Введение
Международная база данных образцов тилацина (ITSD) является результатом четырехлетнего исследовательского проекта, направленного на каталогизацию и цифровую фотосъемку всех известных сохранившихся материалов тилацина (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (или тасманского тигра), хранящихся в музейных, университетских и частных коллекциях. Безусловно, по моему опыту, это наиболее полная компиляция, посвященная вымершим или находящимся под угрозой исчезновения животным, когда-либо созданная, и, следовательно, она будет чрезвычайно полезна для многих поколений ученых. Проф. Майк Арчер, декан факультета естественных наук Университета Нового Южного Уэльса.
The International Thylacine Specimen Database (ITSD) is the culmination of a four year research project to catalogue and digitally photograph all known surviving specimen material of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (or Tasmanian tiger) held within museum, university, and private collections. text=Certainly in my experience this is by far the most thorough compilation focused on an extinct or endangered animal ever produced and, as such, bound to be enormously useful to many generations of scientists to come.|sign=Prof. Mike Archer, Dean of Science University of New South Wales
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
ITSD впервые была опубликована в электронном виде на серии из трех CD-ROM в апреле 2005 года. Она была обновлена в июле 2006 года и полностью пересмотрена в мае 2009 года, а затем выпущена на одном DVD объемом около 3,68 ГБ данных и изображений. ITSD разработана как бесплатный академический инструмент для продвижения и облегчения исследований этого вида на уровне бакалавриата и магистратуры. Доступ к ней возможен через офисы кураторов и заведующих кафедрами университетов и музеев, располагающих материалами тилацина, или через библиотеки нескольких крупных зоологических обществ. ITSD содержит все доступные каталожные данные для каждого отдельного образца, например, учреждение-хранитель, идентификационный номер каталога, пол, дата приобретения, тип образца, источник, местонахождение, коллектор, полевой номер, старые или дополнительные номера каталога, информация о покупке или обмене и любые дополнительные примечания, касающиеся образца. Для поддержки данных и значительного повышения их образовательной ценности включены цифровые изображения образцов высокого разрешения. Банк изображений образцов ITSD является крупнейшим в мире фотоархивом подобного рода. Основным обоснованием включения цифровых изображений было:
The International Thylacine Specimen Database (ITSD) is the culmination of a four year research project to catalogue and digitally photograph all known surviving specimen material of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (or Tasmanian tiger) held within museum, university, and private collections. text=Certainly in my experience this is by far the most thorough compilation focused on an extinct or endangered animal ever produced and, as such, bound to be enormously useful to many generations of scientists to come.|sign=Prof. Mike Archer, Dean of Science University of New South Wales
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
Предоставить исследователям удаленный визуальный доступ к материалам образцов тилацина и сопутствующим данным, тем самым стимулируя и продвигая дальнейшие исследования этого вида. Сохранить исходные образцы от чрезмерного обращения, что напрямую способствует их долгосрочной сохранности. Обеспечить сохранность исходных материалов, поскольку для всех образцов в базе данных существует фотодокументация. Сохранить цифровые изображения образцов в их текущем состоянии сохранности. Набор данных в ITSD поддерживается банком изображений, состоящим примерно из 2000 цифровых фотографий образцов высокого разрешения. Все биологические материалы со временем ухудшаются, и эти уникальные цифровые изображения будут служить постоянной записью образцов для будущих поколений в их нынешнем состоянии. Влажные препараты – это целые животные, органы или части тела, сохраненные в спирте или формалине. Образцы тилацина широко распространены по всему миру, поэтому поиск этих образцов с самого начала был международным, охватившим в общей сложности 106 музейных, университетских и частных коллекций в 23 странах. text=Международная база данных образцов тилацина – это уникальная и точная база данных о крупнейшем современном сумчатом хищнике. Я уверен, что все исследователи оценят как ее сложность, так и точность как исследовательского инструмента. Это замечательный ресурс и чрезвычайно ценная часть природного наследия Австралии. Хайнц Ф. Мёллер, бывший директор Зоологического музея и Департамента сравнительной морфологии позвоночных Гейдельбергского университета, автор книги "Der Beutelwolf".
