Taxonomy- A dying science? 29 April 2022 As a Biological Sciences student I am very familiar with the concept of classification and evolution, having been taught about it from primary school level. The idea of using a filing system to organise species became common place at secondary school level. Constantly reciting the Linnean system and its eight levels of taxa (domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species) for exams and coming up with rhymes and mnemonics to remember it in class. Museum scientist in the DNA lab Due to this I was vaguely familiar with taxonomy, I knew what it was and why it was important, as I describe below. However, we never truly explored taxonomy in any great detail, especially in a modern context, and so I never thought about it as a career many still do today. That was until February of 2020 when I was searching for placement opportunities for my Professional Training Year as a part of my degree at Cardiff University, and I came across an opportunity to undertake at National Museum Cardiff exploring taxonomy. I now have a much greater understanding of taxonomy’s importance and unfortunately the crisis it might be facing.What is taxonomy?Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing and classifying species, including species new to science. It is the foundation stone of biological science. The first step in understanding how many species we have, where they live, and what they look like so others can identify them. For example, it can be an early indicator of evolution, and in seeing how the morphological characteristics of species may help in adapting and surviving in their environments. Some tools for taxonomic drawing for a species of shovelhead worm (Magelonidae) Why is taxonomy important?To understand the great diversity of the world we must know what is in it, and so taxonomy is essential in beginning to describe distributions and habitats of species. This will help scientists determine for example, whether a species is under threat, or the presence of an invasive species that can threaten other species and as a result their ecosystem. Scientists need to know all of the species in an environment, all described in a standardised manner that can be understood by those from around the world no matter the language spoken. This is so that they can begin to understand how to help preserve biodiversity and help the planet. Taxonomy is essential in aiding communication between scientists by giving a species a binomial scientific name. Many species will have many differing common names, for example Puma concolor, also known as the puma, cougar, panther, mountain lion, catamount, etc. in fact, P. concolor has over 40 common names in English alone. A binomial name (often in Greek or Latin) reduces confusion by surpassing language barriers and avoiding differing common names. Puma concolor CC BY 2.0 Taxonomy is also the first step in identifying species that have the potential to help people, to that end, the species related to them which may possess similar qualities. Truthfully, it is not known how many species share the planet with us. The most commonly cited number is 8.7 million species, however, this number ranges from five to ten million species. Either way taxonomists have only identified and described around two million species. Unfortunately, there will be many species that become extinct before we even know they existed. Scientists are unable to determine the rate of species extinctions or truly understand changes in biodiversity on a global scale because of the frightfully little knowledge of the species we share the planet with.Importance of taxonomistsAs mentioned, I mostly knew taxonomy as science undertaken in the past and if I did think of it in a modern context it was through modern techniques such as DNA barcoding. As a career opportunity for new biologists, taxonomy barely crosses the mind. It has been suggested that funding in taxonomic research is also on the decline, and that traditional taxonomy is too slow in producing research papers. Museum scientist in the DNA lab But while using DNA to aid in identifications and for evolutionary relationships is no doubt useful, it is dangerous to remove all of the other “old-fashioned” techniques used for looking into morphological characteristics. Techniques such as drawing, AutoMontage imaging, scanning electron microscopy, written descriptions from observations, notes on habitat and distribution to name but a few. DNA analysis should be used to supplement the more traditional techniques, not replace them. There have been numerous examples in papers of errors in conclusions being made due to scientists looking at species from only a genetic point of view but having misidentified the species. To that effect integrative taxonomy has recently become a popular choice. It includes multiple perspectives such as phylogeography, comparative morphology, population genetics, ecology, development, behaviour, etc., so as to create the best descriptions and knowledge of species. After all, without taking the time to properly observe and describe a specimen you won’t truly know what the species looks like and how it uses its features to survive. How shall