Irma Franke
Natural History Museum of the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos, Peru's largest.
Among the main attractions of many large cities are its Museum of Natural History. London has its Natural History Museum, Paris has its Muséum National d Histoire Naturelle in Berlin's Museum für Naturkunde in Copenhagen you can visit the Natural History Museum of Denmark. Many countries do not have one but several major museums of Natural History. Among the many museums of its kind in the United States may be mentioned well known to the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the National Museum of Natural History at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington and the Field Museum of Natural History in Chicago. All these countries have great, great museums of Natural History and none of these countries is megadiverse .
because Peru still a country with a rich biodiversity which is located as one of 17 so-called "mega-diverse countries" the world does not have a museum at the height of its natural wealth? Suffice with a natural history museum in Lima to represent and value our natural wealth?
Perhaps the best way to address this issue is to start at the beginning, checking if we understand what a natural history museum, a topic discussed in a previous publication (Franke 2007).
What is a natural history museum?
natural history museums are institutions that serve three main functions:
· provide education on issues related to competition.
· recreación.y aspects contribute
· biodiversity documentation and research.
Education and Recreation
The first two issues, education and recreation, are achieved through its exhibits and these have access to the general public. When exhibits of a museum of natural history are of appropriate quality, while instructing and culturizar visitors represent a very attractive place for family recreation.
Exhibition a whale skeleton in the gardens of the Museum of Natural History, University Nacional Mayor de San Marcos.
display model of Purussaurus. Museum of Natural History National University Mayor de San Marcos .
These are the best known aspects of natural history museums. The great museums of different countries are countless visitors who delight, educate and culturizar visiting their exhibitions. Visitors to the Museum of Natural History
The purpose of a scientific library is to preserve records of plants and animals, representing a source of material for present and future research. A scientific collection, such as a library, a place where reference material is stored. Without however, differs greatly from a library because, unlike books, each animal or plant specimen is unique and can not be replaced. No duplicates exist, each specimen represents a single point in time and space.
collections each group of organisms are the basis of our knowledge about them. They tried to document four types of variation through the preservation of copies: 1) individual variation: Even belonging to a population of individuals vary. 2) geographic variation: Even a species belonging to individuals in a region often differ from those of another region. 3) the temporal variation of short term (within a year or a life cycle): The agencies have changes due to season or age. 4) temporal variation long term (decades): At each location, agencies are subject to genetic and morphological changes over time. To document these changes, collections are required to possess "series" or adequate amounts of each species. That is why they occupy large areas. At least half the space in natural history museum is dedicated to them.
Ornithological collection of the Museum of Natural History National University Mayor de San Marcos
scientific collections also has many practical applications, among which include some . The field identification guides and especially their films are based on copies of collections. To find the right colors for each part of the bird, illustrators review copies of collections. The best modern guides include films where there are as many variations in plumage due individuality, sex, age and geographical variation . This information is obtained from the long series of specimens of each species placed in libraries.
Oscar Vilches, illustrator, naturalist, preparing plates of birds to a field guide.
Examples of studies with examples of libraries that have direct practical impact mentioned by Winker (2004):
1. Comparing collections egg old recent collections showed that DDT had a devastating effect on the reproduction of birds which resulted in benefiting the health legislation at the ecosystem level.
2. Museum specimens allowed to show an increase of mutations as a result of the Chernobyl nuclear accident.
3. Review of museum specimens to establish the origin and pathogen transatlantic movement that caused the Irish potato famine.
Day of the Scientific Collections
scientific collections normally inaccessible to the public in general, become very attractive elements on the Day of the scientific collections are cared for by those who work and practice them, so everyone can become familiar with its contents, activities and equipment used in each specialty work. This tradition is practiced annually by the Museum of Natural History, University Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and almost all museums in the world, attracting a large number of visitors and brings together public and researchers.
need a Museum of Natural History in Peru?
Returning to the original question: You need to Peru a Natural History Museum? In his capacity as a country of immense cultural wealth and biodiversity, which was given an importance to the development of museums related to cultural aspects, it is unbelievable and absolutely unacceptable has been delayed and forgotten all about the importance of the existence and development of at least one museum dedicated to our natural wealth.
The Natural History Museum of Peru's largest, which is part of Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos is going through a difficult time ( http:// www.larepublica.pe/pagina_impreso.php?pub=larepublica&anho=2010&mes=11&dia=17&pid=1&sec=13&pag=26 ) showing clearly is not understood the great value and importance of natural history museums not only in relation to education and research, but its overall contribution to Peruvian society, including aspects such as tourism currently rated. Despite being the largest museum in Peru, is a small museum where the exhibits are very far from what they should be and to take it all the space they need. The scientific collections should be housed properly in high security areas. And it aims to reduce the space it occupies?
need not only a large modern Natural History Museum pride that can open their doors to tourists, local visitors, students, schools and national and foreign researchers, but to develop all the smaller museums that already exist in Peru.
has National University Mayor de San Marcos sufficient responsibility and ability to meet the challenge of having a natural history museum in line with what is required in Peru?
has
References
Franke, I. 2007. Peruvian ornithology history and importance of collections poultry science. Rev. peru. biol. 14 (1): 159-164 (August 2007). http://www.scielo.org.pe/scielo.php?pid=S1727-99332007000200027&script=sci_arttext
Winker, K. 2004. Natural History Museums in a Postbiodiversity era. Bioscience 54 (5) :455-459.
Important Websites Natural History Museums
Natural History Museum, London, h ttp: / / www.nhm.ac.uk/
Field Museum of Natural History http://www.fieldmuseum.org/
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