National Science Museum Research Articles

Авторская программа «Естественно-научный музей в жизни современной школы» как способ реализации культуросозидающего и педагогического потенциала естественно- научных музеев

This article deals with the implementation by teachers of secondary schools of the culture-creating and pedagogical potential of natural science museums with the help of the author's program. At the moment, there is a situation where society needs a holistic and informative potential of the museum. Modern education in the educational process is increasingly based on a number of museum disciplines. The museum, being a socio-cultural institution, directly influences the solution of crisis situations of civilization in the XXI century. It should be noted that the pedagogical position put forward by the authors on the potential of natural science museums, reflected in this article, is relevant not only for our country, but also for the whole world affected by globalization. The authors of the article, based on the findings of the study, compiled an author's program for teachers of secondary schools, in which they tried to reveal the main points on the implementation of the culture-creating and pedagogical potential of natural science museums.

Contribution to morphology, biology and distribution of Mecolenus wahlbergi Schoenherr, 1847, a relict African apionine weevil (Coleoptera: Brentidae: Apioninae).

Mecolenus wahlbergi Schoenherr, the sole member of the basal apionine tribe Mecolenini and one of the least known South African weevils, was re-discovered at a new locality at Umtamvuna River separating KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape provinces. It was found feeding on leaves of the Broad-leaved Wild-quince Cryptocarya latifolia Sond. (Lauraceae), which is the first record on the biology of this species. The distribution of M. wahlbergi is summarized and mapped, including unpublished records based primarily on the specimens deposited at the Durban Natural Science Museum. Concordance between the distribution of the weevil and its putative host C. latifolia is discussed. The adult morphology of M. wahlbergi is re-described and illustrated.

Arquivo e Paisagem: Sobre Cinema e Espanto

In the “tiny” world of F. Percy Smith – the well-known naturalist of the 19th century – both cinema and nature play a key role in showing the intimate and “hidden life of insects and plants in a way that people have never seen before” (National Science and Media Museum). As a naturalist, F. Percy Smith was interested in exploring the many educational possibilities of cinema from the several landscapes he shot, creating an interesting combination of landscape and moving image. About a hundred years later, Stuart A. Staples, lead singer of Tindersticks, visits and revisits the cinematic world of F. Percy Smith by creating a film from the series Secrets of Nature (1922). With Minute Bodies: The Intimate World of F. Percy Smith (2017) Staples develops a cinematic montage based on Smith’s “pure cinema”. In it, Staples traverses Smith’s microscopic landscapes in an exercise that seeks to observe the wonder created in the naturalist’s first exhibitions, as well as the construction of a new landscape that points to an eternal and ethereal movement. As such, the purpose of this essay is twofold: firstly, to analyze F. Percy Smith’s intimate and microscopic landscapes and, secondly, to perceive Minute Bodies as a film that tries to recover this initial wonder of the moving images by creating new landscapes from the archives of Smith’s films.

The Molleson couple – founders of the natural history museum in Kyakhta

The paper analyzes scientific collaboration of the spouses Vladislav and Maria Molleson. They lived in little town Troitskosavsk (today it is Kyakhta, Republic of Buryatia) in the second half of the 19th century. They both had a day job teaching in different local secondary schools but all their spare time was spent researching local nature venturing even into Mongolia for this purpose during summer breaks. As a result, they acquired large collections of natural artifacts: birds, animals, plants, etc. Logically the next step was to write and publish scientific papers which they did. Together with a group of equal-minded teachers they organized a society for natural exploration of the region which soon in 1894 became a part of the Troitskosavsko-Kyakhtinskoye branch of the Priamursky branch of the Russian Geographical Society. One of the first things new Society did was to combine all private collections of its founders into proper museum of natural sciences. Vladislav and Maria Molleson tended for the mentioned museum during nearly two decades together and separately. The paper aims to analyze their activity not as of one person and his helper but as of a united team of equal partners.

Unknown facts of history of the Natural science museum of the Iilmeny state reserve, South Urals

The history of establishing the museum of the Ilmeny State Reserve in the South Urals is described during 1924–1941. Information about the location of the museum, the number of samples and exhibi¬tions in various years is given. During 1926–1930, when the reserve was headed by the director D.I. Rudenko, the frst collections of the museum were stored in a building on Remeslennaya street in Miass. In 1931–1936, the museum was located in apartments of the central base of the reserve. The location of the museum in the South Urals Mountain Station of the Academy of Sciences from 1937 to 1941 was fruitful.