keys and field guides be properly constructed so that non-experts can identify species too? Without taxonomists how can the irreplaceable and valuable collections in our natural history museums be properly maintained and organised? Imaging software used to image specimens, in this instance, the abdomen of a new species of shovel head worm As I have experienced in my research on a relatively understudied family, mistakes have been made in identifications leading to false conclusions to be drawn, which has dangerous consequences for example in determining biodiversity. These false identifications may be enhanced by a purely DNA route into taxonomy. If taxonomy starts to die and fewer experts who truly understand a species exist who shall correct these mistakes and continue to document the rich biodiversity of the world?
Herbarium Katherine Slade and Sally Whyman, 2 April 2022 Introduction Did you know that National Museum Wales houses the Welsh National Herbarium? Welsh National Herbarium at National Museum Wales Here we explore the herbarium and what it means. We discuss how the herbarium is stored and what can be found there as well as who can benefit from it. What is a Herbarium? A herbarium is a collection of preserved (mostly dried) plant specimens that have been stored appropriately and arranged systematically to ensure quick access for curators, artists, students, researchers and the general public for scientific research and education. The Welsh National Herbarium contains vascular plants (such as flowering plants, conifers, ferns and club-mosses), bryophytes (mosses, liverworts and hornworts), lichens, fungi, slime moulds and algae. There are also botanical illustrations, models and collections relating to the use of plants by people such as spices, herbs, crops, wood and fibres. Specimens are also kept of diseased plants, keeping a record of plant infections and pest damage over time. In the vascular herbarium, specimens are arranged by plant family and genus while other plant groups such as mosses are arranged alphabetically. Specimens are stored in tall metal cabinets and in wooden drawers on roller racking, within the herbarium, which is kept at an even temperature and humidity. Move from herbarium cabinet to herbarium cabinet, and you can delve into a huge array of plant diversity world-wide. For example one cabinet might have Black Raspberry (Rubus occidentalis from North America, and the next cabinet you open might have Laver seaweed (Porphyra species) from Pembrokeshire. A herbarium is the only place to be if you want to study the world’s plants in one place, or even ‘just’ all plants that live across Wales! Curators are working to scan all specimens, making accessing data and sharing specimen images and information with other institutions easier. Difference between a Herbarium and Herbaria Herbaria is the plural and herbarium is the singular, so you have one herbarium and many herbaria. There are thousands of herbaria around the world and each one is the home of historical plant records covering hundreds of years to the present day. The oldest plants in National Museum Wales are 300 years old. They are plant time capsules containing unique information that would otherwise be lost. The herbarium is checked regularly for infestations, and strict guidelines are put in place to ensure all specimens remain in pristine condition. Any loss or damage to specimens would be catastrophic because of the irreplaceable nature of collections. It is the curator’s role to ensure that all specimens are kept in good condition indefinitely, stored according to the correct guidelines. The herbarium is checked regularly for infestations, and strict guidelines are put in place to ensure all specimens remain in pristine condition. Herbaria contain ‘type specimens’, individual specimens that a scientist has used to base their description on when describing a new species. Any loss or damage to specimens would be catastrophic because of the irreplaceable nature of collections. Who benefits from herbaria? Botanists The most obvious field that benefits from herbaria is botany; botanists are plant scientists that study and perform experiments on plants. Some herbarium specimens are hundreds of years old, so this gives botanists a unique chance to look at how plant life has changed over time. Cinchona bark which contains quinine, from the economic botany collection There are many studies that can be performed on herbarium entries, and these usually depend on the specialist skills of the researcher looking at them. Botanists can use herbaria and botanical specimens to answer questions such as: Where do plants live and how does this change over time? What is the diversity and abundance of a certain plant species? Where can you find rare plants? An important question for conservation. How have plants changed their flowering time (phenology) in response to climate change? For example some plants flower earlier due to climate change that’s occurred since the industrial revolution. When were invasive non-native species first recorded in, for example, Wales? How have plants changed their morphology over time? For example the density of stomata when cross referenced to fossil