[Nhcoll-l] How many specimens

[Macklin, James]

This is a very challenging question and as Derek rightly points out, definitions and metrics matter! We should consider this a grand challenge and have a contest to see what kind of answers we get. Would need some good prizes though…

But for now my thinking is that we just say we have ‘lots’! ☺ lol

JAmes

From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> On Behalf Of Derek Sikes
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 12:53 PM
To: Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu>
Cc: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
Subject: Re: [Nhcoll-l] How many specimens

It also depends on how one defines specimens.

Some define a specimen as a catalog record, i.e. 1 or more specimens since some catalog records are for 'lots' e.g. 2 ants on 1 pin, or 15 spiders in 1 vial.

Thus, you will get very different numbers if you tally catalog records based on specimens, compared to tallying the actual specimens themselves.

-Derek

On Thu, Mar 17, 2022 at 6:16 AM Bentley, Andrew Charles <abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>> wrote:
Lennart

This is extremely difficult to estimate but estimates range into the billions (3-5 billion in various publications).  We can really only track digitized records and the best way to do this is through GBIF where specimen based records are around 216 million (observation records are close to 2 billion in comparison!!).

[https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/GwHlBWgSSahK3K6RO4pue6K0rRlXR6uGxtmWn-V-DYerXzruT5eBr7ZpuiNVMSa4IB936_94wp6msqL-4Nh2L7-kvETPIoSaoatQle4tAH2rZJtE08VttHso6cQ8AgOLso0Wdoc]

Hope that helps

Andy
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Andy Bentley
Ichthyology Collection Manager
University of Kansas
Biodiversity Institute
Dyche Hall
1345 Jayhawk Boulevard
Lawrence, KS, 66045-7561
USA

Tel: (785) 864-3863<tel:%28785%29%20864-3863>
Fax: (785) 864-5335<tel:%28785%29%20864-5335>
Email: abentley at ku.edu<mailto:abentley at ku.edu>
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3093-1258
http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu<http://ichthyology.biodiversity.ku.edu/>
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From: Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>> On Behalf Of Lennart Lennuk
Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2022 3:51 AM
To: nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu<mailto:nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu>
Subject: [Nhcoll-l] How many specimens

Hi!

Does anybody have lately calculated how many specimens are there in the natural history collections?

Best regards!
Lennart Lennuk
Head of collections
Estonian Museum of Natural History
+372 6603404, 56569916

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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Derek S. Sikes, Curator of Insects, Professor of Entomology
University of Alaska Museum (UAM), University of Alaska Fairbanks
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dssikes at alaska.edu<mailto:dssikes at alaska.edu> phone: 907-474-6278 he/him/his
University of Alaska Museum<https://www.uaf.edu/museum/collections/ento/>  -  search 357,704 digitized arthropod records<http://arctos.database.museum/uam_ento>
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