The impact of prolonged frozen storage on the preparation quality of bird skins and skeletons in zoological collections.

Specimens from zoological collections play a pivotal role in improving scientific knowledge in many natural science disciplines. To guarantee an optimum state of conservation and ensure their usefulness, the preparation process employed is crucial. Skins and skeletons are key elements in vertebrate scientific collections and, ideally, are prepared from recently deceased animals; however, specimens are often stored in a frozen state for a long time (years) prior to preparation. Whether the duration of this frozen state has a deleterious effect on preparation quality has rarely been studied. The main objective of this study was thus to contribute towards research into zoological preparation by testing to see whether prolonged frozen storage hinders the preparation of bird skins and skeletons. We used the common buzzard (Buteo buteo) and the barn owl (Tyto alba) as biological models. Our results showed that long-term frozen storage led to weight loss, bone marrow acidification and solidification, and hampered skin preparation. The necropsy affected weight loss and decreased the skin tear resistance, probably due to tissue dehydration. Thus, prolonged frozen storage appears to have a harmful effect on the preparation quality of vertebrate specimens. Since frozen storage could ultimately have an impact on the conservation and scientific use of museum specimens, practices should be implemented to minimise the amount of time specimens are frozen or to mitigate any detrimental effects. More importance should be attached to research on zoological preparation since it is fundamental for optimising the quality, conservation status, and value of museum collections.

Types of the New World Stigmoderini (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) deposited in Natural History Museum, London Buprestidae: Buprestinae: Stigmoderini.

The type specimens of the New World Stigmoderini deposited in the Natural History Museum in London are catalogued and illustrated. Twenty-eight lectotypes are designated, one of which is a new lectotype, since the previous one is considered invalid under the article 74.2. (ICZN 1999). Holotype and in some cases, paratypes, are recognized for the following taxa: Conognatha nanula Hoscheck, 1934, Conognatha blairi Hoscheck, 1934, Hiperantha decorata var. insignata Hoscheck, 1928 and Hiperantha saundersi Théry, 1928. In addition, Lasionota oberthuri (Kerremans, 1897) rev. stat. is reinstated as a valid species, having been considered to be a junior synonym of Lasionota tetrazonus (Chevrolat, 1838) since 1997. The comparison of the reinstated species, with the recently described species Lasionota inca Moore Diéguez, 2019 showed that both are conspecific and hence L. inca syn. nov. is proposed as a junior synonym of L. oberthuri.

Indoor levels of volatile organic compounds at Florentine museum environments in Italy.

Indoor Air Quality monitoring in cultural institutions is of particular concern to protect these places and the cultural heritage content. An indoor monitoring campaign was performed in three museums in Florence (Italy) to determine the occurrence and levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). VOCs of interest included BTEX (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, xylenes), terpenes, aldehydes, organic acids, and cyclic volatile methyl siloxanes (cVMS). The most abundant VOCs in all samples analyzed were BTEX, which were strictly related to the traffic source, followed by siloxanes and terpenes. Among BTEX, toluene was always the most abundant followed by xylenes, ethylbenzene, and benzene. cVMS in exhibition rooms with the presence of visitors showed higher values compared to samples collected when the museums were closed. Terpenes showed not only the influence of vegetation-biogenic sources surrounding a museum but could also be related to the wood used for the construction of showcases and furniture and the use of cleaning products. Data obtained also showed the presence of organic acids and aldehydes whose source can be traced back to exhibits themselves and wood-based furniture. Assessing the levels of organic acids in museums is important because, over time, it can cause deterioration of the artifacts.

Quantifying the dark data in museum fossil collections as palaeontology undergoes a second digital revolution.

Large-scale analysis of the fossil record requires aggregation of palaeontological data from individual fossil localities. Prior to computers, these synoptic datasets were compiled by hand, a laborious undertaking that took years of effort and forced palaeontologists to make difficult choices about what types of data to tabulate. The advent of desktop computers ushered in palaeontology's first digital revolution-online literature-based databases, such as the Paleobiology Database (PBDB). However, the published literature represents only a small proportion of the palaeontological data housed in museum collections. Although this issue has long been appreciated, the magnitude, and thus potential significance, of these so-called 'dark data' has been difficult to determine. Here, in the early phases of a second digital revolution in palaeontology--the digitization of museum collections-we provide an estimate of the magnitude of palaeontology's dark data. Digitization of our nine institutions' holdings of Cenozoic marine invertebrate collections from California, Oregon and Washington in the USA reveals that they represent 23 times the number of unique localities than are currently available in the PBDB. These data, and the vast quantity of similarly untapped dark data in other museum collections, will, when digitally mobilized, enhance palaeontologists' ability to make inferences about the patterns and processes of past evolutionary and ecological changes.