plants in the museum, shows evidence for adaptation by plants to changes in carbon dioxide in our atmosphere millions of years ago. Other Scientists It’s not exclusively botanists that benefit from herbaria, other branches of science can also use the botanical collections in their research. Biologists, climate scientists, conservationists and ecologists can benefit from the specimens found in herbarium and frequently use collections for ongoing research. Herbaria can answer questions such as: When did a plant pest first arrive in Wales? How do plants respond to climate change? Has a plant been found in a particular habitat? Historians Specimens stored in the herbarium can give insights into the daily life of people in history. Collections like the economic botanic collection contain plants and botanical items that have had an important domestic, medicinal or cultural use to society. This collection contains herbs, dyes, textiles and culturally important items that are kept to demonstrate their importance to world culture through displays, museum visits and exhibitions. Historians can also use herbarium collections for project collaborations, for records of discoveries and for exploration. Artists Artists have, and continue to draw inspiration from herbaria, using the unique perspective from nature that only a herbarium collection can give. Teachers / People in education Herbaria and museums are a great resource for education. Curators at National Museum Wales use the collections to help tell stories of history, culture and science in the museum galleries, exhibitions, for behind the scenes tours, at events and online. What can be found in Herbaria? Vascular Plants Vascular plant herbarium cabinets at Welsh National Herbarium, part of National Museum Wales Vascular plants also sometimes known as ‘higher plants’ are composed of all individuals that have water conducting tissue in their stems. Flowers, conifers, grasses, trees, ferns, club-mosses, horsetails, herbs, succulents, etc. are all types of vascular plants. These types of plants are usually stored on archival herbarium sheets, but the exact method of preparation and storage may depend on the specimen. Plants that are easily pressed are mounted onto acid free herbaria sheets, with a descriptive label for each specimen. Curators aim to preserve all the reproductive (eg fruits, seeds) and vegetative organs (eg stems, leaves) of each plant, which are critical for species identification. Any plant parts that can’t be easily pressed, e.g. tubers, bulbs, fleshy stems, large flowers, cones, fruits, etc are usually dried and placed in boxes and then cross referenced with the pressed specimen. Bryophytes (Mosses and Liverworts) Bryophyte herbarium storage at the Welsh National Herbarium, part of National Museum Wales Bryophytes include liverworts, hornworts and mosses and are sometimes also known as ‘lower plants’ and represent some of the oldest organisms on Earth. Bryophytes often grow closely packed together on rocks, soil or trees. These types of plant don’t have regular water conducting tissue (a vascular system), so rely heavily on their environment to regulate their water levels. In National Museum Wales, mosses, liverworts and hornworts are not pressed onto herbarium sheets. Instead, specimens are air dried and placed in packets or boxes to ensure their long-term storage. Algae Algae are a very diverse group of non-flowering aquatic organisms that contain chlorophyll, so can photosynthesise to produce energy for themselves. Some can cause algal blooms in lakes and the sea as well as forming ‘pond scum’. However, algae are very important to the Earth, and it’s estimated that they produce 70-80% of the Earth’s atmospheric oxygen. The term ‘algae’ covers a wide range of organisms including seaweed such as kelp, filamentous species and microscopic algae such as diatoms and dinoflagellates. These groups are not all related and can exist in a huge range of different forms! In Wales, red laver seaweed (Porphyra) is collected to make laverbread which is often served as part of a Welsh breakfast. Collecting and preserving algae can be done in a few different ways; storing them in liquid, on a microscope slide or dry preserving the specimen onto herbarium paper. What method is best usually depends on the species being collected and its properties. Fungi Fungi are organisms with often highly complex chemical makeups that occupy almost every habitat on Earth. Fungi are studied by mycologists and are not related to plants so are placed in their own kingdom. Surprisingly, most fungi are hidden to us, many dwelling underground connected by a network of long thin cells called hyphae. It is only a small portion of fungi that produce fruiting bodies we know as toadstools and mushrooms. For the herbarium, the best way to preserve fungi fruiting bodies is to air dry them (cutting them into slices first if they are large), and then store in packets or boxes. Without fungi we wouldn’t have beer, cheese or perhaps many plants. Fungi help decomposition, making nutrients available to plants in the soil. Many trees have symbiotic relationships with fungi with nutrients and water transported directly into the tree roots. Fungi even