-
NatSCA 2020 AGM and Minutes
Minutes from the 14th of May 2020 NatSCA AGM held via Zoom hosted by Manchester University. Read more
-
The rediscovered collection of Myotragus balearicus Bate, 1909 (Artiodactyla, Bovidae) at Manchester Museum
Freedman, J., Gelsthorpe, D.New discoveries within collections with significant research value are being made each year. New scientific information and historical context is uncovered revealing rich collections stories for researchers and the public. This paper details a recently rediscovered collection of over 60 specimens of the Late Pleistocene mammal Myotragus balearicus Bate, 1909 at Manchester Museum, along with…
-
The Edenhall Collection: the origins and composition of a sporting family’s collection of bird and mammal taxidermy
Jackson, S., Sellers, R. M.Two generations of the Musgrave family of Edenhall near Penrith, in what was then Cumberland, assembled a collection of bird and mammal taxidermy between about 1830 and 1880. When the estate was sold in the 1920’s, a substantial part of this material was donated to Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery in Carlisle where it…
-
Anthrenus flavipes LeConte, 1854 (Coleoptera; Dermestidae); a destructive pest of natural history specimens
Holloway, G. J., Bakaloudis, D.An important component of integrated pest management is vigilance. There is always the scope for pest species from other parts of the world to become established outside of their natural range. Here we report on a damaging infestation of natural history specimens by the Dermestid beetle Anthrenus flavipes LeConte 1854. The beetles caused considerable damage…
-
Caring for geological collections: unresolved questions
Royce, K., Baars, C.Caring for geological collections is neither as simple nor as straightforward as widely perceived. Several hundred mineral species are vulnerable to the effects of moisture, temperature, air pollutants, and light. Some species undergo significant changes when exposed to minor deviations from their stability limits. One example—well documented by geochemists, engineers, and conservators alike—is iron sulfide…
-
The reproduction of Leonard Jenyns Entomoligia Cantabragiensis: An insight into the preservation issues of bound books
Suarez Ferreira, S.Natural science museums often contain book and paper material that is inherently important to their collections. Although these materials can be as vital to the museums’ narrative as the specimens themselves, natural science conservators are not necessarily familiar with this aspect of the collection and its conservation needs. During the recent redevelopment of the University…
-
Bringing taxidermy back to life: the conservation of an Aldabra giant tortoise Aldabrachelys gigantea Schweigger, 1812
van Gaver, A.The University Museum of Zoology Cambridge (UMZC) reopened in June 2018 after a major Heritage Lottery funded redevelopment. As part of this redevelopment the opportunity to display a 19th century mounted giant tortoise presented itself. The specimen had been kept in storage for decades and was chosen to head up the turtles’ section in the…
-
Mounting the type specimen of Pliosaurus carpenteri Benson et al., 2013, an 8m-long fossil pliosaur skeleton, including the 3D-printed 1.8m-long replica of the skull for Bristol Museum & Art Gallery
Larkin, N. R., Dey, S., Hutchinson, D.The type specimen of Pliosaurus carpenteri Benson et al., 2013 from Westbury in Wiltshire, UK, is the most complete skeleton known of this extinct species, with an estimated body length of 8m. The skeleton was mounted for a temporary display at Bristol Museum & Art Gallery in 2017 for the first time since it was…
-
Legacies of colonial violence in natural history collections
Ashby, J., Machin, R.Most stories told by natural history museums inevitably concern natural history, using collections to engage people with biological and geological mechanisms behind life on earth. Such institutions typically aim to inspire visitors and other audiences to care for the natural world. However, including narratives exploring troubling social histories attached to the acquisition of natural history…