V. I. Vernadsky and national museums of natural science

The article examines the part of the work of the outstanding naturalist Vladimir Vernadsky, which is the least covered in the literature, i.e. scientific and organizational activities in Russian natural science museums. The collected materials make it possible to present the great scientist as a versatile and outstanding person in the field of museums, who actually revived the mineralogical collections. Due to V. Vernadsky input, the mineralogical offices (museums) of St. Petersburg and Moscow Universities as well as Mineralogical Department of the Mineralogical-Geological Museum of the Academy of Sciences turned into research centers, and then into the largest mineralogical museums. The authors consider Vernadsky’s relationship with a number of local museums, his scientist’s assistance in their work as a scientific advisor, donor and protector. A remarkable period in scientist’s biography relates to the time when he established the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, including his plan for creating National Mineralogical Museum. Another project of Vernadsky, which received partial implementation, is the establishment of Museum for the History of Knowledge under the Commission for the History of Knowledge of the Academy of Sciences of the USSR.

Concurrent Butterfly, Bat and Small Mammal Monitoring Programmes Using Citizen Science in Catalonia (NE Spain): A Historical Review and Future Directions

The Biodiversity and Bioindicators research group (BiBIO), based at the Natural Sciences Museum of Granollers, has coordinated four long-term faunal monitoring programmes based on citizen science over more than two decades in Catalonia (NE Spain). We summarize the historical progress of these programmes, describing their main conservation outputs, the challenges overcome, and future directions. The Catalan Butterfly Monitoring Scheme (CBMS) consists of a network of nearly 200 recording sites where butterfly populations have been monitored through visual censuses along transects for nearly three decades. This programme provides accurate temporal and spatial changes in the abundance of butterflies and relates them to different environmental factors (e.g., habitat and weather conditions). The Bat Monitoring Programme has progressively evolved to include passive acoustic monitoring protocols, as well as bat box-, underground- and river-bat surveys, and community ecological indices have been developed to monitor bat responses at assemblage level to both landscape and climatic changes. The Monitoring of common small mammals in Spain (SEMICE), a common small mammal monitoring programme with almost 80 active live-trapping stations, provides information to estimate population trends and has underlined the relevance of small mammals as both prey (of several predators) and predators (of insect forest pests). The Dormouse Monitoring Programme represents the first monitoring programme in Europe using specific nest boxes for the edible dormouse, providing information about biological and demographic data of the species at the southern limit of its distribution range. The combination and complementarity of these monitoring programmes provide crucial data to land managers to improve the understanding of conservation needs and develop efficient protection laws.

The Hummingbird Collection of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP), Portugal.

BackgroundThe Hummingbird (Family Trochilidae) Collection of the Natural History and Science Museum of the University of Porto (MHNC-UP) is one of the oldest collections of this family harboured in European museums. Almost 2,000 specimens, that encompass most of the taxonomic diversity of this family, were collected in the late 19th Century. The collection is relevant due its antiquity and because all specimens were bought from the same provider, mainly as mounted specimens, for a Portuguese private collection of Neotropical fauna. In the early 20th Century, it was donated to the Museum that is now the MHNC-UP.New informationThe information about the majority of these specimens is now available for consultation on the GBIF platform after curation of all specimens and digital cleaning of the associated metadata. In the process, hundreds of non-catalogued specimens were found and taxonomic and spatial information was updated for many of the specimens.

A Study towards Improving User Centered Exhibition Space of the National Science Museum

A Study towards Improving User Centered Exhibition Space of the National Science Museum

ФОРМАТЫ СОВМЕСТНОЙ РАБОТЫ МУЗЕЕВ ЕСТЕСТВЕННОНАУЧНОГО ПРОФИЛЯ И НАУЧНЫХ ИНСТИТУТОВ (НА ПРИМЕРЕ ВЫСТАВКИ «ТРАВМЫ ПРОШЛОГО»)

The article examines the potential of natural science museums in the popularization of science and scientific activity, the opportunity of a museum and a scientific institute joint work to satisfy the request of visitors that cannot be realized only through the museum collection. The variety of formats for joint activities of the museum and the scientific research institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in educational and educational activities are also considered here. Special attention is paid to the successful experience of exhibiting items from the funds of the Institute of Archeology of the Russian Academy of Sciences at the State Darwin Museum and high attention level and involvement of visitors in such projects.

MAP2XANES: a Jupyter interactive notebook for elemental mapping and XANES speciation.