help plants to communicate with each other within the soil using their underground networks. Lichens Lichens are unique in plant taxonomy because they are an organism composed of two separate organisms in a symbiotic relationship. A lichen is composed of a fungus, and either an algal cell or bacterial cell. The fungal portion of the organism extracts organic carbohydrates and nutrients from the environment, and the algal/bacterial portion of the organism undergoes photosynthesis to capture energy from the sun. Because lichen are difficult to extract from their environment, commonly they are collected still attached to their substrate (rocks, bark, soil crusts) and stored in boxes. How to make a Herbarium Making your own herbarium is a fairly simple process, it doesn’t require many materials. Please note that the following instructions are for preparing pressing plants such as ferns and flowers. Different preservation techniques are used for seaweeds, fungi and mosses. Step #1: Head out to a local field or forest, or even your back garden and look for interesting specimens to use. Never pick rare or endangered plants and always get permission from the landowner. Use the rule of 1 in 20 - only take a plant if there are another 19 in the same place. Always follow the Botanical Society of Britain and Ireland’s code of conduct. Step #2: Once you’ve found something to add to your collection, take lots of photos for future reference showing where the plant is growing and features that could help with identification. Make notes about its appearance that may be lost in the preservation process such as colour, stem shape and overall height. Also note down the date, where the plant was found including map reference and the habitat; is it in the shade, sheltered by trees or on a slope? Step #3: Once you’re happy you’ve captured all the details, carefully take a few cuttings of the plant, make sure you don’t damage it unnecessarily. Take care to select parts that contain as many plant parts as possible eg. leaves showing different shapes, stems, flowers and seeds. Step #4: Use a thick bag or container to carry your cuttings home. There you can start the process of pressing your plants. How to press plants for a Herbarium Herbarium specimen showing strips of card attaching the plant to the sheet Once you’ve arrived home with your plants you can start preparing them for pressing. Step #1: Create a homemade plant press (you can use hardboard or plywood). Place one board flat on a hard level surface and place several sheets of newspaper on top, then add a sheet of blotting paper. Step #2: Prune and brush clean your cuttings. Remove larger fleshy fruits which will not press well. Step #3: Place your specimen on top of the blotting paper. Arrange it so that as little as possible is overlapping to aid the drying process, removing spare branches if needed. If possible, turn over a leaf so that the underside can be easily seen on the herbarium specimen once it is pressed. Step #4: Place another layer of blotting paper on top of your plant, and another layer of newspaper on top of that. Step #5: Close the press by putting another piece of hardboard or plywood on top of your specimen. Use books/bricks or similar heavy items to press your cutting flat. Step #6: You will need to keep the plant in the press for between 2-21 days, depending on the thickness and type of plant you’ve chosen to press. Check the plant once a day to keep an eye on progress. Replace the newspaper and blotting paper within the press if they’re damp. How to make a Herbarium sheet Once you’re happy that your specimen is dry and pressed you can create your herbarium sheet. Himalayan Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera) specimen collected in 1929 in Cardiff. This specimen has been mounted onto a herbarium sheet, complete with detailed notes of the habitat in which it was found. Step #1: Place your plants on a sheet of card . (Top tip: If possible, use conservation-grade or acid free card, it doesn’t break down as quickly as ordinary types of paper, which means your herbarium will last for much longer). Step #2: Attach the plant to the sheets of paper at strategic points with short thin strips of acid free card (see image). Cut the strips to roughly 2-4mm width – so that they are relatively easy to cut and handle but won’t cover too much of the plant. Place a small amount of glue at either end of the strip so that the plant itself doesn’t get glue on. Then place the strip over a stem or leaf tip and press the glued ends onto the sheet. (Top tip: PVA glue will work for this or use conservation grade EVA that lasts forever). Step #3: In the bottom right hand corner using a pencil or a pen with colour fast, fade proof ink, write the name of the plant along with all the information you recorded when collecting it. Don’t forget to add your name as the collector, if the specimen is sent to a herbarium this is very valuable information. You have now completed your first herbarium sheet. How to prepare a Herbarium file Repeat the above process and build on your collection of herbarium sheets to create a herbarium. File the specimens away flat in boxes and never turn them upside down as pieces may