Abstract
In anatomy, various methods such as boiling, maceration, and dissection are used to prepare the skeleton. However, while the existing methods are used in the skeleton preparation stage of small animals, the integrity of the skeleton is impaired, and there are difficulties in the reassembly of the bones. For this reason, it is planned to create small animal skeletons without loss and damage by using mealworms. In the study, 1100 mealworms (Arthropoda: Dermestidae) with a total weight of approximately 110 grams and three rat carcasses with a weight of approximately 177 grams were used. To observe the carcass cleaning performance of the mealworms, the initial weight and final weight of the carcass were measured with a precision scale. It was observed that on days of 3rd-5th, the meat on the rib was eaten and the ribs appeared. The vertebral column became more evident in the 6th-8th days. In the 6th-9th days, the ribs were completely cleared, and the extremity bones were visible. The skull and extremities were evident in all their details between the 9th-12th days. At the end of the 15th day, it was determined that mealworms had completely exposed the rat skeleton. As a result, in this study, it was observed that approximately 1100 mealworms consumed 159 g of meat in 15 days, resulting in a lossless and undamaged rat skeleton. In addition, the advantages and disadvantages of creating small animal skeleton using mealworms were determined in this study.
Thanks
A part of this study was presented as a poster presentation in the congress named “International Congress on Biological and Health Science, Online” held between 26-28 February 2021.
References
- Ajayi A, Edjomariegwe O, Iselaiye O (2016): A review of bone preparation techniques for anatomical studies. Malaya J Biosci, 3, 76-80.
- Allen E, Neill W (1950): Cleaning mammal skeletons with meal worms. J Mammal, 31, 464-464.
- Allouch G (2014): Scientific technique for skeletons preservation and preparation of anatomical models to promote veterinary anatomy. J Vet Anat, 7, 133-139.
- Anderson R (2020): Methods of collecting and preserving vertebrate animals. Read Books Ltd.
- Anonymous (2022): Mealworms Life cycle. https://mealwormcare.org. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Archana M, Pathak S, Pawde A (2018): Characterization of skeleton preparation in avian, mammalian, and reptile species with empirical methodology. Anim Sci Report, 11, 1-9.
- Botero-González D, Agudelo M (2019): Comparison of macerations with dermestid larvae, potassium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite in Wistar rat crania. Anatomy, 13, 149-154.
- Dalton S, Al-Zubiedi H (2019): The Mealworm Farm Project: a low-cost household mealworm farm. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/reports/s1784q90w. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Fenton TW, Birkby WH, Cornelison J (2003): A fast and safe non-bleaching method for forensic skeletal preparation. J Forensic Sci, 48, 274-276.
- Hefti E, Trechsel U, Rüfenacht H, et al (1980): Use of dermestid beetles for cleaning bones. Calcif Tissue Int, 31, 45-47.
- İnce N, Onar V (2004): Dermestid böcekleri: Biyolojisi ve koloni oluşturulması. Istanbul Univ Vet Fak Derg, 30, 133-140.
- Kamath V, Bhat S, Asif M, et al (2016): Anatomy museums of southern India and medical education: An original research. Indian J Clin Anat Physiol, 3, 45-49.
- Leeper BJ (2015): Evaluation of current methods of soft tissue removal from bone [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. PhD thesis: University of Pittsburgh.
- Magni PA, Voss SC, Testi R, et al (2015): A biological and procedural review of forensically significant Dermestes species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). J Med Entomol, 52, 755-769.
- Mairs S, Swift B, Rutty GN (2004): Detergent: an alternative approach to traditional bone cleaning methods for forensic practice. Am J Forensic Med Pathol, 25, 276-284.
- Mccarthy E (2015): The Flesh-Eating Beetles that Work at Natural History Museums. https://www.mentalfloss.com/ article/68184/beetles-work-natural-history-museums. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Onwuama KT, Salami SO, Ali M, et al (2012): Effect of different methods of bone preparation on the skeleton of the African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus). J Morphol, 30, 425-427.
- Pahl A (2020): Skeleton preparation best practices in the modern museum: the Dermestid approach. Curator: The Museum Journal, 63, 99-113.
- Sanger Ciarleglio JE, Perez KM, Motola HL, et al (2020): Recommendations for maintaining a Dermestid beetle colony (Dermestes maculatus) for processing human remains. J Forensic Sci, 65, 1698-1703.
- Sarma A, Baro B, Das GC, et al (2017): Using of bleaching powder for cleaning embalmed cadaveric bones. JMSCR, 5, 15460-15465.
- Selaledi L, Mbajiorgu C, Mabelebele M (2020): The use of yellow mealworm (T. molitor) as alternative source of protein in poultry diets: a review. Trop Anim Health Prod, 52, 7-16.
- Simonsen KP, Rasmussen AR, Mathisen P, et al (2011): A fast preparation of skeletal materials using enzyme maceration. J Forensic Sci, 56, 480-484.
- Tompsett DH (1970): Anatomical techniques. Churchill Livingstone.