MAP2XANES is an intuitive Jupyter notebook that automatizes the analysis of synchrotron X-ray fluorescence imaging and X-ray absorption spectroscopy forthe characterization of complex and heterogeneous samples. The notebook uses basic modules and functions from Numpy, Scipy, Pandas, iPywidgets and Matplotlib libraries for a powerful data reduction process that, in just a few clicks, guides the user through the visualization of elemental maps, space-resolved absorption spectra and their automatized analysis. In particular, by means of linear combination fit of the XANES spectra, the notebook determines the chemical species distribution in the sample under investigation. The direct output of the analysis process is the correlation between the different elemental distributions and the spatial localization of the chemical species detected. An application to mineralogy is thus presented, analyzing the Mn2+, Mn3+ and Mn4+ distribution in a mineral sample of hausmannite (Mn2+Mn23+O4), courtesy of theMuseum of Natural Science of Barcelona.

Cambrian helcionelloids (univalved molluscs) from the Korean Peninsula: systematic revision and biostratigraphy

Helcionelloids from the Korean Peninsula are revised based on a re-examination of type specimens and new material collected from the Cambrian Mungyeong Group of South Korea. The fauna comprises Coreospira rugosa, Hampilina goniospira, Dorispira pacifica, cf. Igorella coreanica, and Helcionelloid indet. Coreospira and Hampilina are distinguished from other helcionelloids by their angular junction between dorsal and lateral surfaces, and from each other by the presence or absence of a rounded ridge along the junction, respectively. The Korean helcionelloids range stratigraphically from the base of Maochuangian to the lower Hsuchuangian using the chronostratigraphical scheme from North China; this correlates with upper Stage 4 to the lower Wuliuan Stage. Unusual septal features, such as complex suture lines in Hampilina and a central circular structure in the simple convex septa of Coreospira, occur in the apical region of the Korean helcionelloids, and could have implications for univalved molluscan evolution. Yeongju Oh [yjoh@kopri.re.kr ], Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea; Dong-Chan Lee [dclee@chungbuk.ac.kr ], Department of Earth Science Education, Chungbuk National University, Cheongju, Chungbuk 28644, Republic of Korea; Dong-Jin Lee [lichenaria@daum.net ], College of Earth Sciences, Jilin University, Changchun 130061, China; Jeong-Gu Lee [leejg0310@korea.kr ] Gwacheon National Science Museum, Gwacheon 13817, Republic of Korea

A survey of the paleontological heritage of Paraná State, Brazil

The state of Parana has a considerable area with sedimentary outcrop rocks from the Parana Sedimentary Basins (Paleozoic and Mesozoic) and Bauru (Mesozoic), Curitiba Basin (Cenozoic), and metasedimentary basement rocks (Proterozoic) with fossiliferous content. The state’s paleofauna and paleoflora, geologically distributed over more than one billion years, are diversified and acknowledged in several scientific publications. On this regard, a survey of the main collections and paleontological sites in Parana state (Table 1) was conducted to provide a basis for the conception of a geoscience museum and with the scope of presenting representative fossils of the geological history of this region. The methodological procedures consisted of literature search, consultations with paleontologists, visits to various state institutions and a selection of the samples in different sectors of the State University of Ponta Grossa (UEPG). The surveyed set of paleontological collections and sites indicate the heritage that is known by the state research institutions and museums and allowed to organize and quantify the set of fossils that comprise the collection of the UEPG’s Museum of Natural Sciences, which now exhibits to the public the evolutionary history of Parana’s fossils. The survey identified 25 geosites in the state and 10 museological institutions located in 20 municipalities, which represent the most valuable scientific and educational paleontological heritage, as emphasized in this text.

국립중앙과학관과 대덕연구개발특구 과학기술계 정부출연연구기관의 과학문화 프로그램 융합적 협력 사례 연구

과학관은 과학전시와 체험 등의 과학 활동의 기회제공을 통한 과학문화 확산을 위한 주요 기관으로 강조되고 있다. 또한, 과학기술계 정부출연연구기관들도 과학교육과 기관홍보를 위한 다양한 콘텐츠의 과학활동 프로그램을 운영 중이다.<BR> 본 연구는 과학문화 활동 융·복합 협력사례로 시작되었으며, 본 연구의 목적은 국립중앙과학관과 대덕연구개발특구내 과학기술계 정부출연연구기관들이 과학대중화라는 공공의 목적으로 운영하는 프로그램의 협업과 협력사례를 조사하여 과학문화 확산에 기여하고자 한다. 본 연구를 위하여 연구 대상 기관들의 홈페이지, 보도자료, 공개청구, 면담 등을 통해 기관별 과학문화 활동을 조사하였고, 본 논문은 융합 협력 과학문화 활동을 중심으로 분석하였다.<BR> 본 논문의 연구결과 첫째, 과기출연(연)은 국가연구 개발성공사례를 국립중앙과학관에 지속적으로 전시·개발함으로써 연구성과 확산을 위한 과학전시 콘텐츠를 생성할 수 있다. 둘째, 국립중앙과학관은 과기출연(연)의 원천 콘텐츠를 기반으로 과학전시 R&D, ICT를 활용한 융합 과학문화 프로그램 개발에 지속적인 협력을 강구해야 한다. 셋째, 양 기관들에 의해 생성된 콘텐츠들은 전국의 국·공·사립 과학관에 공급함으로써 과학기술의 대중성 제고 및 성과 확산에 기여한다. 이러한 연구를 바탕으로 대중적 과학문화 활동 프로그램 개발 및 과학문화 확산을 기대한다.