fall off. Make sure you create labels for each sheet and use the information you collected when picking your plants to add names to and classify each specimen. As you add to the collection, decide how to organise it. You could arrange it alphabetically or keep plants that related to each other together in their families. Herbarium files at the Welsh National Herbarium, part of National Museum Wales Whichever arrangement you choose, make sure it’s the right one for you as it will become much more time consuming to rearrange as your collection grows. Imagine trying to rearrange the 750,000 specimens in National Museum Wales! “This article includes material written originally by Amy Wyatt, a Professional Training Year student at Amgueddfa Cymru in 2018, and was extended by botany curators Katherine Slade & Sally Whyman.”
Winter of Wellbeing: Tip Tops project Mali Dafydd, 29 March 2022 Tip Tops was a project devised to up-skill young learners who are operating outside the current conventional school system, in the art of making clothes by hand, reusing waste and locally produced fabrics. They worked on a weekly process from mid January until 23 March 2022, cutting patterns and re-creating anew in Stiwdio 3, Cardigan. Here's the experience of Mali, who took part in the workshops: I was quite nervous when I walked into the room, for I didn’t know many of the people there. But then we all introduced ourselves and I felt a lot better as most of the people were my age. I was rather worried they would be a lot older than me. When I first saw the pattern it looked very complicated, I had never followed a proper pattern before and I was a bit intimidated. We were shown how it all fitted together and it was a lot simpler than it had looked originally - I was very glad! All the different panels that made up the pattern actually allowed you to experiment a lot. Some of the other people found a fabric that looked like it was made out of lots of squares. When the pieces all got sown together it looked really cool! The TipTops are very fun to sew. Though I am not very good at matching the squares up, but hopefully I get better! My favourite part of the TipTop is the halter neck as it makes it feels very elegant. When we finished the mock-up I really liked it, and I felt happy, though slightly tired. My favourite fabric so far is probably the denim. It’s a very retro look when you combine the different denims together - it’s also very nice to sew. It would be very cool if we could try pattern matching. The trip to the woollen museum was fun. Though the machines looked terrifying! One of the people that worked there even showed us how one of the looms worked. It looked very time consuming and the bobbins ran out really quickly. In Victorian times they would have children crawl under the machines to get rid of the loose wool. I would definitely not like to work there!I really enjoyed this course and it was mega fun! I would love to do it again!Take a look at the video which share some of the project highlights:
Mourning Wear and why it’s due a revival Lowri Kirkham , 29 March 2022 About the Author - Lowri is one of the Freelance Young people Programme makers, working with Amgueddfa Cymru on the Winter of Wellbeing project. The Situation I’m standing at the Supermarket checkout bagging up copious amounts of nibbles, cakes and booze. The checkout lady says ‘ Ooh are you having a party! You lucky thing!’ Here’s what I should have said: ‘Actually my Dad just died and all of this is for my family and me (mainly me) to drown our sorrows after the funeral. I don’t need to be doing this but I need something to keep me busy or else I would have to deal with my feelings.’ And then I would make a scene by ugly crying while swigging from one of the wine bottles. And what I actually said: ‘Yes, I’m having a party.’ And then I went back to my car and cried. This exchange would never have happened if Mourning dress was still a social convention. Of course, I could wear all black but that wouldn't necessarily convey that I had recently suffered a loss, it would just convey that I am chic… or a vampire… or a chic vampire. There aren’t too many old school social conventions that I would want to revive; however, certain parts of formal mourning are, in my opinion, due a revamp. So, what is traditional Mourning? After the death of a close family member or friend it has been a tradition for centuries in many parts of the western world to wear black for varying periods of time, to communicate that they have suffered a loss. However, during the Victorian period, Mourning and all the social conventions that went with it, were at their peak. This was for several reasons but the high death rate, rise of the middle classes and the wider availability of reliable Black clothing dyes contributed heavily to its popularity. Queen Victoria herself, was the poster girl for Mourning, famously remaining in mourning and seclusion for many years after her husband, Prince Albert's death. Mourning conventions varied and were dependent on class, location, religion and relationship to the deceased. For example, an upper class widow could stay in Mourning clothing for several years whereas a working class widow who had not the means for Mourning wear may show no outward grieving at all. The Mourning period also limited which social occasions the Mourner could attend. Dancing and other frivolities were a no go. Those who disregarded the expected conventions could become social outcasts. What is Mourning wear?
