Rediscovery of specimens used in the original descriptions of Petaurista leucogenys hintoni and Martes melampus coreensis

Abstract

Specimens of the Korean giant flying squirrel, Petaurista leucogenys hintoni, and the Korean marten, Martes melampus coreensis, registered as type specimens in the Natural History Museum, London were considered based on the combined examinations of specimens’ characters and attached specimens’ tags. The type specimens of these two Korean mammals had not found in previous research; however, a specimen of Petaurista leucogenys hintoni (specimen’s code: BM23.2.8.2) is considered to be the holotype of this species. A specimen of Martes melampus coreensis (specimen’s code: BM23.2.8.1) was not corresponded to the type described in the original description, but the measurements and specimen’s appearance were fit to the referred specimen used in the species description. These specimens were previously deposited in Keijo First High School, where one of the authors of these original descriptions, Tamezo Mori, was appointed to be a professor, then donated to the Natural History Museum, London. The histories of these specimens are discussed with the biographies of related researchers Tamezo Mori and Nagamichi Kuroda.