Hi Dom
The original article and the links I provided explain the utility of specimens
and why photographs don't cut it.And while the kingfisher might be on display
now, the point is that if preserved correctly it will still be available for
research purposes in many different contexts in 10s of years to come.
Cheers
mjh
Sent from my Samsung GALAXY S5
-------- Original message --------
From: Dominic Funnell <>
Date: 10/10/2015 10:09 am (GMT+10:00)
To: Michael Honeyman <>
Cc: Peter Shute <>,
Subject: An interesting story.
Hi Michael
I suppose what I was ineptly trying to say is that given the trend for new
species of invertebrates to be described and classified without retention of
voucher specimens and improving photographic techniques the often spouted
reason for retaining specimens that is to describe species is becoming
obsolete. To me this Kingfisher seems to have been retained for no stronger
reason almost than no one has a male! Given that as I understand it the
specimen was given to a local museum to display there seems little scientific
justification for its retention. But as a complete amateur I could well be
totally wrong - usually am!
Dom
On 10 Oct 2015 8:51 am, "Michael Honeyman" <>
wrote:
Hi DomI think there is a misconception that the only purpose of collecting is
to have a voucher
specimen.http://www.mnhn.ul.pt/pls/portal/docs/1/336035.PDFhttp://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1998.tb04391.x/abstracthttp://www.museum.lsu.edu/~Remsen/Winker-Auk-05.pdfhttp://www.publish.csiro.au/paper/MUv111n3_ED.htmmjh
On 10 Oct 2015, at 09:06, Dominic Funnell <>
wrote:
I think the collection of a specimen of a bird that was always known to be
there (males seen in 90s I believe) not completely necessary especially given
the example of completely new invertebrate species to science having been
described solely from HD photographs with no voucher specimens being retained.
Surely blood and feather sample and HD photos more than adequate for a known
species of vertebrate.
Dom
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