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Specimen of the Week 335: The Chinstrap Penguin skull

By Jack Ashby, on 23 March 2018

This week’s Specimen of the Week is a guest edition by Front of House Volunteer and UCL Student of History and Philosophy of Science, Leah Christian.

A couple of weeks ago we gave you a skull from the flamingo, a bird that prefers the warmer climes. Now, let’s look at a bird that would feel right at home in the United Kingdom this week…

 

A chinstrap penguind skull. LDUCZ-Y1577

A chinstrap penguind skull. LDUCZ-Y1577

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Specimen of the Week 326: elephant bird egg

By Will J Richard, on 19 January 2018

Hello e-readers! Will Richard here, once again choosing a specimen for you. And to say good bye (I am soon off to pastures new) I’ve gone for a giant. The biggest in its Class….

LDUCZ-Y1 elephant bird egg cast

LDUCZ-Y1 elephant bird egg cast

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Specimen of the Week 315 : The Red Ancients

By Tannis Davidson, on 3 November 2017

Back in September, a Specimen of the Week blog post The Gross, The Bad and The Ugly featured a number jarred specimens which were, in part due to their dreadful condition, disposed of. They were all fluid preserved specimens which had over time deteriorated and disintegrated and could not be salvaged by conservation.

But not all specimens in jars have this potential to turn nasty. There are thousands of fluid specimens in the collection which are in excellent condition. The Grant Museum also has specimens in jars which are not fluid preserved at all and, by the virtue of their jarred-ness, have been shielded from the effects of deterioration and look as lively and colourful as they did on their last living day.

So, as a counterpart to the uglies, this week’s blog is showcasing some lovelies… (more…)

Specimen of the Week 305: The Horned Screamer

By Nadine Gabriel, on 25 August 2017

Hello everyone, it’s Nadine Gabriel. I’ve been a familiar face at the Grant Museum over the years and I have recently started an internship here – I’m really looking forward to another year at the museum! Over the past few months, I’ve been accessioning objects in the display cabinets high up in the museum and I have come across many interesting specimens. However, one mounted skeleton with a striking pose really stood out to me and it’s also the only specimen of its species in the Grant Museum. Let’s make some noise for the horned screamer!

Articulated skeleton of a horned screamer (Anhima cornuta) LDUCZ-Y519

Articulated skeleton of a horned screamer (Anhima cornuta) LDUCZ-Y519

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Specimen of the Week 301: The formerly googly-eyed owl

By Jack Ashby, on 21 July 2017

The long-eared owl: BEFORE. LDUCZ-Y1604

The long-eared owl: BEFORE. LDUCZ-Y1604

In a move unprecedented in Specimen of the Week history, I have chosen to blogify the same specimen as I selected in my last Specimen of the Week. The reason is that in many ways it is not the same specimen as it was six weeks ago: it has undergone a profound transformation. We used to call this specimen “the googly-eyed owl”, due to its comedy wonky eyes, but it is googly-eyed no longer. This week’s Specimen of the Week is… (more…)

Specimen of the Week 294: The Swift

By Dean W Veall, on 2 June 2017

Hello Specimen of the Week fans, Dean Veall here. This week I’ve chosen a specimen I have often got confused by at this time of the year.  This week’s Specimen of the Week is…

Taxidermy swift LDUCZ-Y1552

Taxidermy swift LDUCZ-Y1552

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Specimen of the week 292: the horned lizard

By Will J Richard, on 19 May 2017

LDUCZ-X86 horned lizard

LDUCZ-X86 horned lizard

The Mexican plateau horned lizard (Phrynosoma orbiculare) is a small reptile native to the high plateau of Central Mexico. They are almost spherical, about the size of a 50p coin, and have two characteristic horn-like projections on their snout. They seem pretty harmless… THIS IS NOT THE CASE. As a last resort the tiny lizards can shoot streams of pressurised blood from the corners of their eyes, spraying predators over a metre and half away. At first this seemed the single grimmest thing I’ve ever read about any animal but it got me looking at other disgusting ways species choose to defend themselves. These are a few of my “favourites”…

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Specimen of the Week 289: Proavis Wax Model

By ucwehlc, on 28 April 2017

This week we bring you a charming and slightly mad model of an animal that never was. Look, up on the shelf! It’s a bird! It’s a dinosaur! No, specimen of the week is…

Proavis wax model LDUCZ-X1180

Proavis wax model LDUCZ-X1180

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Specimen of the Week 277: Hornbill Skull

By Dean W Veall, on 3 February 2017

Black-casqed hornbill LDUCZ-Y1710 Ceratogymna atrata

Black-casqed hornbill LDUCZ-Y1710 Ceratogymna atrata

Hello Specimen of the Week fans, Dean Veall here. This week I’ve chosen a specimen that is a bit of an avian showoff in the animal world (**PLUG PLUG**Join us on Thursday 9 March for more showoffs in Animal Showoff **PLUG PLUG**). That is no mean feat for birds, a group of vertebrates that are known for their showoffy-ness. My Specimen of Week is a hornbill skull and I fear I cannot restrain myself from singing the one song hornbills are famous for. Can’t place the song? Read on….. 

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Specimen of the Week 271: Helmeted guineafowl

By Dean W Veall, on 23 December 2016

Dean Veall here. ‘Twas the night before the night before Christmas and all the Museum, not a creature was stirring (on account of them being dead and all), not even a mouse, (because that particular specimen was preserved using an experimental freeze drying technique). Festive greetings blog readers. I’ve chosen the guineafowl for my specimen this week, which has (sort of, ish) festive connections. The wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo), was often confused with the more familiar guineafowl in the 1600’s when European settlers reached America, due to the the featherless heads and similar colouration of the plumage.  And with that tenuous festive link, this week’s Specimen of the Week is:

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