Why 11 Million Embalmed Specimens Are Stored In The Field Museum's Basement | Colossal Collections
TLDRThe Field Museum in Chicago houses over 11 million fluid specimens, preserved in a manner akin to a library's collection of books. These wet specimens maintain their shape and, in some cases, their DNA, allowing researchers to study them as if they were alive. The museum acquires specimens through donations and field research, where specimens are carefully prepared for long-term preservation. DNA sampling, a relatively new process since the 1990s, is crucial for understanding species evolution. The preservation process involves meticulous steps, including the use of formalin and alcohol baths, and can result in lifelike displays or clear, stained skeletal presentations. The museum's collection aids in the discovery of new species and provides invaluable historical data, with some specimens even yielding DNA after a century. The meticulous cataloging and storage system ensures that these specimens are readily accessible for future generations of researchers, contributing to the ongoing exploration and understanding of the natural world.
Takeaways
- 🌟 The Field Museum in Chicago houses over 11 million fluid specimens, including bonnethead sharks and Komodo dragons, in its basement.
- 🌊 Wet specimens are preserved in a manner that maintains their shape and, in some cases, their DNA, serving as a sort of 'live zoo' for researchers.
- 📚 Each specimen jar is likened to a book, containing valuable information and sometimes even leading to the discovery of new species.
- 🔍 The museum acquires specimens through donations and field research, where specimens may be strategically euthanized for preservation.
- 🧬 DNA sampling is a relatively new process, becoming more prevalent since the 1990s, and is crucial for studying genetic material.
- 🔥 Special care is taken when collecting DNA samples to avoid contamination, such as sanitizing tools by burning away any foreign DNA.
- 🐍 Sara, a researcher, prefers to take DNA samples from the liver because it's easy to dissolve and doesn't disrupt the specimen's external appearance.
- ❄️ DNA samples are stored in massive liquid-nitrogen freezers, preserving them for future research.
- 🧪 Formalin is used to preserve tissue and 'freeze' a specimen in time, similar to the process of embalming.
- 🧫 The transition from formalin to alcohol baths is made for long-term preservation, as alcohol is less toxic and maintains the specimen's integrity.
- 🦴 Some specimens are prepared to have their tissue cleared away, leaving only the stained bones and cartilage visible, which can reveal hidden species differences.
Q & A
What is the significance of preserving fluid specimens in museums like the Field Museum in Chicago?
-Preserving fluid specimens allows researchers to maintain the shape and DNA of the specimens, effectively providing a live zoo in their labs for study and research, which can lead to the discovery of new species.
How does the Field Museum acquire its specimens?
-The Field Museum acquires its specimens through two primary methods: donations and field expeditions where researchers may strategically euthanize specimens for preservation.
Why is DNA sampling important in the process of preserving specimens?
-DNA sampling is crucial as it provides genetic information that can be used to study the evolution, taxonomy, and ecological adaptations of the species. It became an important step in the '90s and is easier to perform on fresh specimens.
How does Sara ensure that the DNA samples are not contaminated during collection?
-Sara sanitizes her scissors and forceps by burning away any random DNA before collecting the DNA sample. She also uses ethanol to cool down the tools to prevent damage to the specimen.
What is the role of formalin in preserving specimens?
-Formalin is a liquid that preserves tissue and effectively 'freezes' a specimen in time. It is similar to embalming and is used to fix the specimen's position before it is moved to a tank for long-term preservation.
Why is alcohol used for long-term preservation of specimens?
-Alcohol is less toxic than formalin and safer for researchers in the long run. It also causes minimal changes to the specimen, preserving its appearance while it is stored.
How does the process of clearing and staining small fish for skeletal visualization work?
-The process involves dyeing the specimen blue for cartilage and red for calcium, followed by clearing the fish using trypsin to digest proteins while leaving collagen intact. This makes the fish transparent and reveals the stained bones and cartilage.
What is the importance of keeping specimens looking as lifelike as possible?
-Maintaining lifelike appearances allows researchers to study the specimens' natural form and coloration, which can be crucial for taxonomic identification and ecological studies.
How are specimens organized in the museum's collection?
-Specimens are organized like library books, with different families of animals assigned numbers, and within each family, they are arranged alphabetically by genus and then by species.
What is the challenge of finding a specific specimen in a collection?
-Each specimen has its own ID number, and researchers must locate the correct jar and then individually check each specimen within it to find the one they are looking for.
Why is it important to recover DNA from old specimens?
