SPECIMEN COLLECTION

By:
Name : Isnaeni Rachmawati
Student ID : B1B017036
Entourage : VI
Group :2
Assistant : Yana Setiani Putri

ANIMAL SYSTEMATICS I LABORATORY REPORT

MINISTRY OF RESEARCH, TECHNOLOGY, AND HIGHER EDUCATION

JENDERAL SOEDIRMAN UNIVERSITY
FACULTY OF BIOLOGY
PURWOKERTO
2019
 I. INTRODUCTION

A. Background

Specimen collection is an important scientific asset as a research material for

fauna diversity at both national and international levels. Balitbang Zoologi has a new
collection of specimens reaching 10% of the wealth of fauna in Indonesia, but it is enough
to represent the archipelago. The main task of Zoological Research and Development is
to develop a complete collection of Indonesian fauna that can be used as a collection of
taxon references, both in distribution, growth stage and ecosystem. Management
activities that can be carried out are the process of preservation, maintenance, data
recording, supervision in the use of scientific specimens. The grouping of specimens in
the Bogor Zoological Museum is divided into seven main groups, namely Mammals,
Birds, Fish, Herpet (Reptiles and Amphibians), Mollusca, Crustaceans and Entomology.
Mammalia is a group of vertebrate animals with a very large diversity, consisting of many
families, one of which is Sciuridae (Suhardjono, 1999).
Specimen collection namely preservation used in maintaining specimen organs.
Collection techniques are divided into two, namely wet collection and dry collection.
Preparation of specimen collection, namely object killing, fixation, and preservation. The
object to be used as a specimen must be turned off first, this is done in order to facilitate
preservation, then fixation is done to maintain the size and shape of the cell, followed by
preservation of specimens so that the specimen is not damaged so that it can be used as a
collection of references in animal identification. The way the collection depends on the
taxa of a species (Tjakrawidjaya, 1999).
The benefits and usefulness of specimen collection according to Suhardjono
(1999), which include helping in identifying or recognizing species, diagnosing or
describing the character of the owner, helping to learn kinship relationships, studying
geographic distribution patterns, studying the pattern of seasonality, knowing habitat,
knowing plants or host animals, knowing biology: behavior, life cycle. According to
Clemann et al. (2014), specimen collections provide an important foundation for
taxonomy, evolutionary biology, biodiversity research, conservation biology, and
community health and safety.
B. Objectives

The objectives of this laboratory activity are :

1. To know some sample techniques and animal specimen preservation.
2. To do invertebrate and vertebrate preservation.
3. To make durable specimen collection.
 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE

The specimen type is when a taxonomist names a species, also must designate one
specimen as a reference standard to represent the concept of the species (Prothero, 2013).
According to Kilawati & Arfianti (2017), type specimens are one type or specimen type
system that is given the name of a type as a method of determining the scientific name of
a species. There are eight types of specimens, including:
Holotype is a specimen or illustration made by the author and expressed as a type
for a new name. A holotype is a valuable original specimen that describes a new species.
It is a term used to describe a specimen that is the first known of its kind anywhere in the
world. A holotype can be any type of fossil, and it serves as the name-bearer of the
species. Even if a better specimen is found, the holotype is not superseded. These are
rare and exciting discoveries, which help fill important gaps in the fossil record. Every
animal and plant that is scientifically described is represented by a holotype. If a scientist
wishes to study the unique traits of a species, it is usually the holotype specimen they
study. The holotypes are the crown jewels of any museum collection. These priceless
specimens need to be stored and conserved at standards that meet the Code of
International Zoological Nomenclature. Even though there is holotype specimen, species
identification is sometimes still furthermore hampered by the fact that many holotype
specimens are incomplete and fragmentary (Tschopp et al., 2015).
Syntype is any one of two or more specimens that is listed in a species description
where no holotype was designated; historically, syntypes were often explicitly designated
as such, and under the present ICZN this is a requirement, but modern attempts to publish
species description based on syntypes are generally frowned upon by practicing
taxonomists, and most are gradually being replaced by lectotypes. Those that still exist
are still considered name-bearing types (Kilawati & Arfianti, 2017)
Lectotype is a specimen later selected to serve as the single type specimen for
species originally described from a set of syntypes. In zoology, a lectotype is a kind of
name-bearing type. When a species was originally described on the basis of a name-
bearing type consisting of multiple specimens, one of those may be designated as the
lectotype. Having a single name-bearing type reduces the potential for confusion,
especially considering that it is not uncommon for a series of syntypes to contain
specimens of more than one species. Lastly there is neotype. Neotype is a specimen or
illustration later selected to serve as the type for naming a species or subspecies when all
the original specimens (holotype, lectotype, and syntype) have been lost or destroyed and
no longer exist (Kilawati & Arfianti, 2017).
There are two types of specimen collections, namely wet collection and dry
collection. Wet collection is a collection stored in 70% ethanol preservative solution, while
the dry collection in the form of bone and skin is preserved with formalin or borax
chemicals. Preservation of animals can be done in ways such as the following:
The first one is preservation of skeleton, making skeleton preparations is done by
first dissecting and skinning the specimen until it is clean from the skin. Then boiling for
30 minutes to 2 hours to facilitate the separation of muscles from the skeleton, then cooled
naturally. Then cleaned the muscles or meat that is still attached to the frame carefully
until clean, then cleaned and soaked in bleach so that the bones are pure white. Finally,
neatly arranged, labeled, and identified (Yayuk et al., 2010)
The second one is preservation of insects (insectarium). Making insect repellent
preparations is done by first turning off insects by means of insects put into bottles or jars
in which chloroform foam has been placed, previously placed a barrier of rather thick
paper that has been aided so that the insect dies without being exposed to chloroform
basahan. After death, the outside of the insect's body is smeared with 70% alcohol and
then stabbed with an office pin or pin, plugged into sterofoam. Insectarium is a storage
place for Insectic specimen collections, both wet and dry. Insectarium often displays
various types of insects, insect collections are materials to study the body structure of
insects in depth, especially those associated with their characteristics, so that we are easier
to recognize and classify when one finds them again in the field (Susilo, 2015).
The third one is dry preservation (taxidermy). Taxidermy is one of the
preservation techniques for mummification for centuries. Making taxidermy preparations
is done by first anesthetizing specimens with chloroform or ether. Specimens that are
usually made taxidermy are mammals and Aves. After the animal dies, incision is made
from the front stomach of the genitals to the chest, then the wound is spiked with corn
flour. Afterwards, the animal is skinned using a scalpel, the fat is removed, the dam is
cleaned and then the borax is sprinkled and a cotton roll is made as large or as long as the
animal's body is then inserted instead of the meat. Then it was shaped like his stature
while still alive. Finally, the marks are sewn, the mouth is sewn in a triangle (Dermici et
al., 2012).
Lastly is the wet preservation. Specimens that are usually made of wet
preservatives are usually Crustaceans or other invertebrates. The manufacturing process
is fairly simple. Animals are turned off with chloroform or ether, cleaned, then put in a
transparent jar containing 70% alcohol which is the size or size of the animal. Usually it
is equipped with transparent glass for the base of the animal to keep its position, then
given information using waterproof paper (Pratiwi 2006). To avoid decomposition of wet
specimens, specimens are often treated with different chemical preservative fluids in
order to minimize the infectious risks (Wieding et al., 2015).
Figure 2.1 Bone Preservation Figure 2.2 Dry Preservation (Taxidermy)

