Page Contents: Section | Significance | Background | Location & Dates | Taxonomic Contents | Documentation | Description of Collection | Collection Inventory | Collection Assets Specimen Condition | Container Condition | Label Condition | Label Content | Level of Taxonomic Identification

Mongolia Expedition 2002

Section Responsible for Processing

MBC

Significance

Very little is known about the crustacean fauna of Mongolia. This expedition sampled previously unexplored areas in order to better understand the biodiversity of freshwater invertebrates of Mongolia.
More data about this collection are at the <a href=“http://research.nhm.org/mongolia”>Mongolia Expedition</a> website.

Background

The Mongolia Expedition was funded by National Science Foundation grants DEB-BE-0120635 and DEB-PEET-9978193 awarded to Dr. Joel W. Martin, Curator of Crustacea, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. The trip was organized by Dr. Regina Wetzer.

Collection Location and Dates

Samples were collected from T^v, Dundgov', ÷mn^gov', Bayankhongor, Arkhangay, and ÷v^rkhangay aimags of Mongolia (geographic coordinates for each site are included as part of the label data). Freshwater habitats including temporary ponds, lakes, rivers, streams, and underground springs from various ecosystems such as desert, desert steppes, forest steppes, and mountainous regions, were sampled. The dates of the expedition were from 18 August to 3 September 2002.

Taxonomic Contents

The collection consists primarily of ostracods, copepods (and other meiofauna), conchostracans, anostracans, notostracans, insects (aquatic and terresterial), spiders, leeches, various gastropods, and nematomorphs.

Documentation

Letters of invitation and permits are on file in the Registrar's Office. See the <a href=“http://research.nhm.org/mongolia”>Mongolia Expedition</a> website for physical descriptions of collecting sites.

Description of Collection

The specimens were originally fixed and preserved in 95% ethanol. Upon return to the Crustacea Lab the original preservative was replaced with fresh 95% ethanol. Currently the collection is located in the Marine Biodiversity Processing Center’s Collection room.

Collection Inventory

The collection consists of approximately 114 lots.

Collection Assets

Date	View or Retrieve	File Information
08/05/2008	View [621.4 kB]	Notostraca and Diplostraca (tadpole and clam shrimp). Photo by K. Omura.
08/05/2008	View [459.7 kB]	Notostraca and Anostraca (tadpole and fairy shrimp). Photo by K. Omura.

Curatorial Status (Click to view)

Specimen Condition

Date	4: New alcohol needed immediately (specimens will otherwise be irreparably damaged)	3: Containers need to be 'topped off'	2: New alcohol needed within next 6-12 months	1: No curation needed at present
10/10/2002	0%	0%	0%	100%

Container Condition

Date	4: Immediate short-term (less than 5 years) storage container replacement needed. Present containers are inadequate. Curate in the short-term with plastic buckets, whirltop bags, or similar.	3: Specimens contained in museum-grade long-term (greater than 5 years) storage containers. Jars need new closures (e.g. replace Bakelite and metal lids).	2: Transfer to museum-grade long-term storage containers. Replace or transfer to new jars and glass vials, replace cotton and closures.	1: Containers are museum-grade and meet highest curation standards.
10/10/2002	0%	0%	0%	100%

Label Condition

Date	4: New labels needed immediately (original labels in poor condition, paper torn/worn, legibility poor).	3: New labels needed within next 1-2 years (original labels beginning to wear, pencil writing fading, low quality paper was used).	2: New labels needed are as a result of curation and accretion of collection.	1: No new labels needed at present.
10/10/2002	0%	0%	0%	100%

Label Content

Date	2: New label or additional label needed because original label data is incomplete and supporting documentation provides additional collection data which greately enhances significance and value of each lot.	1: Label content complete. All collection data are contained on label.
10/10/2002	0%	100%

Level of Taxonomic Identification

Date	7: Not identified	6: Phylum	5: Class	4: Order	3: Family	2: Genus	1: Species
01/13/2003	0%	5%	0%	95%	0%	0%	0%
10/10/2002	100%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%	0%