The collection of Madagascar amphibians held in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali of Turin includes two collections. An historical collection, owned by Turin University (MZUT collection), that dates back to the 19th century and includes several types of Malagasy amphibians mostly described by the herpetologist Mario G. Peracca, who was the zoological curator at the time, and a contemporary collection (MRSN collection), mainly gathered by Franco Andreone (curator of the Zoology collections at MRSN since 1991) during a 30-years long research activity in Madagascar. The amphibian species of Malagasy origin are around 300 (considering both MRSN and MZUT collections). This unique collection contains vouchers collected in several rainforest and dry areas of the islandcontinent. These specimens are representatives of the species present at the studied sites. Here we provide an update of its consistency, highlighting its importance for taxonomic and conservation studies. Specimens belonging to the contemporary collection were usually photographed and, for many of them, material for bioacoustics and tissue samples for molecular analyses were also collected. To date (end 2022), these collections have served the description of 51 new amphibian species, of which two have been nowadays synonimised. In recent years, the application of molecular tools has provided the opportunity to verify the taxonomic identity of many specimens deposited in the collection. The specimens of MRSN were also used to study population and life history traits, such as longevity and fecundity, thus showing the unique utility of primary vouchers in biodiversity studies.
The Madagascar’s amphibian collection in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali in Turin: a legacy of the past and more than three decades of fieldwork / Costanza PICCOLI, Angelica CROTTINI, Roberta TOTA, Franco ANDREONE. - ELETTRONICO. - (2023), pp. 95-120. (Intervento presentato al convegno Congresso della Societas Herpetologica Italica).
The Madagascar’s amphibian collection in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali in Turin: a legacy of the past and more than three decades of fieldwork
Angelica CROTTINI;
2023
Abstract
The collection of Madagascar amphibians held in the Museo Regionale di Scienze Naturali of Turin includes two collections. An historical collection, owned by Turin University (MZUT collection), that dates back to the 19th century and includes several types of Malagasy amphibians mostly described by the herpetologist Mario G. Peracca, who was the zoological curator at the time, and a contemporary collection (MRSN collection), mainly gathered by Franco Andreone (curator of the Zoology collections at MRSN since 1991) during a 30-years long research activity in Madagascar. The amphibian species of Malagasy origin are around 300 (considering both MRSN and MZUT collections). This unique collection contains vouchers collected in several rainforest and dry areas of the islandcontinent. These specimens are representatives of the species present at the studied sites. Here we provide an update of its consistency, highlighting its importance for taxonomic and conservation studies. Specimens belonging to the contemporary collection were usually photographed and, for many of them, material for bioacoustics and tissue samples for molecular analyses were also collected. To date (end 2022), these collections have served the description of 51 new amphibian species, of which two have been nowadays synonimised. In recent years, the application of molecular tools has provided the opportunity to verify the taxonomic identity of many specimens deposited in the collection. The specimens of MRSN were also used to study population and life history traits, such as longevity and fecundity, thus showing the unique utility of primary vouchers in biodiversity studies.File | Dimensione | Formato | |
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