In from the cold: an overview of the British Antarctic Survey fossil collections

The British Antarctic Survey is the custodian of more than 57,000 Antarctic fossils, of which some 2,500 are Type & Figured specimens. In addition to these, the geological collections include over 100,000 rock and mineral specimens representing all the main lithologies. Gathered over the last 60 years, the collections form an invaluable taxonomic and lithographic resource for the study of biodiversity, environmental change and planetary evolution. Methods of analysis are constantly being refined and up-dated so the collection needs to be effectively managed, stored and recorded if it is to continue to function as an investigative resource. Good curation is especially important given the high cost, in both time and money, of collecting specimens from such a remote and hostile environment. For the most part, the material is well documented but more curatorial time needs to be spent on the specimens if they are not to deteriorate through contamination or neglect.

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