Uses of the collection
Introduction
The Museum's Mammal collection is used in a multitude of ways. There are three broad areas - historical reference, research and education.
Research use of the collection is varied and includes taxonomy, systematics, zoogeography, palaeontology, population genetics, historical distribution, diet and reproductive biology. The frequency with which the collection is used and the types of research it supports is increasing every year. In some cases it is the data associated with the specimen rather than the actual specimen that are used.
Other uses for the collection and associated data include artistic reference, environmental impact assessment and scientific illustration.
The collection is used by:
- researchers and students from both within Australia and overseas
- professionals from other government agencies (such as museums, state or federal environmental agencies)
- private companies
- members of the public
Historical uses
Type specimens
Among the most important specimens in a museum collection are 'type specimens'. These are the original (or in some cases replacement) specimens on which the description of a certain species is based. They serve as a standard for a particular species or subspecies. The Mammal collection currently contains over 480 type specimens most of which are from Australia or other Pacific countries.
Type specimen of a sub-species of Goodfellow's Tree Kangaroo, Dendrolagus goodfellowi pulcherimus described by Dr Tim Flannery in 1993.
A drawer of specimens showing type specimens of several species of Rock Wallabies, Petrogale spp.
Extinct specimens
Since European arrival in Australia at least 19 mammal species have become extinct and many others are now restricted to offshore islands or to small parts of their former ranges. The Mammal collection contains representatives of 144 species of extinct Australian mammals many of which disappeared before aspects of their biology were recorded.
Study skin of the Broad-faced Potoroo, Potorous platyops. This little known species was once recorded from south-west Western Australia but is now extinct. It was last recorded in 1875.
The Broad-faced Potoroo, Potorous platyops as illustrated in The Mammals of Australia by John Gould.
Study skin of the Lesser Mascarene Flying Fox, Pteropus subniger, a species from Mauritius thought to have become extinct between 1864 and 1873 as a result of deforestation and hunting.
Voucher specimens
Spirit specimens of Hoary Wattled Bats, Chalinolobus nigrogriseus. Lodging voucher specimens with a museum is a particularly important part of a fauna survey, especially in the case of microchiropteran bats where many species are difficult to identify.
Another type of historically important specimen is a 'voucher'. These specimens are collected during biological surveys or studies and lodged with a museum to document the identity of the species concerned. Voucher specimens ensure that if a particular 'species' is divided into two or three different species in future that a correct identification can still be determined.
Other historically significant specimens
Some specimens were collected during historical expeditions such as these collected by WB Spencer in the 1890s.
Marsupial Mole, Notoryctes typhiops collected by WB Spencer during an expedition to central Australia in 1895.
Label of specimen M1312, a Fawn Hopping Mouse, Notomys cervinus collected by WB Spencer and registered in 1898.
Research
One of the most important uses of the Museum's vast collections is for scientific research. Specimens in the collection are available for a broad range of research topics including studies of systematics, evolution, biogeography, ecology, reproduction and anatomy.
Researchers wanting to use specimens in the collection as part of their studies may either visit the collection at the Museum or if they are based interstate or overseas, then specimens may be sent to them via another museum.
Some of the most common scientific uses for the collection are listed here although new types of research are carried out every year.
Distribution
Museum specimens serve to document a species distribution and historical changes in that distribution. The most extreme of these changes is extinction with some species in the Mammal collection now absent from all or large parts of their former range. In some cases Museum records also provide evidence of species occurring over a wider area than previously thought (range extensions), or species actually moving into new areas. A tragic case of the latter is the recent introduction of foxes into Tasmania.
Morphology
Museum specimens provide material for studies of a variety of aspects of mammal morphology. Skins provide information on the range of colours, sizes and structure of external features such as feet, tails and vibrissae (whiskers). Whole animals preserved in spirits allow examination of stomach contents as well as aspects of developmental and reproductive biology, whereas skulls and skeletons provide a basis for a whole range of studies examining structure and function.
Two colour forms of the Eastern Quoll, Dasyurus viverrinus. Collections can be used to study morphological variation within and between species.
Study skin of a Striped Possum, Dactylopsila trivirgata showing the elongated fourth finger. This finger is used to hook invertebrate prey out from under the bark of branches or logs.
Flipper of a Pygmy Sperm Whale, Kogia breviceps, showing the similarities in bone structure to those of many terrestrial mammals.
Systematics and taxonomy
One of the most common research uses of the Mammal collection is for 'systematics' or the study of the evolutionary relationships between various mammal species or groups. These studies are often based on measurements made from skulls or analysis of DNA extracted from frozen tissues.
