Table 1
Combined Identifications of the various whale bones at the MZS.
| Invent # | Element(s) | Element for ZooMS | Historical ID | Osteological ID | ZooMS ID | Overall ID | Common Name | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MZS Mam11094 | mandible | n/a | Physeter catodon | P. macrocephalus | n/a | P. macrocephalus | sperm | |
| MZS Mam11103 | mandible-half | mandible | Balaena mysticetus | B. mysticetus | E. glacialis/B. mysticetus | B. mysticetus | bowhead | |
| MZS Mam11104 | upper cranium | cranium | Mysticeti (parvorder) | B. physalus | B. physalus* | fin | ||
| MZS Mam11105 | mandible parts | n/a | B. physalus | n/a | B. physalus* | fin | ||
| MZS Mam11106 | mandible | n/a | P. macrocephalus | n/a | P. macrocephalus | sperm | ||
| MZS Mam11109 | vertebrae and ribs | vertebra | Balaenoptera sp. | Mysticeti (parvorder) | B. physalus | B. physalus* | fin | |
| MSZ Mam11110 | .1 | complete skeleton | cranium | M. novaeangliae | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | B. bonaerensis** | minke | |
| .2 | mandible | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis or B. borealis | ||||||
| MZS Mam11111 | .1 | skeleton | vertebra 16 | Balaenoptera sulfurea | B. musculus? | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | B. bonaerensis** | minke |
| .2 | without skull | rib 5L | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | |||||
| .3 | left arm | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | ||||||
| .4 | haemal arch | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis or B. borealis | ||||||
| .5 | sternum | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | ||||||
| .6 | scapula | B. acutorostrata/B. bonaerensis | ||||||
| MZS Mam11112 | complete skeleton | n/a | B. arnuxii | n/a | B. arnuxii | Arnoux’s beaked | ||
| MZS Mam11113 | .1 | partial skeleton | cranium | Mysticeti (parvorder) | B. borealis | B. borealis | minke | |
| .2 | vertebra | B. borealis | ||||||
| MZS Mam11114 | bone fragment | n/a | Balaena mysticetus | B. physalus | n/a | B. physalus* | fin | |
| MZS Mam11118 | cranium | cranium | Balaena mysticetus | E. glacialis | E. glacialis/B. mysticetus | E. glacialis | right | |
| MZS Mam11119 | cranium and upper jaw | n/a | Physeter catodon | P. macrocephalus | n/a | P. macrocephalus | sperm |
[i] * indicates elements that possibly belong to the same individual.
** indicates elements that likely belong to the same individual.
Figure 1
Old documents related to whale specimens at the MZS. (a) Post-card, probably from the beginning of the 20th century (first published in 1923), showing the entrance hall of the museum. (b) Notes by Ludwig Döderlein at the back of a letter from James Dall dated Oct 8, 1905.
Figure 2
Two reconstituted whale skeletons. (a) 3D reconstruction of the skeleton of a Berardius arnuxii specimen (MZS Mam11112) as completed by Laetoli Production. (b) All elements of the skeleton of a minke whale (MZS Mam11110 and MZS Mam11111). Photo Vincent Chevillon.
Figure 3
ZooMS identification. Example whale spectra from two individuals, MZS Mam11103 (Balaena mysticetus) and MZS Mam11113 (Balaenoptera borealis), indicating the three key markers that are used to distinguish the whale species. Marker B has variants at m/z 1441 and 1453. Marker C has variants at m/z 1550 and 1566. Marker P2 has variants at m/z 1652 and 1682 (Buckley et al. 2014). Whale images by Tom Fricker from thenounproject.org.