-Old specimens can provide valuable genetic information for studying historical changes in species, their habitats, and evolution over time. Even though the success rate of DNA recovery from old specimens can vary, it is worth attempting.
How can the process of preserving specimens lead to the discovery of new species?
-By carefully examining preserved specimens, researchers can identify differences in morphology or DNA that were not previously recognized, leading to the description of new species, as was the case with the spider-tailed horned viper.
Outlines
🌿 Wet Specimen Preservation: The Field Museum's Living Library
The Field Museum in Chicago houses over 11 million fluid specimens in its basement, including bonnethead sharks and Komodo dragons. These 'wet' specimens are kept in a manner akin to a library, preserving their shape and DNA for researchers. The museum acquires specimens through donations and field research, where specimens are strategically euthanized. Preparation involves careful handling to preserve the specimen's exterior and interior for long-term study. DNA sampling, a relatively new process since the 1990s, is conducted using sanitized tools to avoid contamination. The liver is a favored tissue for DNA extraction due to its ease of dissolving. After DNA extraction, the specimens are preserved in formalin, akin to embalming, and later transferred to alcohol baths for long-term preservation. The process aims to maintain the specimens as lifelike as possible for future study and discovery.
🔍 Advanced Taxidermy and Specimen Preparation for Scientific Research
The script delves into the intricate processes of preparing specimens for scientific research. It describes how larger animals like catfish require careful formalin injections to prevent decay or bloating. The formalin preservation process is followed by a transition to alcohol baths, which are safer for long-term research and result in minimal changes to the specimens. For specimens that will be studied for their skeletal structures, a different process is used. This involves dyeing the cartilage blue and the bones red after clearing the fish with an enzyme called trypsin. The result is a transparent specimen that allows for detailed examination of bones and cartilage. The process can take from a few days to a month and results in unique, almost alien-looking specimens. These are stored in glycerin due to its similar refractive index with collagen. The narrative also highlights the discovery of new species through careful examination of these prepared specimens, such as the spider-tailed horned viper, initially thought to be a tumor on a different species of viper but later identified as a new species. The importance of cataloging and organizing these specimens is emphasized, likening the collection to a library with a detailed system for tracking and locating each specimen. The narrative concludes with a reflection on the value of old specimens and the potential for DNA recovery even from century-old samples, highlighting the lasting contribution of these preserved creatures to scientific knowledge.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Wet specimens
💡DNA extraction
💡Formaldehyde (formalin)
💡Tissue preservation
💡Specimen preparation
💡Liquid-nitrogen freezers
💡Clearing and staining
💡Skeletal analysis
💡Holotype
💡Collections management
💡Ethanol
Highlights
The Field Museum in Chicago houses over 11 million fluid specimens, including bonnethead sharks and Komodo dragons, in its basement.
The museum's wet specimens are stored like a library, preserving their shape and even DNA for future research.
Researchers can discover new species by examining the stored specimens, akin to a live zoo in their labs.
The Field Museum acquires specimens through donations and strategic field euthanizations, such as common water snakes.
Sara's research uses both new and old specimens to study the impact of habitat changes on species over time.
DNA sampling from specimens is a relatively new process, becoming prominent in the 1990s.
Tissue samples are easier to obtain from fresh animals, but Sara has developed a technique for extracting DNA from preserved specimens.
Specimens are carefully prepared for long-term preservation, using a process that includes sanitization and DNA sample collection.
The liver is a favored tissue for DNA extraction due to its ease of dissolving.
DNA samples are stored in massive liquid-nitrogen freezers for long-term preservation.
Formaldehyde is used to preserve tissue and 'freeze' a specimen in time, similar to embalming.
The preservation process considers current and future research needs, such as determining the sex of a snake.
Specimens are posed in a way that allows for visible sexual characteristics without disturbing their external appearance.
The use of formalin-soaked paper towels helps to keep specimens saturated without filling the entire container with the preservative.
Larger animals like catfish require careful calculation of formalin amounts to prevent decay or bloating.
After formalin treatment, specimens are moved to alcohol baths for long-term preservation, which is safer for researchers.
Some specimens are prepared to reveal only their bones and cartilage, using a process that involves dyeing, clearing, and staining.
The final products of this process are clear, stained specimens that allow for detailed study of bones and cartilage under a microscope.
New species have been discovered by examining the skeletal differences of specimens that appeared identical externally.
The Field Museum's collection is organized like a library, with a database noting the last known location of each specimen.
Old specimens can still yield valuable DNA with specialized recovery techniques, contributing to the long-term scientific value of the collection.
Transcripts
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