A Queer Welsh Ballad Mair Jones & Norena Shopland, 24 March 2022 In October 2021 following a talk on cross-dressing in history by Norena Shopland, a Welsh language ballad, Can Newydd, came to light in the Welsh Music Archive (WMA), National Library Wales. More can be read on that story in A Queer Bawdy Ballad. What is striking is the explicitly sexual nature of the ballad, depicting cross-dressing women having sexual relations with women.Archifdy Ceredigion Archives (ACA) and Archives and Special Collections, Bangor University (BU) have exact copies in their collections but in February 2022 a third copy was located at Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales (ACNMW) however this version is simply entitled Can and has a few differences. Mair Jones who did the first translation of Can Newydd, also did the translation for Can.The lyrics of both versions were written by a rather eccentric part-time criminal, one-eyed balladeer Abel Jones, ‘the last of the “great” balladists’ but who was often known by his bardic name Bardd Crwst after his birthplace, Llanrwst. Jones was a balladeer who travelled and performed at fairs across Wales, selling his ballads as ‘new songs’ (can newydd) on specific topics, such as the death of the Emperor of Russia, industrial accidents and disaster, tithe war and murders - though not always historically accurate, because his main aim was to sell his ballads. Sometimes he sold them with his son, and usually it was to people like the agricultural working-class community. He was the most well-known and popular balladeer of his time, though he died in Llanrwst Workhouse.Dating the ballad is difficult although dates of between 1865-1872 have been suggested (see A Queer Bawdy Ballad for more details) and there is nothing in Can to suggest whether it comes before or after Can Newydd. However, all three versions of Can Newydd are signed Bardd Crwst while the ACNMW version is signed Abel Jones, (Bardd Crwst) and there may be a reason for this.Jones wrote a number of humorous ballads, often using the tune Robin yn Swil (Robin is Shy), the same as for Can Newydd, a tune ‘more suitable for the tavern than for singing at respectable concerts and eisteddfodau.’ One of his ballads is listed as a poem about ‘courtship’, another was about Dic Sion Dafydd, and another about a drunken woman, while his other ‘courtship’ poems were advice not to marry or a man’s complaints about his wife.One mention of Can Newydd in a newspaper of 1915, when discussing Bardd Crwst’s works, as ‘Song about two Young Women who went to knock at Ffermdy (Farmhouse) Tu Ucha’r Glyn, near Harlech’, has an added note by the compiler, ‘I didn’t give the title of the last one in full’ which seems to show that this would have been too disrespectful even for the newspaper, including leaving out the cross-dressing aspect. The risqué nature, not only of the lyrics, but of the tune it was associated with may have caused Jones to remove his full name from the Can Newydd version. No tune is associated with the ACNMW version so there may be the possibility that Can came first and Jones made it saucier in the second version but decided to omit his full name. Can also uses some English words, such as ‘beauty,’ ‘Kate Pugh,’ ‘Visles’ and ‘Cirnoleens [sp],’ while Can Newydd uses Welsh spellings such as ‘biwty,’ ‘Cit Pugh’ and ‘busle,’ and has removed the spelling error of ‘crinoline’.Another difference is the location where the event takes place. The introduction to Can is "A song about two young women who dressed themselves in men’s clothes and went to knock at Ffarmdy (Farmhouse) at two other young girls, and entered their House, to bed like two men and two dear lovers" whereas in Can Newydd it is "The tale of two young women from this region who dressed themselves in men’s clothes, and went courting to a country house to seduce two young women, who were strangers to them".The farmhouse has disappeared and is replaced by ‘Plas uchaf and Glyn’. Plas Uchaf (Upper Hall) is 1.5 miles (2.4 km) from Corwen, Denbighshire, and Plas Glyn, possibly short for Plas Glynllifon 56 miles (90km) from Corwen. It seems Jones has moved the location from an obscure working-class farmhouse to named gentrified houses, although no cross-dressing reference has been found in connection with these two properties. It is however, a trope used even today, to place sensational stories among the wealthy who are fewer in number and have more time on their hands, than working-class people and Jones may not have wanted to offend his main audience.Whatever the purpose of the ballad, it was decided to revive it for a presentation at an LGBTQ+ History Month 2022 by Aberration recorded by Cerys Hafana with backing vocals by the community.By sharing this queer-related ballad today as a part of our Welsh history, it is reclaimed by the LGBTQ+ community, creatively reimagined and helps to build our Welsh queer community today.