La entomología en Argentina hasta la creación de la Sociedad Entomológica Argentina. Un panorama histórico

In this paper, a historical survey of the development of the entomological studies in Argentina from the 18th century to 1925, the year in which the Sociedad Entomológica Argentina was created, is presented. Three periods are distinguished in this historical survey: (a) research on insects in colonial and early independent Río de la Plata, and in early Argentina until the 1870s; (b) the period from c. 1870 to c. 1900, in which entomology functioned as a core around which much of the zoological studies were organized; (c) the period from c. 1910 to c. 1925, which involved the development of large entomological collections in the Argentine Museum of Natural Sciences (Buenos Aires) and the Museum of La Plata, the beginnings of applied entomology with the hiring of French and American specialists, and the incorporation of women in the field.

A new species of genus Hexacentrus Serville, 1831 from Taiwan (Orthoptera: Tettigoniidae: Hexacentrinae).

There are 29 species or subspecies in genus Hexacentrus occurring in Asia, Africa and Australia. Because of its similar appearance, it is not easy to distinguish them by traditional methods. In this study, we collected samples and sequenced COI genes from wide range. By reconstructing the gene tree, we found one new species, H. formosanus Chen et He sp. nov., from Taiwan. The new species is similar to H. expansus or H. inflatissimus, but differs from the former in male Cu2 vein of left tegmina curved and slender, and spectrum of male left tegmina slender and subsquare; differs from the later by body size smaller and female tegmina narrow and short. The type specimens are deposited in National Museum of Natural Science, Taichung, Taiwan (NMNS). H. japonicus hareyamai is treated as species level, H. hareyamai stat. nov.

Defining the first preventive conservation guidelines for hand-painted magic lantern glass slides

This article intends to define and make available guidelines for the preventive conservation of hand-painted glass slides for magic lanterns, the first optical instruments for the projection of images, invented in the 17th century. For this purpose, around 300 hand-painted glass slides from the Portuguese Cinematheque – Museum of Cinema (CP) and Nacional Museum of Natural History and Science of the University of Lisbon (MUHNAC), were studied in terms of representativity in these collections, discursive genre, type of construction or movement mechanism, state of preservation and degradation problems. A survey was designed and distributed to institutions across the globe aiming for an overview of the formal characteristics of the collections of magic lantern slides and the preventive and interventive conservation measures undertaken. The guidelines are focused on the environmental conditions (temperature, relative humidity, and light), fine particles and pest control, storage and display conditions and materials, as well as handling. Recommendations on performative projections or demonstrations are also provided.

Museu de Ciências Naturais: valorização do acervo paleontológico da Universidade Estadual de Ponta Grossa

In the State University of Ponta Grossa is a reference institution in Paleontology in the State of Paraná, for being located on top of fossiliferous terrains of the Devonian and, mainly, by the tradition in research in this area since 1969. In 2020, the Museum of Natural Sciences (MCN) was created on the UEPG campus with the proposal to enhance the scientific collections of regional and state geodiversity and biodiversity. Among the material on display in this space, there is a set of fossils representative of the Paraná paleontology with didactic potential and also for tourist visitation. The MCN has the support of research laboratories and their researchers to advance in the communication of science and, in the case of fossils, the Laboratory of Paleontology and Stratigraphy of the Department of Geosciences supports the curatorship and scientific investigation of the museum. The MCN concentrates on the most representative fossils of the region, culturally valuing the university collection and bringing to the public the results of decades of academic research, usually not accessible to the community. This paper presents the characteristics of this paleontological collection.

A Natural Science Museum as a Resource for Teaching and Learning

A Natural Science Museum as a Resource for Teaching and Learning

The usage of live invertebrates at the expositions of the Museum of Natural Science

The usage of live invertebrates at excursions have been considered by us in order to attract interest for multifunctional and multicomponential system - soil.