The Field Museum in Chicago has kindly lent me the only known museum collection of the tiger-snail variety that I’m writing up as a new species. Genetic data indicate that this population is distinct and quite different from the other species in our region. One of the shells in this tube will become the “holotype” of the new species, the physical specimen to which the species name is attached. This all depends on the approval of the peer-review process, so the holotype will not be official until (and if) the new species passes muster in review.
Please tell me they didn’t send this to you via the mail! :-)
Yes, the US Mail is an oft used way to get well-packed museum specimens around. I’ve never heard of any that have gotten lost.
That’s really neat!