar shortcomings of the building. Research limitation: The archival material consulted is limited to the National and Uni­versity Library and the Historical Archives and Museum of the University of Ljubljana. Originality/practical implications: The article illuminates the issue of construction of representative buildings.

Review of cultural and educational tourism objects based on the samurai heritage of Japan

The article examines the main objects of display of the cultural samurai heritage of Japan: historical monuments, museums and architectural objects of cultural value, as well as festivals of Japan with samurai.

Markwelchite, TlPbSbS3, a new Tl–Pb sulfosalt from the hydrothermal deposit of Jas Roux, Hautes-Alpes, France

AbstractMarkwelchite, ideally TlPbSbS3, is a new mineral from the hydrothermal deposit of Jas Roux, Hautes-Alpes, France. It occurs as a black anhedral crystal associated closely with protochabournéite. Microhardness measurements (VHN15) gave a mean value of 197 kg/mm2 corresponding to a Mohs hardness of ~3–4. In plane-polarised incident light, markwelchite is grey in colour. Under crossed polars, it is distinctly anisotropic with greyish white to bluish rotation tints, with bright red internal reflections. Reflectance percentages (Rmin and Rmax) are: 28.5, 31.5 (471.1 nm); 28.3, 30.7 (548.3 nm); 27.9, 30.3 (586.6 nm); and 27.6, 29.8 (652.3 nm). The mean of 5 electron microprobe spot analyses gave Tl 34.67(45), Pb 31.86(25), Sb 15.06(15), As 2.37(5), S 15.35(20), total 99.31 wt.%, corresponding, on the basis of a total of 6 atoms per formula unit and structural results, to Tl1.063Pb0.964(Sb0.775As0.198)Σ0.973S3.000. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies revealed that markwelchite is isotypic with richardsollyite, TlPbAsS3. It is monoclinic, space group P21/c, with the following unit-cell parameters: a = 8.9144(3), b = 8.4513(3), c = 8.6511(3) Å, β = 108.723(4)°, V = 617.27(4) Å3 and Z = 4. The five strongest observed powder-diffraction lines [d in Å (Irel)(hkl)] are: 3.88 (100)($\bar{2}$11); 3.78 (90)(210); 3.29 (90)(102); 2.73 (85)($\bar{1}$13); and 2.93 (75)(022). The crystal structure can be described as formed by (100) [Me2(SbS3)]– layers sandwiching the Me1+ cations. The Me1 site has a seven-fold coordination, whereas the Me2 site has an 6+2 coordination corresponding to a distorted, bicapped trigonal prismatic coordination, and the Sb site displays a trigonal pyramidal coordination with three S atoms and Sb at the apex.The name markwelchite honours Dr Mark D. Welch of the Natural History Museum, London, UK.The new mineral has been approved by the Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA2024–001). A discussion on the relationships between markwelchite and synthetic TlPbSbS3 is also provided.

Collections from the Indian Subcontinent in the Herbaria of the Natural History Museum, London

Collections from the Indian Subcontinent in the Herbaria of the Natural History Museum, London

Of dinosaurs and intergenerational culture wars: dinomania, nostalgia, and the ‘missionary lizards’ of young earth creationism

For over a century, dinosaurs have drawn crowds to natural history museums, where visitors learn about evolution and deep time. Towards the end of the twentieth century, certain young earth creationists began using dinosaurs as ‘missionary lizards’ to attract audiences and promote a biblically literal interpretation of the planetary past. Though long extinct, dinosaurs are thus significant figures in the ongoing U.S. culture wars. This article demonstrates how the Creation Museum in Kentucky uses dinosaur displays to legitimate a young earth and anti-evolution worldview. It also analyses how mainstream science museums and creation science museums alike leverage dinomania and a related sentiment, nostalgia, to draw crowds and create potent emotional experiences. A comparison of marketing materials for the Creation Museum and the Smithsonian's Deep Time fossil hall, both of which target children and their families, show how dinosaurs are intergenerational artifacts that connect people to personal and planetary pasts.

Records of fleas (Siphonaptera) from Delaware.

We present an annotated checklist of fleas (Siphonaptera) known to occur in the state of Delaware based on an examination of Siphonaptera collections at the University of Delaware and the Carnegie Museum of Natural History, as well as new specimens of fleas we collected from wildlife, other hosts, and tick flags. We review published records and compile them herein with our new records, which include 3 species previously unreported from Delaware. With these additions, there are now 18 flea species from 19 avian and mammalian hosts documented from Delaware.

A city of newcomers: Migration and solidarity in the former East Germany

AbstractThis article examines how urban temporalities have come to alternately foster and hinder migrants' incorporation into the larger social body. It draws on ethnographic and archival research conducted in Eisenhüttenstadt, Germany, and focuses on the so‐called “migrant crisis” of 2015, which resonated with earlier migration histories in the region. When Eisenhüttenstadt was founded in 1950, nearly one‐third of its residents were naturalized East German citizens. Yet under the socialist regime, any acknowledgment of their migration background was expressly forbidden and perceived as a threat to Eastern Bloc geopolitical alliances. Around 2015, however, this history reemerged, first at the local cultural history museum and later, in public discourse. This article attends to the shifting positionality of migration histories within the context of the former East Germany, which was perceived as European in a global context but post‐socialist in a German context. In doing so, it reveals how tensions between individual and urban futurities influence solidarity, integration, and national belonging.