News from Scientists at the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center
Monday, January 24, 2005
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Joint Project with the Air Force Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard Team Claudia Angle, a Museum Specialist with the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center's Biological Survey Unit (BSU) stationed at the National Museum of Natural History (NMNH), was invited by the Smithsonian Institution (SI) to participate in a joint project with the U.S. Air Force to collect and prepare bird specimens on two U.S. Air Force bases in South Korea. Claudia worked with SI Feather Lab employees and U.S. Air Force Bird Aircraft Strike Hazard (BASH) team members. They visited two U.S. Air Bases, Osan and Kunsan between September 28 and October 30. Over 300 specimens of more than 55 species were collected and prepared during this cooperative effort and will be deposited in the Bird Division at the NMNH. Holdings from South Korea are poorly represented in the National Museum's bird collection and are needed for the identification of birdstrike remains received from military bases in Asia. Claudia was asked to participate because of her expertise in bird specimen preparation and long experience in museum collection management. Contact: Claudia Angle, Washington DC, 202-633-0782 Mute Swans and their Chesapeake Bay Habitats The proceedings of the symposium entitled "Mute Swans and their Chesapeake Bay Habitats" were published on January 24th. This symposium conducted at Chesapeake College, MD and sponsored by USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center included presentations by scientists throughout the United States who are most knowledgeable about this exotic species. The proceedings provide a better understanding of the complex issues relating to the growing numbers of mute swans on the Chesapeake Bay. Copies of the Proceedings can be obtained from the editor, Dr. Matthew C. Perry, USGS/PWRC, Laurel, MD or by email at matt_perry@usgs.gov. Contact: Matthew C. Perry, Laurel, MD 301-497-5622 |
Canadian Bird Banding Office Meeting with Bird Banding Laboratory The Bird Banding Laboratory (BBL) held a 3-day meeting with its Canadian counterpart, the Bird Banding Office (BBO) of the Canadian Wildlife Service from January 12-14, 2005 at USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center (PWRC). The BBO and the BBL form the North American Bird Banding Program. Invited participants also included representatives from the US Fish and Wildlife Service, USGS Freedom of Information Act and Privacy Act personnel, PWRC Research Manager Graham Smith, and Director Judd Howell. This historic first meeting in several years brought together office chiefs, biologists, and BBL technical staff to discuss issues of mutual interest. Action items were developed in areas of national policy, information technology, customer service, and international initiatives. Contact Monica Tomosy, Laurel, MD 301-497-5646 Early History of Scientific Names for Shrews In December 2004, Neal Woodman, stationed with the Biological Survey Unit at the National Museum of Natural History, Washington, DC, published a paper in the Proceedings of the Biological Society of Washington that reviewed the early history of the scientific names for shrews and established a type species for the genus Musaraneus Pomel, 1848. This latter act is significant because, as conceived by the French naturalist Pomel, this genus includes representatives of a number of modern genera, including Crocidura, Cryptotis, Diplomesodon, Myosorex, and Sorex. Because the name Musaraneus predates Cryptotis and Diplomesodon, it could conceivably have been used to replace one of those two well established names. By choosing Crocidura leucodon as the type species for the genus, Musaraneus becomes a junior synonym of Crocidura, thereby stabilizing the names Cryptotis and Diplomesodon in accordance with their long established usage. (Neal Woodman. 2004. Designation of the type species of Musaraneus Pomel, 1848 (Mammalia: Soricomorpha: Soricidae). Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash. 117:266 - 270.) Contact Neal Woodman, Washington DC, 202-633-1278 |
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