Finalist for 2009 The Council on Botanical & Horticultural Libraries Literature Award!A Fresh Look at Taxonomy The most fundamental of all biological sciences, taxonomy underpins any long term strategies for reconstructing the great tree of life or salvaging as much biodiversity as possible. Yet we are still unable to say with any certainty how

Centuries of exploration and discovery have documented the diversity of life on Earth. Records of this biodiversity are, for the most part, distributed across varied and distinct natural history collections worldwide. This makes the task of extracting and mobilising the information within these collections an immense challenge.ÿÿIn this special issue of ZooKeys, 18 papers by 81 authors examine progress and prospects for mass digitising entire natural history collections. These papers provide a snapshot of activity, in what is a fast moving field that is seeing ever-increasing degrees of collaboration across disciplines and between collection-based institutions. Examples of research covered by these articles include a description to efforts digitise 30 million plant, invertebrate and vertebrate specimens at NCB Naturalis in the Netherlands; new scanning and telemicroscopy solutions to digitise the millions of pinned insect specimens held in the Australian National Insect Collection and its European and North American counterparts; citizen science projects being used to crowdsource the transcription of thousands of specimen labels and field notebooks; and new data portals providing central access to millions of biological specimens across Europe.ÿÿMany of these projects deal with the unique challenges associated with major collections that have built up over several centuries, with different communities of practices and different user communities. Despite many differences, standards for collection acquisition, preservation and documentation are broadly consistent, meaning that there is sufficient common ground to bring together the enormous amounts of data that are being exposed through mass digitisation efforts. These data will become the new frontier for natural history collection management and research in the next decade.

Biological collections are a critical part of the nation's science and innovation infrastructure and a fundamental resource for understanding the natural world. Biological collections underpin basic science discoveries as well as deepen our understanding of many challenges such as global change, biodiversity loss, sustainable food production, ecosystem conservation, and improving human health and security. They are important resources for education, both in formal training for the science and technology workforce, and in informal learning through schools, citizen science programs, and adult learning. However, the sustainability of biological collections is under threat. Without enhanced strategic leadership and investments in their infrastructure and growth many biological collections could be lost. Biological Collections: Ensuring Critical Research and Education for the 21st Century recommends approaches for biological collections to develop long-term financial sustainability, advance digitization, recruit and support a diverse workforce, and upgrade and maintain a robust physical infrastructure in order to continue serving science and society. The aim of the report is to stimulate a national discussion regarding the goals and strategies needed to ensure that U.S. biological collections not only thrive but continue to grow throughout the 21st century and beyond.

Cover -- Half Title -- Title Page -- Copyright Page -- Table of Contents -- Contributors -- Preface -- Chapter 1: The Extended Specimen -- Extending the Traditional Specimen -- Extending the Specimen Concept -- Conclusion: Just What Is the "Extended Specimen?"--Acknowledgments -- Literature Cited -- Chapter 2: Getting under the Skin -- Avian Anatomical and Skeletal Collections -- Comparative Anatomy -- Systematics of Extant Species -- Morphology and Behavior -- Paleontology -- Morphometrics -- Physiology and Functional Anatomy -- Evolution and Development -- Conclusions and Future Directions -- Acknowledgments -- Literature Cited -- Chapter 3: Advanced Methods for Studying Pigments and Coloration Using Avian Specimens -- Spectrophotometry -- Limitations and Considerations for Using Specimens -- Analytical Approaches -- Applications to Ecology and Evolution -- Future Directions -- Digital Photography and Hyperspectral Imaging -- Chromatographic Analyses of Bird Pigments -- Analytical Approaches -- Benefits and Challenges of Using Specimens -- Future Directions -- Nondestructive Analysis with Raman Spectroscopy -- What Is Raman Spectroscopy? -- Comparing Raman Spectroscopy and Spectrophotometry -- An Overview of Raman Spectroscopy and Plumage Pigments -- Applications of Raman Spectroscopy in Museum Collections -- Advances in Studying Structural Coloration -- Mechanisms of Structural Coloration -- Techniques to Describe Structural Coloration -- Applications to Ecology and Evolutionary Biology -- Structural Coloration in Fossil Feathers -- Future Directions -- Advanced Methods for Studying Avian Egg Color -- Egg Coloration: An Overview -- Chemical Analysis -- Structural Analysis -- Spectrophotometry -- Digital Photography -- Case Study -- Future Directions -- Conclusions -- Literature Cited

As climate change continues to dominate the international environmental agenda, phenology – the study of the timing of recurring biological events – has received increasing research attention, leading to an emerging consensus that phenology can be viewed as an ‘early warning system’ for climate change impact. A multidisciplinary science involving many branches of ecology, geography and remote sensing, phenology to date has lacked a coherent methodological text. This new synthesis, including contributions from many of the world’s leading phenologists, therefore fills a critical gap in the current biological literature. Providing critiques of current methods, as well as detailing novel and emerging methodologies, the book, with its extensive suite of references, provides readers with an understanding of both the theoretical basis and the potential applications required to adopt and adapt new analytical and design methods. An invaluable source book for researchers and students in ecology and climate change science, the book also provides a useful reference for practitioners in a range of sectors, including human health, fisheries, forestry, agriculture and natural resource management.

Photography is the primary tool for visually documenting specimens, experimental findings and laboratory setups in many scientific fields. Photographic illustrations in these fields must satisfy criteria of clarity, objectivity and adherence to accepted standards, in addition to a pleasant but not distracting composition and illumination. This book concentrates on the choice and practical use of digital cameras, lenses and related equipment of types commonly available at research institutions and museums. The described techniques are suitable for subject sizes between approximately half a millimeter and half a meter, and differ from those used in general photography and microscopy. The intended audience of this book includes professional scientific photographers, scientists and students who need to carry out photography in support of their own research or as part-time scientific photographers at a research institution, and advanced amateur photographers who wish to master these techniques.