Figure 2.3 Insectarium Figure 2.4 Wet Preservation

III. METHODOLOGY

A. Materials
 The instruments used in this laboratory activity are specimen tray, dissection kit,
syringe, killing bottle, specimen bottle, and label paper.
The materials used in this laboratory activity are various invertebrate and
vertebrate specimens, chloroform, formalin and alcohol.

B. Methods

The method used in this laboratory activity are :

3.1. Making Wet Preservation
1) Prepare specimens to be preserved.
2) Provide a formalin that has been diluted as desired.
3) Add the specimen to the formalin solution that is already in the bottle jam and
diluted.
4) Cover the bottle tightly and then label it with the name of the specimen and its
family.
3.2. Making of insectarium specimen collection
1) The tools needed to capture insects are prepared.
2) The targeted specimen is catch using insect nets when they stop moving or land on
something.
3) The insects are put inside plastic bag, careful not to touch the wings forcefully or
even break it especially on butterflies. After being put inside plastic bag, tied it and
just let it die inside due to lack of oxygen.
4) If the insects have died, the insects are taken out on tray.
5) Before drying, puncture the insect's chest with a pin. Drying can be done indoors at
room temperature. The needle is plugged in plastic or foam rubber.
6) For grasshoppers, spread one wing outward. For butterflies, the wings are stretched
on a stretch board or thick paper so it looks beautiful. Same goes with dragonflies.
7) After drying, insects are inserted into an insectarium box (from a carton or wood).
Mothballs (camphor) are also included.
8) Each insect is given label of species name (on the outside of the box) which contains
other special notes.
3.3. Making of skeleton specimen collection
1) Animal that will be made of specimens is prepared.
2) Animal is sedated using chloroform in an anesthetic container.
3) Animal is injected with 96% alcohol or 8% formalin in the part of the brain or heart.
4) Specimen doused with hot water.
5) The remaining fat and meat on the skeleton is cleaned using a toothbrush that is
given 70% alcohol.
6) The specimen is soaked with disinfectant bleach liquid 10%.
 7) The specimens are soaked not too long so the skeleton is not damaged.
8) Specimen is dried under the sunlight.
9) Skeleton of specimen is arranged, labeled with information, and put into a collection
cabinet.
3.4. Making of taxidermy specimen collection
1) Animal that will be used as specimens is prepared.
2) Animal is anesthetized with chloroform or ether to death.
3) Animal is dissected from the front of the genitals to the chest, then the wound is
spiked with corn flour.
4) The organs and fats of animal is removed and sprinkled with borax.
5) Cotton rolls are put in animal and made as big or along the body of the animal as a
substitute for the meat.
6) Animal is shaped like stature when they are alive.
7) The scar is sewn and the mouth is sewn in a triangle.
8) Specimen is dried under the sunlight.
9) Specimen is labeled with information and stored.

REFERENCES

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