[NHCOLL-L:4226] RE: maceration question

[Ronald Cole]

You can quite easily direct dermestid beetles to avoid certain tissues, 
ligaments, tendons, etc. by carefully painting those parts with formalin.  
By watching the progress of the beetles as they clean the skeleton, you 
can then remove it from the colony before they decide that chewing on 
formalin treated tissue is better than not chewing at all.  I've used this 
technique hundreds of times, and it works well.  Just don't go on holiday 
and leave the bones in the beetle colony too long.

Ron Cole
Curator Emeritus
Museum of Wildlife, Fish and Conservation Biology
UC Davis



> Without careful observation, you could lose the connective tissue you 
want
> 
> to save, depending on the speed of the colony.  If this were my task, I 
> would rough out the main muscle masses and soak the leg in ethanol for 
six
> 
> weeks, which makes the soft tissue brittle.  I would remove the unwanted 
> muscle by hand with forceps (not as tedious as it sounds) and leave what
> is 
> needed.  If the tissue isn't easily removed, soak for another few 
> weeks.  Air dry when complete.
> 
> I've used this method on juvenile carnivore skulls which would 
> disarticulate in a colony or a maceration jar.  I can remove only what I 
> wish.  Unless you are in a hurry, this is a nice, conservative way to go.
> 
> At 02:06 PM 3/3/2009, you wrote:
> >Dermestid beetles are probably your best bet. If you don't leave the 
> >carcass in the colony for too long you end up with a nicely articulated 
> >skeleton.
> 
>