Biodeterioration: Recovery of Wooden Containers Used in Paleontology Collections.

ALVAREZ STELLA MARIS; RIGUETTI FACUNDO JAVIER

Londres

Simposio; Symposium of Palaeontological Preparation and Conservation 2021; 2021

The Geological Curators 'Group

In 2011, a new integral conservation project of the Vertebrate Palaeontology collections of the Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales 'Bernardino Rivadavia' began. Between 2011-2012, diagnostic evaluations were carried out and the urgent needs of the collection were resolved. Three stages were then established according to the containment structure of the fossils: large wooden boxes, shelves and cabinets. These structures were damaged by insects identified as Anobium punctatum, Coleoptera. Long, winding circular tunnels and sawdust were observed in the affected areas. In the first stage (2013-2015) we worked on 560 wooden boxes containing 3,814 records (including 39 type specimens) with the collaboration of volunteers and museum maintenance staff. In each box we were carefully removing, cleaning, consolidating and gluing the fossils; listing the catalogue numbers of the fossils; and comparing this list with the database to verify the location of the material in that box. Handwritten labels were incorporated into airtight bags. The old separation of the fossils with tow and straw was replaced by wadding (100% polyester fibres bonded together by a melt bonding process) or polyethylene foam. The boxes were treated with a preventive and curative wood preservative to avoid deterioration caused by biological agents.