The International Thylacine Specimen Database (ITSD) is the culmination of a four year research project to catalogue and digitally photograph all known surviving specimen material of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (or Tasmanian tiger) held within museum, university, and private collections. text=Certainly in my experience this is by far the most thorough compilation focused on an extinct or endangered animal ever produced and, as such, bound to be enormously useful to many generations of scientists to come.|sign=Prof. Mike Archer, Dean of Science University of New South Wales
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
Основная копия ITSD хранится в Зоологическом обществе Лондона, а зеркальные копии – в Университете Тасмании в Хобарте, Австралийской национальной коллекции дикой природы в Канберре и Музее и художественной галерее королевы Виктории в Лансестоне. Основная и зеркальные копии постоянно пересматриваются и обновляются по мере поступления новой информации. Зоологическое общество было выбрано для хранения основной копии ITSD из-за его исторической связи с тилацином. Большая часть ранних научных работ по этому виду была опубликована в его "Трудах", а зоопарк общества в парке Реджент выставлял больше тилацинов, чем любой другой зоопарк за пределами Австралии. Каждый год Королевское зоологическое общество Нового Южного Уэльса проводит вручение премии Уитли. Эти награды являются данью уважения Гилберту Уитли, выдающемуся австралийскому ихтиологу, и присуждаются за выдающиеся публикации, содержащие значительный объем новой информации о фауне Австралазии. В сентябре 2005 года Международная база данных образцов тилацина была удостоена премии Уитли как лучшая зоологическая база данных. Это был первый случай в истории премии, когда премия Уитли была присуждена базе данных.
The International Thylacine Specimen Database (ITSD) is the culmination of a four year research project to catalogue and digitally photograph all known surviving specimen material of the thylacine (Thylacinus cynocephalus) (or Tasmanian tiger) held within museum, university, and private collections. text=Certainly in my experience this is by far the most thorough compilation focused on an extinct or endangered animal ever produced and, as such, bound to be enormously useful to many generations of scientists to come.|sign=Prof. Mike Archer, Dean of Science University of New South Wales
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.
The ITSD was first published as an electronic resource on a series of three CD ROMs in April 2005. It was updated in July 2006 and completely revised in May 2009 and released on a single DVD totalling some 3.68 GB of data and images. The ITSD has been designed as a free access academic tool to promote and facilitate undergraduate and postgraduate research into the species. It can be accessed through the offices of the curators and heads of department of the universities and museums that hold thylacine material or alternatively through the libraries of several of the major zoological societies. The ITSD lists all available catalogue data for each individual specimen e. g. holding institution, catalogue identification number, sex, date of acquisition, specimen type, source, locality, collector, field number, old or additional catalogue numbers, purchase or exchange information and finally any additional remarks pertaining to the specimen. To support the data component and to significantly enhance its educational worth, high resolution digital images of the specimens are included. The ITSD specimen image bank forms the largest single photographic resource of its kind anywhere in the world. The primary justification for including digital images was to:
Give researchers remote visual access to thylacine specimen material and to the accompanying data thus encouraging and promoting continued research into the species. Conserve source specimen material from excessive handling hence directly contributing to its long term conservation. Assist with the security of source material in that a photographic record exists for all specimens within the database. Preserve digital images of the specimens in their current state of preservation. text=The data sets within the ITSD are supported by an image bank of around 2000 high resolution digital photographs of the specimens themselves. All biological material deteriorates over time and these unique digital images will act as a permanent record of the specimens for future generations in their present state of preservation.|sign=Nicholas Ayliffe, principal photographer to the ITSD Project
Specimen material within the ITSD comprises skins, skeletons, skulls, taxidermy mounts and wet specimens. Wet specimens are whole animals, organs or body parts that have been preserved in either alcohol or formalin. Specimens of the thylacine are spread extensively around the globe so the search to locate these specimens was from the outset an international search involving a total of 106 museum, university and private collections in 23 countries. text=The International Thylacine Specimen Database is a unique and precise database of the largest modern day marsupial carnivore. I am confident that all researchers will appreciate both its complexity and accuracy as a research tool. It is a wonderful resource and an extremely valuable part of Australia’s natural heritage.|sign=Heinz F. Moeller, former director of the Zoological Museum and Department of Comparative Morphology of Vertebrates, Heidelberg University, author of Der Beutelwolf
The master copy of the ITSD is held at the Zoological Society in London with mirror copies held within the university of Tasmania in Hobart, the Australian National Wildlife Collection in Canberra and the Queen Victoria Museum and Art Gallery in Launceston. The master and mirror copies are kept constantly revised and updated as new information comes to light. The Zoological Society was chosen to hold the master copy of the ITSD because of its historic association with the thylacine. The bulk of the early scientific papers on the species were published within its "Proceedings" and the society's zoo in Regent's Park exhibited more thylacines than any other zoo outside Australia. Each year the Royal Zoological Society of New South Wales hosts the Whitley Awards. These awards are a tribute to Gilbert Whitley, the eminent Australian ichthyologist and are presented for outstanding publications that contain a significant amount of new information relating to the fauna of the Australasian region. In September 2005 the International Thylacine Specimen Database was awarded the Whitley Award for the best zoological database. This was the first time in the history of the awards that a Whitley citation had been presented for a database.