Repatriation of knowledge about insects and types through the DORSA virtual museum (Digital Orthoptera Specimen Access).

DORSA (Digital Orthoptera Specimen Access) ist ein virtuelles Museum, das Informationen über Typus-Exemplare von Orthopteren und andere Belege, welche über die wichtigsten deutschen Museums-Sammlungen verstreut sind, in einer einzigen Datenbank zusammenführt. Etwa 16.000 Individuen-Einträge aus über 4.000 Arten sind über das Internet in der SYSTAX-Datenbank (www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/systax) suchbar. SYSTAX stellt die Daten auch über die GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)- und BIOCASE (Biological Collection Access Service for Europe)- Portale bereit. Etwa 8.000 Typus-Individuen (davon 2.300 primäre Typen) sind mit über 30.000 Fotos dokumentiert. Die Datenbank enthält ferner 12.000 Tonaufnahmen. Fundortdaten und Verbreitungskarten der gespeicherten Individuen sind ebenfalls abrufbar. Die DORSA-Individuendaten sind reziprok mit dem Orthoptera Species File (OSF) verbunden; dieses bildet zugleich das taxonomische Rückrat für DORSA. Alle DORSA Informationen sind frei über das Internet verfügbar. Auf diese Weise wird das Wissen über die Typus-Individuen, die seit der Kolonialzeit gesammelt worden waren, in die Herkunftsländer repatriiert.StichwörterOrthoptera, DORSA, SYSTAX, OSF, specimen database, type information, virtual museum, repatriation of knowledge.DORSA (Digital Orthoptera Specimen Access) is a virtual museum joining information on Orthoptera types and voucher specimens scattered over the major German museum collections in a single database. Data for about 16,000 specimen records including types and vouchers in over 4,000 species are searchable online via the SYSTAX database (www.biologie.uni-ulm.de/systax) which is linked to both the GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility)- and BIOCASE (Biological Collection Access Service for Europe)- portals. Roughly 8,000 type specimens (with about 2,300 primary types) are documented with over 30,000 images. 12,000 sound files are also available as are geographical information and maps of the specimens in the database. DORSA specimen information is reciprocally linked to the Orthoptera Species File (OSF) which forms the taxonomic backbone for all taxon names used by DORSA. All DORSA data are freely available on the world-wide web. In this way, the knowledge about type specimens collected since colonial times is repatriated to the countries of origin.KeywordsOrthoptera, DORSA, SYSTAX, OSF, specimen database, type information, virtual museum, repatriation of knowledge

Campbell's Monkeys Use Affixation to Alter Call Meaning

Human language has evolved on a biological substrate with phylogenetic roots deep in the primate lineage. Here, we describe a functional analogy to a common morphological process in human speech, affixation, in the alarm calls of free-ranging adult Campbell's monkeys (Cercopithecus campbelli campbelli). We found that male alarm calls are composed of an acoustically variable stem, which can be followed by an acoustically invariable suffix. Using long-term observations and predator simulation experiments, we show that suffixation in this species functions to broaden the calls' meaning by transforming a highly specific eagle alarm to a general arboreal disturbance call or by transforming a highly specific leopard alarm call to a general alert call. We concluded that, when referring to specific external events, non-human primates can generate meaningful acoustic variation during call production that is functionally equivalent to suffixation in human language

On the Communication of Scientific Results: The Full-Metadata Format

In this paper, we introduce a scientific format for text-based data files, which facilitates storing and communicating tabular data sets. The so-called Full-Metadata Format builds on the widely used INI-standard and is based on four principles: readable self-documentation, flexible structure, fail-safe compatibility, and searchability. As a consequence, all metadata required to interpret the tabular data are stored in the same file, allowing for the automated generation of publication-ready tables and graphs and the semantic searchability of data file collections. The Full-Metadata Format is introduced on the basis of three comprehensive examples. The complete format and syntax is given in the appendix

Examination of Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe for the preservation of cryptotephra layers

We report the first major study of cryptotephra (non-visible volcanic ash layers) on Late Palaeolithic archaeological sites in northern Europe. Examination of 34 sites dating from the Last Termination reveals seven with identifiable cryptotephra layers. Preservation is observed in minerogenic and organic deposits, although tephra is more common in organic sediments. Cryptotephra layers normally occur stratigraphically above or below the archaeology. Nearby off-site palaeoclimate archives (peat bogs and lakes <0.3 km distant) were better locations for detecting tephra. However in most cases the archaeology can only be correlated indirectly with such cryptotephras. Patterns affecting the presence/absence of cryptotephra include geographic position of sites relative to the emitting volcanic centre; the influence of past atmospherics on the quantity, direction and patterns of cryptotephra transport; the nature and timing of local site sedimentation; sampling considerations and subsequent taphonomic processes. Overall, while tephrostratigraphy has the potential to improve significantly the chronology of such sites many limiting factors currently impacts the successful application

Acoustic profiling of Orthoptera: present state and future needs

Bioacoustic monitoring and classification of animal communication signals has developed into a powerful tool for measuring and monitoring species diversity within complex communities and habitats. The high number of stridulating species among Orthoptera allows their detection and classification in a non-invasive and economic way, particularly in habitats where visual observations are difficult or even impossible, such as tropical rainforests. Major sound archives were queried for Orthoptera songs, with special emphasis on usability as reference training libraries for computer algorithms. Orthoptera songs are highly stereotyped, reliable taxonomic features. However, exploitation of songs for acoustic profiling is limited by the small number of reference recordings: existing song libraries represent only about 1000 species, mainly from Europe and North America, covering less than 10% of extant stridulating Orthoptera species. Available databases are fragmented and lack tools for song annotation and efficient feature-based searching. Results from recent bioacoustic surveys illustrate the potential of the method, but also the challenges and bottlenecks impeding further progress. A major problem is time-consuming data analysis of recordings. Computer-aided identification software exists for classification and identification of cricket and grasshopper songs, but these tools are still far from practical for field application. A framework for acoustic profiling of Orthoptera should consist of the following components: (1) Protocols for standardized acoustic sampling, at species and community levels, using acoustic data loggers for autonomous long-term recordings; (2) Open access to and efficient management of song data and voucher specimens, involving the Orthoptera Species File (OSF) and Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF); (3) An infrastructure for automatized analysis and song classification; and (4) Complementation and improvement of Orthoptera sound libraries using OSF as the taxonomic backbone and repository for representative song recordings. Taxonomists should be encouraged, or even obliged, to deposit original recordings, particularly if they form part of species descriptions or revisions