How to make natural history specimensBook Review
National Museum of Nature and Science (Supervised by) Asakura Publishing June 1, 2025 publication 3,700 yen (excluding tax)
"How to Make Natural History Specimens" (supervised by the National Museum of Nature and Science, Asakura Shoten, 2025) is a practical manual that comprehensively explains methods for preparing natural history specimens, ranging from animals and plants to fossils, rocks, and minerals. Specimens serve as the "material evidence of knowledge" that forms the foundation of natural history science, enabling re-verification and ensuring the cumulative nature of research. While clearly defining this significance, the book's major feature is that it organizes the specimen preparation procedure into four stages—"collection," "preliminary preparation," "specimen preparation," and "organization and storage"—and presents them in a practical manner.
Each chapter provides detailed explanations of specific preparation methods for each subject, ranging from vascular plants, bryophytes, algae, fungi, and myxomycetes to insects, crustaceans, fish, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and even fossils, rocks, minerals, and meteorites. It covers not only relatively easy-to-make pressed plant specimens and dry insect specimens, but also outlines the key points for advanced techniques such as fluid-preserved specimens, skeletal specimens, and taxidermy, generously incorporating knowledge cultivated in actual research settings. Abundant photographs and diagrams are included to help understand the work and visually experience the scientific significance of the specimens.
What sets this book apart from conventional specimen preparation guides is the discussion on data management that runs throughout the entire work. The scientific value of a specimen does not lie merely in being beautifully preserved; it is guaranteed only when accompanied by the basic data of "when, where, who, and what" was collected. The authors repeatedly emphasize this, even delving into ethical considerations regarding personal information protection and the disclosure of location data for endangered species. Furthermore, the book holds great academic significance by explaining the connection to Darwin Core (DwC), an international data standard, and presenting a perspective that ensures the interoperability and reproducibility of specimen information.
Practical discussions regarding the necessity of assigning unique numbers to specimens and creating a database are also important. The confusion caused by duplicate or missing specimen numbers is a challenge everyone in the research field faces, concretely demonstrating that deciding on a policy at the initial stage is essential. Furthermore, it mentions points to keep in mind and visualization methods when comprehensively analyzing large amounts of specimen data, making it content that goes beyond a mere operational manual and takes into view the future of museology.
Overall, this book brings to the fore an approach that views natural history specimens not merely as collections, but as a systematic accumulation of scientific evidence, while also highlighting their ontological and epistemological significance. It can be utilized as a standard textbook for specimen preparation and management, not only for researchers engaged in natural history studies, but also in graduate education and museology education. It can be said to be essential reading for any research institution involved in the collection, preservation, and utilization of natural history materials in order to comprehensively understand specimen preparation and data management.
Kenichi Sato (Faculty of Life Sciences, Kyoto Sangyo University)
How to Make Natural History Specimens Book Review (PDF file)
