The Oxford Dodo. Seeing more than ever before: X-ray micro-CT scanning, specimen acquisition and provenance
The Oxford Dodo. Seeing more than ever before: X-ray micro-CT scanning, specimen acquisition and provenance
复制标题
牛津渡渡鸟。
作者：
J. Warnett;M. Williams;P. Wilson;M. P. Smith
摘要 牛津渡渡鸟 (Raphus cucullatus) 自 1683 年以来一直是牛津大学的收藏品，首先在阿什莫林博物馆，后来在牛津大学自然历史博物馆。在此之前，该标本是 Tradescant 父子收藏的一部分，很可能是在 1634 年至 1656 年间在位于现在伦敦南部沃克斯豪尔的 Tradescantianum 博物馆中获得的。人们认为这个标本很可能是 Hamon L'Estrange 爵士于 1638 年左右在伦敦记录的活鸟，但用于解剖学研究的头骨 X 射线 CT 扫描使人们对牛津渡渡鸟的来源产生了怀疑。 3D 可视化显示，头骨内嵌入了 115 个金属颗粒，集中在头骨的左侧。除五个颗粒外，所有颗粒的直径均小于 1 毫米，从它们的位置可以得出这样的结论：它们代表铅弹，与从头部右后部（可能有腹侧部分）射击的鸟一致。这一法医发现使牛津标本的来源无法确定，但说明了非侵入性可视化技术在确定独特博物馆物品的潜在复杂历史方面的价值。图解摘要
ABSTRACT The Oxford Dodo (Raphus cucullatus) has been in the collections of the University of Oxford since 1683, first in the Ashmolean Museum and latterly in Oxford University Museum of Natural History. Prior to this the specimen was part of the collections of the Tradescants, father and son, and likely acquired between 1634 and 1656, in the Musæum Tradescantianum in what is now Vauxhall, south London. It has been thought probable that this specimen was once the live bird recorded in London by Sir Hamon L’Estrange in around 1638, but X-ray CT scanning of the skull for anatomical investigation has cast doubt on the provenance of the Oxford Dodo. The 3D visualisation revealed 115 metal particles embedded within the bone of the skull, concentrated in the left side of the skull. All but five of the particles are less than 1 mm in diameter and their location leads to the conclusion that they represent lead shot consistent with the bird being shot from the rear right of the head, perhaps with a ventral component. This forensic discovery leaves the provenance of the Oxford specimen uncertain but illustrates the value of non-invasive visualisation techniques in determining the potentially complex histories of unique museum objects. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT