The historical sponges Collection in the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN.CSIC): 1771–1939

Abstract

A study of the collection of historical sponges of the Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales is presented. This collection contains material from three different periods of the institution: the era of the Royal Cabinet of Natural History (1771–1815), the late XIX and the first third of XX century, under the direction of Ignacio Bolívar. There are over 800 specimens (143 species) of which 61 (26 species) come from the first period: 41 directly from Pedro Franco Dávila Collection or the years when Dávila was director of the Royal Cabinet (1771–1786), 13 from Antonio Parra Collection, six from Rojas Clemente and one from the Malaspina Expedition (1789–1794). The Museum preserves 350 pieces, mostly microscopic slides (over 40 species), from the late nineteenth century. Finally, more than 400 (120 species) entered along the period of Ignacio Bolívar as director of the Museum (1901–1939). This work has a threefold objective: 1. To continue the study of the material from the Royal Cabinet, which was commenced during 2003–2007. 2. To present the results of the recovery of more than 400 microscopic slides from late nineteenth and the beginning of XX, a work that commenced in 2014, together with a review of the rest of the material of this period. 3. To investigate the work of Francisco Ferrer Hernández, who highlighted during Bolívar period. Ferrer identified more of 280 specimens and described a dozen of new species.