Abstract
Anatomi alanında iskelet hazırlamada çeşitli yöntemler kullanılmaktadır. Bu çalışma, yemek kurtlarının yumuşak dokuları tüketerek iskelet elde etmek için kullanılıp kullanılamayacağını ve iskeleti ortaya çıkarmanın ne kadar sürdüğünü belirlemek amacıyla yapılmıştır. Çalışmada toplam ağırlığı yaklaşık 110 gram olan 1100 adet un kurdu ve ağırlığı yaklaşık 177 gram olan üç adet sıçan karkası kullanıldı. Un kurtlarının karkas temizleme performansını gözlemlemek için karkasın başlangıç ağırlığı ve son ağırlığı hassas terazi ile ölçüldü. 3.-5. günlerde kaburgalar üzerindeki etin yendiği ve kaburgaların ortaya çıktığı görüldü. Omurga sütunu 6.-8. günlerde daha belirgin hale geldi. 6.-9. günlerde kaburgalar tamamen temizlendi ve uzuv kemikleri görüldü. 9-12 gün arasında kafatası ve uzuvlar tüm detaylarıyla belirgindi. 15. günün sonunda un kurtlarının sıçan iskeletini tamamen açığa çıkardığı belirlendi. Sonuç olarak bu çalışmada, un kurdu ile ilk kez sıçan iskeleti oluşturulmuş ve bu kurtların et tüketim oranları ilk kez belirlenmiştir. Onbeş günde yaklaşık 1100 adet yemek kurdu 159 gr et tüketerek sıçan iskeletini ortaya çıkardı.
References
- Ajayi A, Edjomariegwe O, Iselaiye O (2016): A review of bone preparation techniques for anatomical studies. Malaya J Biosci, 3, 76-80.
- Allen E, Neill W (1950): Cleaning mammal skeletons with meal worms. J Mammal, 31, 464-464.
- Allouch G (2014): Scientific technique for skeletons preservation and preparation of anatomical models to promote veterinary anatomy. J Vet Anat, 7, 133-139.
- Anderson R (2020): Methods of collecting and preserving vertebrate animals. Read Books Ltd.
- Anonymous (2022): Mealworms Life cycle. https://mealwormcare.org. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Archana M, Pathak S, Pawde A (2018): Characterization of skeleton preparation in avian, mammalian, and reptile species with empirical methodology. Anim Sci Report, 11, 1-9.
- Botero-González D, Agudelo M (2019): Comparison of macerations with dermestid larvae, potassium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite in Wistar rat crania. Anatomy, 13, 149-154.
- Dalton S, Al-Zubiedi H (2019): The Mealworm Farm Project: a low-cost household mealworm farm. https://escholarship.mcgill.ca/concern/reports/s1784q90w. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Fenton TW, Birkby WH, Cornelison J (2003): A fast and safe non-bleaching method for forensic skeletal preparation. J Forensic Sci, 48, 274-276.
- Hefti E, Trechsel U, Rüfenacht H, et al (1980): Use of dermestid beetles for cleaning bones. Calcif Tissue Int, 31, 45-47.
- İnce N, Onar V (2004): Dermestid böcekleri: Biyolojisi ve koloni oluşturulması. Istanbul Univ Vet Fak Derg, 30, 133-140.
- Kamath V, Bhat S, Asif M, et al (2016): Anatomy museums of southern India and medical education: An original research. Indian J Clin Anat Physiol, 3, 45-49.
- Leeper BJ (2015): Evaluation of current methods of soft tissue removal from bone [Doctoral dissertation, University of Pittsburgh]. PhD thesis: University of Pittsburgh.
- Magni PA, Voss SC, Testi R, et al (2015): A biological and procedural review of forensically significant Dermestes species (Coleoptera: Dermestidae). J Med Entomol, 52, 755-769.
- Mairs S, Swift B, Rutty GN (2004): Detergent: an alternative approach to traditional bone cleaning methods for forensic practice. Am J Forensic Med Pathol, 25, 276-284.
- Mccarthy E (2015): The Flesh-Eating Beetles that Work at Natural History Museums. https://www.mentalfloss.com/ article/68184/beetles-work-natural-history-museums. (Accessed 2022, February 26).
- Onwuama KT, Salami SO, Ali M, et al (2012): Effect of different methods of bone preparation on the skeleton of the African Giant Pouched Rat (Cricetomys gambianus). J Morphol, 30, 425-427.
- Pahl A (2020): Skeleton preparation best practices in the modern museum: the Dermestid approach. Curator: The Museum Journal, 63, 99-113.
- Sanger Ciarleglio JE, Perez KM, Motola HL, et al (2020): Recommendations for maintaining a Dermestid beetle colony (Dermestes maculatus) for processing human remains. J Forensic Sci, 65, 1698-1703.
- Sarma A, Baro B, Das GC, et al (2017): Using of bleaching powder for cleaning embalmed cadaveric bones. JMSCR, 5, 15460-15465.
- Selaledi L, Mbajiorgu C, Mabelebele M (2020): The use of yellow mealworm (T. molitor) as alternative source of protein in poultry diets: a review. Trop Anim Health Prod, 52, 7-16.
- Simonsen KP, Rasmussen AR, Mathisen P, et al (2011): A fast preparation of skeletal materials using enzyme maceration. J Forensic Sci, 56, 480-484.
- Tompsett DH (1970): Anatomical techniques. Churchill Livingstone.
Details
| Primary Language | English |
|---|---|
| Subjects | Veterinary Surgery |
| Journal Section | Short Report |
| Authors | |
| Publication Date | March 24, 2023 |
| Published in Issue | Year 2023Volume: 70 Issue: 2 |