Taxonomy (the identification, classification and naming of organisms) is another extremely important use of the Mammal collection. A range of new mammal species from within Australia and overseas have been named and are still being named using specimens lodged in the Mammal collection
Palaeontology
Skulls and skeletons provide ideal comparative material for palaeontologists trying to interpret the evolutionary relationships or ecology of long extinct mammal species. They also provide a clue to the size of species even when only small parts of the skull or skeleton have been found.
Palaeontologist Anna Gillespie from the University of New South Wales, comparing skeletons of living marsupials with those recovered from the Riversleigh fossil site in Queensland.
Humeri of four different marsupials. From the left are two 25 million-year-old fossilised humeri of marsupial lions compared to those of a Southern Hairy-nosed Wombat, Lasiorhinus latifrons and Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus.
Molecular Biology
Samples of muscle, liver or even bone taken from specimens can be used in molecular or biochemical studies to examine the evolutionary relationships between different groups or populations of species. DNA extracted from Museum specimens can also be used to confirm the identity of a particular animal where using external features is difficult or where only a small amount of material is available for study. DNA sequencing was recently used to confirm the identity of two beaked whales that stranded on the New South Wales coast and that of a whale which collided with a boat.
Diet
Examining the stomach contents of spirit specimens like this Northern Quoll, Dasyurus hallucatus, is one method of determining diet in mammals.
Examination of the stomach contents of animals (either fresh, frozen or preserved in spirit) can provide valuable information concerning the types of food eaten by certain mammal species. This is a particularly useful technique in the study of cetacean (whale and dolphin) diets because some species feed largely on squid. The 'beaks' of squid found in cetacean stomachs are frequently intact and can often be reliably identified.
Identification reference
A common use of the Mammal collection is as a reference for the identification of an animal or part of an animal such as a skull, bone or even hair. By comparing the unknown mammal with a correctly identified specimen in the collection it is generally possible to get a good identification on a specimen. This may be necessary as part of a research study, for general interest or for legal reasons.
Brustail Possum skull, Trichosurus vulpecula
Common Wombat skull, Vombatus ursinus
Cat skull and jaw, Felis catus
Dog skull and jaw, Canis lupus
Greater Glider skull, Petauroides volans
Toxicology
Stranded Pygmy Sperm Whale, Kogia breviceps. Samples taken from stranded cetaceans can be analysed to determine the cause of death.
Museum specimens can potentially provide valuable information on the health status of particular mammal populations. Tissue samples taken from Museum specimens can be used to test for the traces of pollutants that may have contributed to the death of an individual or decline in a particular population. This is particularly relevant for marine mammals that are susceptible to pollution from a range of sources including sewage, toxic chemicals, industrial waste, agricultural runoff and oils spills.
Education
Exhibition
Some specimens in the collection are prepared specifically for display to the public. Mammal specimens can be seen on permanent display in this Museum in the Skeleton exhibition and in the Biodiversity exhibition. Other specimens may be used as part of temporary exhibitions such as Australia's Lost Kingdoms http://www.lostkingdoms.com or lent to other museums or universities for temporary display.
Articulated skeleton of an Indian Elephant, Elephas maximus, on display in the Skeleton exhibition.
Skeletons of placental mammals on display in the Skeleton exhibition. At back left is a Lion and front right is a Leopard.
Red Kangaroo, Macropus rufus on display in the Biodiversity exhibition.
Artistic reference
Tails of a Ringtail Possum, Pseudocheirus peregrinus, Brushtail Possum, Trichosurus vulpecula and Squirrel Glider, Petaurus norfolcencis prepared as part of the Museum in a Box educational program for schools. They show variation in possum tail structure and function.
Mounted Koala, Phascolarctos cinereus recently lent out as a 'prop' for a television program.
Wildlife artists frequently use specimens in the Mammal collection as a guide for their work. Specimens can provide important detail that may be difficult to obtain from a live animal or photograph. These artworks may form the basis of an exhibition, field guide, book or scientific paper.
Training courses
Specimens are also used for educational programs such as training courses run by universities, TAFE colleges or community groups (such Wildlife Information and Rescue Service WIRES).
Commercial Use
In some cases specimens from the collection have been used either directly or as a reference for an animation in a film or television commercial.
Specimen data
Data associated with each of the 39 000 specimens in the Mammal collection are of great importance and have been computerised using the Texpress database. This has greatly improved access to information for both research and collection management purposes. The data are available to the scientific community and the public on request (with some conditions) and the section receives many enquiries each year. The types of information requested varies but is generally either for records of a:
- particular species or other taxonomic group of mammal (the subject of a PhD project or management plan for example)
- particular region (as part of a fauna survey, environmental impact statement, field guide or public enquiry)
- certain time period (to document historical changes in the distribution of a species or community)
Copyright © Australian Museum, 2003