O museu como contexto de educação comunitária: um projeto de promoção do envelhecimento bem - sucedido / Museum as context of community education: the case of a project of successful ageing

A intervenção aqui descrita resultou de um trabalho de investigação intervenção desenvolvido com população idosa que frequenta uma oficina de educação de adultos num museu, cuja finalidade se centrou na promoção do envelhecimento ativo através da animação sociocultural. Abrangeu um grupo de 37 participantes com idades compreendidas entre quarenta e noventa anos. Recorrendo ao paradigma interpretativo-hermenêutico, foi desenvolvido um trabalho de investigação-ação participativa utilizando as técnicas de animação sociocultural, enquanto metodologias que fomentam a motivação e participação da população-alvo do projeto. Partindo dos interesses, necessidades e potencialidades dos participantes, foram desenvolvidos quatro ateliers: a) Atividades Físicas; b) Desenvolvimento Interpessoal; c) (In)Formação e d) Expressão Artística, nos quais foram dinamizados diversos tipos de atividades a nível físico, cognitivo, lúdico, social e afetivo, que permitiram desenvolver as capacidades funcionais do idoso (mobilidade, memória, criatividade, reflexão crítica), fomentar o convívio e as relações interpessoais. A intervenção teve resultados positivos dado que na avaliação final os participantes destacaram os benefícios do projeto, nomeadamente, aos níveis do bem-estar físico e psicológico, do relacionamento interpessoal e da aquisição de novas aprendizagens. Este projeto reiterou a importância da animação sociocultural como intervenção promotora de aprendizagens, do bem-estar e da qualidade de vida junto da população idosa. (AU)

The intervention here described resulted from a research/intervention work developed with the elderly who attended an adult education workshop in a museum, which purpose was to promote active aging by means of sociocultural animation. It involved a group of 37 participants aged between forty and ninety years. The authors developed a participatory action-research, applying the interpretive-hermeneutic paradigm and resorting to sociocultural animation techniques-methodologies that usually foster motivation and participation on the target population. Based on the interests, needs and potential of the participants, four workshops were developed: a) Physical Activities; b) Interpersonal Development; c) (In)formation and d) Artistic Expression. Various types of activities (physical, cognitive, recreational, social and emotional) were fostered, which allowed the development of the elderly's functional abilities (e.g. mobility, memory, creativity, critical reflection), the fostering of interactional and interpersonal processes. The intervention had positive results as the final evaluation revealed: the participants highlighted the benefits of the project, in particular, the levels of physical and psychological well-being, the augment of the quality of their relationships with others and the occurrence of new apprenticeships. This project reiterated the importance of social and cultural activities regarding the elderly's learning processes, welfare and quality of life. (AU)

Climate-mediated hybrid zone movement revealed with genomics, museum collection, and simulation modeling.

Climate-mediated changes in hybridization will dramatically alter the genetic diversity, adaptive capacity, and evolutionary trajectory of interbreeding species. Our ability to predict the consequences of such changes will be key to future conservation and management decisions. Here we tested through simulations how recent warming (over the course of a 32-y period) is affecting the geographic extent of a climate-mediated developmental threshold implicated in maintaining a butterfly hybrid zone (Papilio glaucus and Papilio canadensis; Lepidoptera: Papilionidae). These simulations predict a 68-km shift of this hybrid zone. To empirically test this prediction, we assessed genetic and phenotypic changes using contemporary and museum collections and document a 40-km northward shift of this hybrid zone. Interactions between the two species appear relatively unchanged during hybrid zone movement. We found no change in the frequency of hybridization, and regions of the genome that experience little to no introgression moved largely in concert with the shifting hybrid zone. Model predictions based on climate scenarios predict this hybrid zone will continue to move northward, but with substantial spatial heterogeneity in the velocity (55-144 km/1 °C), shape, and contiguity of movement. Our findings suggest that the presence of nonclimatic barriers (e.g., genetic incompatibilities) and/or nonlinear responses to climatic gradients may preserve species boundaries as the species shift. Further, we show that variation in the geography of hybrid zone movement could result in evolutionary responses that differ for geographically distinct populations spanning hybrid zones, and thus have implications for the conservation and management of genetic diversity.

Mutualism in museums: A model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science.

Museums have an untapped potential to engage students in hands-on learning. Here, we describe the development of a tiered museum-based program at the University of California, Berkeley as a model for engaging undergraduates in biodiversity science. This decade-long effort to increase student participation in collections demonstrates the mutual benefits of undergraduate involvement. Museums benefit from critical help in collections care and an increased intellectual vitality, while students simultaneously gain essential research skills and an unparalleled exposure to biodiversity. Five first steps to creating a program are: dedicate a coordinator, offer credit, diversify participation, create a tiered structure, and build community.

Re-Paying Attention to Visitor Behavior: A Re-Analysis using Meta-Analytic Techniques.

The present study describes a meta-analytic review of museum visitors' behavior. Although there is a large number of visitor studies available, their cumulative importance has not been determined due to the lack of rigorous methods to determine common causes of visitors' behaviors. We analyzed Serrell's (1998) database of 110 studies, defining a number of variables that measure visitors' behaviors in exhibition spaces which exceeded the most typical and obvious ones. We defined four indexes of effect size and obtained their combined estimates: average time per feature [ATF● = 0.43 (0.49; 0.37)], percentage of diligent visitors [dv● = 30% (0.39; 0.23)], inverse of velocity [Iv● = 4.07 min/100m2 (4.55; 3.59)], and stops per feature [SF● = 0.35 (0.38; 0.33)], and we analyzed the role of relevant moderating variables. Key findings indicate, for example, that the visiting time for each display element relates to the size of the exhibition and its newness, and visitor walking speed is higher in large exhibit areas. The indexes obtained in this study can be understood as references to be used for comparison with new evaluations. They may help to predict people's behavior and appreciation of new exhibitions, identifying important problems in museum designs, and providing new research tools for this field.