2025 Volume 134 Issue 1 Pages 53-61
The current status and problems of natural history specimens in university collections are discussed. Focusing on solid Earth science specimens (such as rocks, minerals, and fossils), the current status of academic specimens listed in the Compendium of Natural History University Collections published by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science in 1981 is surveyed. The survey reveals that, by 2019, about 60 percent of the approximately 26 million specimens held by national universities had been lost or misplaced. The reasons for lost or misplaced specimens include the university reforms that have been underway since 1992, a decline in the number of Earth and planetary science faculties, low specimen preservation literacy in the solid sciences, and inadequate laws and regulations on natural history specimens. Natural science specimens preserved at universities are valuable resources for developing natural sciences and should be passed on to future generations without being dispersed. However, there is currently no national system for the systematic management of natural history specimens in Japan. In many cases, the organization and storage of natural history specimens in university collections is left to the autonomous activities of researchers and disciplines. This current situation should be urgently improved, and a comprehensive system should be established to effectively and sustainably utilize existing natural history assets for the future.
