Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy)
The Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts the most important osteological collection of extant cetaceans in Italy as well as one of the most relevant all over Europe. Furthermore, it also preserves a significant palaeontological collection that includes several holotypes and otherwi...
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2024-09-01
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| author | Simone Farina Chiara Sorbini Patrizia Scaglia Marco Merella Alberto Collareta Giovanni Bianucci |
| author_facet | Simone Farina Chiara Sorbini Patrizia Scaglia Marco Merella Alberto Collareta Giovanni Bianucci |
| author_sort | Simone Farina |
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| description | The Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts the most important osteological collection of extant cetaceans in Italy as well as one of the most relevant all over Europe. Furthermore, it also preserves a significant palaeontological collection that includes several holotypes and otherwise unique specimens of Archaeoceti (archaic cetaceans), Mysticeti (baleen whales) and Odontoceti (toothed whales). Here, we provide a historical overview of these collections and the corresponding displays, with special attention paid to the origin, development and design of the ‘Archaeocete Hall’ and ‘Cetacean Gallery’. These comprise what may be the largest exhibition worldwide among those dedicated exclusively to cetaceans—one that includes 28 complete skeletons and one skull belonging to 27 extant species as well as fossils of nine extinct species. Our review also reveals that the museum exhibitions feature the oldest known specimen of <i>Mesoplodon bowdoini</i> and the type specimen of <i>Ziphius savi</i>, the latter being a validly described species that is currently regarded as a junior synonym of <i>Ziphius cavirostris</i>. Also significant is the display of several holotype specimens of fossil species such as the protocetid archaeocete <i>Aegyptocetus tarfa</i>, the balaenid baleen whales <i>Balaena montalionis</i> and <i>Balaenula astensis</i>, and the monodontid <i>Casatia thermophila</i>. The Archaeocete Hall and Cetacean Gallery are highly appreciated by visitors as well as perused by the museum’s educational team. The online archiving of 3D models of many of the MSNUP specimens on the open-access digital repository Sketchfab and their subsequent dissemination through the Wikimedia platforms has led to the creation of a major osteological resource—one that is broadly accessible to internet users worldwide. |
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| spelling | doaj-art-952f3af0df764e61bf41b271d2216cb02025-08-20T01:55:32ZengMDPI AGHeritage2571-94082024-09-01794933496110.3390/heritage7090233Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy)Simone Farina0Chiara Sorbini1Patrizia Scaglia2Marco Merella3Alberto Collareta4Giovanni Bianucci5Museo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyMuseo di Storia Naturale, Università di Pisa, Via Roma 79, 56011 Calci, ItalyThe Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa hosts the most important osteological collection of extant cetaceans in Italy as well as one of the most relevant all over Europe. Furthermore, it also preserves a significant palaeontological collection that includes several holotypes and otherwise unique specimens of Archaeoceti (archaic cetaceans), Mysticeti (baleen whales) and Odontoceti (toothed whales). Here, we provide a historical overview of these collections and the corresponding displays, with special attention paid to the origin, development and design of the ‘Archaeocete Hall’ and ‘Cetacean Gallery’. These comprise what may be the largest exhibition worldwide among those dedicated exclusively to cetaceans—one that includes 28 complete skeletons and one skull belonging to 27 extant species as well as fossils of nine extinct species. Our review also reveals that the museum exhibitions feature the oldest known specimen of <i>Mesoplodon bowdoini</i> and the type specimen of <i>Ziphius savi</i>, the latter being a validly described species that is currently regarded as a junior synonym of <i>Ziphius cavirostris</i>. Also significant is the display of several holotype specimens of fossil species such as the protocetid archaeocete <i>Aegyptocetus tarfa</i>, the balaenid baleen whales <i>Balaena montalionis</i> and <i>Balaenula astensis</i>, and the monodontid <i>Casatia thermophila</i>. The Archaeocete Hall and Cetacean Gallery are highly appreciated by visitors as well as perused by the museum’s educational team. The online archiving of 3D models of many of the MSNUP specimens on the open-access digital repository Sketchfab and their subsequent dissemination through the Wikimedia platforms has led to the creation of a major osteological resource—one that is broadly accessible to internet users worldwide.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/233Archaeocete HallCetacean GalleryArchaeoceticetaceamysticetiodontoceti |
| spellingShingle | Simone Farina Chiara Sorbini Patrizia Scaglia Marco Merella Alberto Collareta Giovanni Bianucci Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) Heritage Archaeocete Hall Cetacean Gallery Archaeoceti cetacea mysticeti odontoceti |
| title | Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) |
| title_full | Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) |
| title_fullStr | Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) |
| title_short | Whale Collections and Exhibitions at the Natural History Museum of the University of Pisa (Italy) |
| title_sort | whale collections and exhibitions at the natural history museum of the university of pisa italy |
| topic | Archaeocete Hall Cetacean Gallery Archaeoceti cetacea mysticeti odontoceti |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-9408/7/9/233 |
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