Responsible vouchering in turtle research: an introduction and recommendations
Voucher specimens are critical to the advancement of research efforts on turtles, and by association, for conservation efforts associated with this group. This paper addresses the importance of voucher specimens and provides recommendations for responsible practices associated with voucher specim...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Chelonian Research Foundation
2007
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11770/ http://ir.unimas.my/id/eprint/11770/1/Responsible%20vouchering%20in%20turtle%20%28abstract%29.pdf |
| Summary: | Voucher specimens are critical to the advancement of research efforts on turtles, and by
association, for conservation efforts associated with this group. This paper addresses the importance
of voucher specimens and provides recommendations for responsible practices associated with
voucher specimens. For the purposes of this paper, a voucher specimen is defined as a biological
specimen, the primary function of which is to provide verification for the taxonomic identification
assigned to an animal and any eventual published or reported scientific investigations associated with
it. A traditional voucher specimen for a turtle consists of a fluid-preserved specimen or a complete
skeleton and its associated data appropriately preserved for permanent storage and housed in a
curated collection for posterity. Although not optimal, a non-traditional voucher may also provide
verification for taxonomic identification and may include image or acoustic data, eggs or eggshells,
or tissue samples. Examples are given of when a traditional voucher specimen deposited in a curated
collection is recommended and when alternatives to the traditional voucher specimen, such as an evoucher,
may be used. In addition, a worldwide survey of curated collections holding turtles was
conducted and the percentage of turtles represented in reptile collections is reported. |
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