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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">We recently at NHMD had an <i>Architeuthis</i> specimen out of the collection for filming and photographing. The beak of the specimen was missing and is not found in the dry collection. I could see no traces of dissection
on the buccal mass, and it would be difficult, in my experience, to remove a beak without leaving any cutmarks. The probable (unrecorded) conservation history of the specimen is buffered formalin fixing after catch in 1965, subsequent transfer to 70 % alcohol
with no added substances.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Martin V. Sørensen tells me about chitin being dissolved in acidic alcohol over time, but in much smaller organisms. The cephalopod beak is mostly chitin, but for example we see the beaks regularly in whale stomachs,
where the conditions must be pretty acidic. Any clues to what made our <i>Architeuthis</i> beak disappear?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Cheers<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">Tom Schiøtte</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA"> </span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">Collection manager, Echinodermata & Mollusca</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">Natural History Museum of Denmark (Zoology)</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">Universitetsparken 15</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">DK 2100 Copenhagen OE</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA"> </span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA">+45 35 32 10 48</span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:DA"><a href="mailto:TSchioette@snm.ku.dk"><span style="color:blue">TSchioette@snm.ku.dk</span></a></span></b><span style="mso-fareast-language:DA"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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