Matskási István (szerk.): A Magyar Természettudományi Múzeum évkönyve 101. (Budapest 2009)
Pálfy, J.: Review of invertebrate and vertebrate paleontological types in the collection of the Hungarian Natural History Museum
16 J. P tîlfy Our in-house scientific staff has been engaged in revisionary work; the example of BÁLDL 's revision of NOSZKY'S work was already mentioned above. More recent is the revision of Neogene proboscideans by GASPARIK (2001 ) and the as yet unpublished revision of HANTKEN'S nummulite collection by KECSKEMÉTI. External experts also take part in these activities, e.g. HANTKEN'S smaller foraminifers were revised by HORVÁTH (2002, 2003). The significance of an almost forgotten assemblage of Middle Jurassic cephalopods and bivalves from the Eastern Caucasus (Daghestan, Russia) was recognized during the type catalogue project. The historic collection contains types of PAPP ( 1907), originating from the pioneer expeditions led to the Caucasus by DÉCHY. The material, once treasured in the GIH, was transferred to HNHM after 1956 and it has now been taxonomically revised by GALÁCZ & SZENTE (2008). International interest is exemplified by ongoing revision of the Neogene pectinid bivalves of CSEPREGHY-MEZNERICS (1960) by O. MANDIC (Vienna), and numerous research visits by foreign taxonomists through SYNTHESYS, an EU-funded project that facilitates collection access. Despite these areas of progress, several parts of the type collection remain in need of modern revision. An example is the Jurassic fossils described by COQUAND, which furnish several available names that undeservedly fell into disuse simply because of the obscurity of their type material. A similar study on the Crctaceous cephalopod types of COQUAND, housed in the GIH collection, is underway by SziVES. Also warranted is a comprehensive revision of the coral species erected by KOLOSVÁRY , many of them based on inadequately preserved type material, nevertheless occasionally used by other taxonomists. Another avenue of research, which has not yet been pursued extensively, is the morphometric characterization of various species based on their type material. Traditionally, most of the diagnoses and original descriptions rely on expert opinions. Modern methods such as geometric morphometries, landmark analysis, and Fourier shape analysis applied to selected taxa within the type collection could complement and enhance the original descriptions, and help characterize and distinguish taxa on a more quantitative basis. COMPARISON WITH DATA IN THE TYPE CATALOGUE OF BODA (1964) The first comprehensive paleontological type catalogue in Hungary was compiled by BODA ( 1964), with a cut-off date of included information set to 1960. However, merely a few years after the destruction at HNHM, it was not yet possible to locate all specimens or confirm their loss, hence the listing is replete with types of unknown whereabouts. The HNHM received and/or catalogued significant donations from other institutions (notably the GIH and the Eötvös University) after I960, thus many types entered into our collection after publication ofBODA (1964). Moreover, that catalogue is restricted to species described from the territory of present-day Hungary, thereby disregarding a significant number of types from either those parts of historical Hungary, which now belong to neighbor states or countries farther afield. Naturally, a large number of new species has been described from Hungary or by Hungarian paleontologists since 1960. Annls hist.-nat. Mus. natn. hung. 101, 2009
