[Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Cetacean skeleton issues

Mon Dec 15 13:58:49 EST 2025

Hi All,
We managed to clean 55 year old greasy bowhead whale bones for our skeleton
now assembled on exhibit. My how-to from the skeleton build book (available
here, https://www.theboneman.com/) is attached. Maceration can do it.
Thanks,
Aren

On Mon, Dec 15, 2025 at 5:20 AM Callomon,Paul <prc44 at drexel.edu> wrote:

> Whale skeletons that have been outside for a century or more still ooze
> oil. The main hall at the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard still
> has a fine fragrance of it from the whales on display, despite easily that
> long having elapsed. Part of the experience.
>
>
>
> *Paul Callomon*
> *Collection Manager, Malacology and General Invertebrates*
> ------------------------------
>
> *Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, Philadelphia*
> *callomon at ansp.org <callomon at ansp.org> Tel 215-405-5096 - Fax 215-299-1170*
>
> *President of the American Malacological Society for 2027*
>
>
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> *On Behalf Of *Dirk
> Neumann
> *Sent:* Monday, December 15, 2025 9:17 AM
> *To:* Vanessa Pitusi <vanessa.pitusi at uit.no>; nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Cetacean skeleton issues
>
>
>
> *External.*
>
> Dear Vanessa,
>
>
>
> if it is indeed mould (you would easily recognise this from the powdery
> spores), you can treat this with 70% EtOH. Otherwise, if it is "just"
> grease, the question would be if conservation treatment is needed.
>
>
>
> Especially old whales have a lot of grease in their bones, and even if you
> would degrease the surface, the remaining grease would ooze out again.
> Which chemical decreasing, you would probably reduce the scientific value
> of the specimen, because the chemical agents and decreasing procedure would
> affect the remaining proteins and lipids that might be useful for future
> research.
>
>
>
> With best wishes
>
> Dirk
>
>
>
>
>
> Am 15.12.2025 um 13:26 schrieb Vanessa Pitusi:
>
> Dear Dirk,
>
> Thank you for getting back to me and, mould, what a Christmas present 🙈
>
> All the best,
>
> Vanessa
>
>
>
> *From:* Nhcoll-l <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu>
> <nhcoll-l-bounces at mailman.yale.edu> *On Behalf Of *Dirk Neumann
> *Sent:* Monday, December 15, 2025 12:49 PM
> *To:* nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> *Subject:* Re: [Nhcoll-l] [EXTERN] Cetacean skeleton issues
>
>
>
> Dear Vanessa,
>
>
>
> on a quick look, some seems like intense oil/fat staining, but especially
> on the second picture it looks like if there would be mould growth on top
> of the greasy surfaces.
>
>
>
> With best wishes
>
> Dirk
>
>
>
>
>
> Am 15.12.2025 um 12:29 schrieb Vanessa Pitusi:
>
> Dear all,
>
>
>
> I have been going through our cetacean skeletons and have noticed some
> issues (see photos).
>
>
>
> Any advice on how to treat such conditions and how long that would take?
>
>
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Vanessa
>
>
>
>
>
>
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> --
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> ******
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>
>
> *Dirk Neumann*
>
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>
>
>
> Postal address:
>
> *Museum of Nature Hamburg*
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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>
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>
>
> --
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>
>
> --
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
>
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian
> Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
>
>
>
> --
>
> ******
>
>
>
> *Dirk Neumann*
>
> Collection Manager, Hamburg
>
>
>
> Postal address:
>
> *Museum of Nature Hamburg*
> Leibniz Institute for the Analysis
>
> of Biodiversity Change
>
> Dirk Neumann
>
> Martin-Luther-King-Platz 3
>
> 20146 Hamburg
> +49 40 238 317 – 628
>
> *d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de <d.neumann at leibniz-lib.de>*
>
> www.leibniz-lib.de
>
>
>
> --
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
>
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian
> Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael Wappelhorst
>
>
>
> --
> Stiftung Leibniz-Institut zur Analyse des Biodiversitätswandels
> Postanschrift: Adenauerallee 127, 53113 Bonn, Germany
>
> Stiftung des öffentlichen Rechts;
> Generaldirektion: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof (Generaldirektor), Adrian
> Grüter (Kaufm. Geschäftsführer)
> Sitz der Stiftung: Adenauerallee 160 in Bonn
> Vorsitzender des Stiftungsrates: Dr. Michael H. Wappelhorst
> _______________________________________________
> Nhcoll-l mailing list
> Nhcoll-l at mailman.yale.edu
> https://mailman.yale.edu/mailman/listinfo/nhcoll-l
>
> _______________________________________________
> NHCOLL-L is brought to you by the Society for the Preservation of
> Natural History Collections (SPNHC), an international society whose
> mission is to improve the preservation, conservation and management of
> natural history collections to ensure their continuing value to
> society. See http://www.spnhc.org for membership information.
> Advertising on NH-COLL-L is inappropriate.
>

-- 
Aren Gunderson
Mammal Collection Manager
University of Alaska Museum of the North <http://www.uaf.edu/museum>
1962 Yukon Drive
Fairbanks, AK 99775
amgunderson at alaska.edu
907-474-6947
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