[Nhcoll-l] Why retain physical specimens

[Robins,Rob]

In addition to Doug's many excellent points, but towards an argument that perhaps the persons posing the initial question would be more receptive to:

You can't make a better scan using the inevitably better technology of 20, 50, or 100 years from now if you threw out the thing that needs to be scanned.

So there's that.

Best,

Rob

Robert H. Robins
Collection Manager
Division of Ichthyology
[FLMNH Fishes logo email small]
Florida Museum of Natural History
1659 Museum Road
Gainesville, FL 32611-7800
Office: (352) 273-1957
Fax: (352) 846-0287
rhrobins at flmnh.ufl.edu<mailto:rhrobins at flmnh.ufl.edu>
www.flmnh.ufl.edu<http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/>

[Fishes in the FWofF_cover_front resized 33]

Search the Collection:
http://specifyportal.flmnh.ufl.edu/fishes/




From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Doug Yanega
Sent: Thursday, September 26, 2019 2:21 PM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] Why retain physical specimens


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On 9/26/19 10:59 AM, Sarah K. Huber wrote:
Recently I've been fielding a lot of questions about why our collection should retain a physical specimen once it has been digitized (e.g., CT-scanned, photographed, x-rayed, etc.). I'm curious how often other museum professionals are asked this question and what your general responses are for justifying the retention of a physical specimen. Why do you tell people it's important to retain a specimen?


(1) you can't extract DNA from a digital record

(2) you can't retrieve or dissect tissues or internal organs from a digital record

(3) you can't retrieve internal or external microbiota (bacteria, fungi, viruses) from a digital record

(4) you can't retrieve or dissect gut contents from a digital record

(5) you can't do toxicological or pesticide residue tests on a digital record

(6) you need a physical specimen to properly describe something as a new species

There's more, of course, but these are all significant, especially item #1 and #6.

--

Doug Yanega      Dept. of Entomology       Entomology Research Museum

Univ. of California, Riverside, CA 92521-0314     skype: dyanega

phone: (951) 827-4315 (disclaimer: opinions are mine, not UCR's)

             https://faculty.ucr.edu/~heraty/yanega.html<https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__faculty.ucr.edu_-7Eheraty_yanega.html&d=DwMF-g&c=sJ6xIWYx-zLMB3EPkvcnVg&r=MCIx6IevDpZN7oPx8SAIb6_HvqHJFo2if2SZHHR4kiQ&m=RBdLnPPpZHpohbIhNfY4YZy5SuGe8sYPnQXu4T7ofuI&s=zk5797TdF4sxJ-g9YC9ujLquIzc36uZDH0pNmYyFFFk&e=>

  "There are some enterprises in which a careful disorderliness

        is the true method" - Herman Melville, Moby Dick, Chap. 82
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