TOKYO - A taxidermy specimen stored at the National Museum of Nature and Science as "a type of wild dog" has been identified as the now-extinct Japanese wolf. The first to notice that it might be a Japanese wolf was a junior high school student from Tokyo, who, along with experts, conducted research and recently announced their findings.
The paper was published by Hina Komori, a first-year junior high school student from Tokyo, and a research team including members from the National Museum of Nature and Science. Four years ago, when Komori was in the fourth grade, she visited a special public event at the museum's storage facility in Tsukuba City, Ibaraki Prefecture, where she noticed that one of the taxidermy specimens resembled the Japanese wolf she had seen in picture books and other references. Although the specimen had been stored as "a type of wild dog," detailed research by Komori and experts based on the size of the body and historical records from the label of the taxidermy suggested that it was likely a Japanese wolf that had been kept at Ueno Zoo over a hundred years ago. The findings were compiled into a paper over two years and announced this month.
According to the research team, the Japanese wolf once inhabited Japan widely but is believed to have gone extinct about 100 years ago. There are only a few remaining specimens of taxidermy or fur samples in Japan and abroad. Komori commented, "When I saw the features like the flat shape from the forehead to the nose, the short forelegs, and the black hair on the back, I had a feeling like a radar going 'beep'—it must be a Japanese wolf. I was so excited in my head, like I wanted to start dancing or performing a dance."
After learning that the taxidermy had been treated as "a type of wild dog" and not thoroughly examined, Komori consulted with experts while investigating past records made public by museums. In her fifth grade, she compiled a report as a personal research project, suggesting that the taxidermy might be a Japanese wolf. The report won the Minister of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology Award at a contest organized by the Library Promotion Foundation. One of the experts she consulted, Sayaka Kobayashi, a researcher at the Yamashina Institute for Ornithology in Chiba Prefecture, who is knowledgeable about the history of specimens, suggested, "I want these research findings to be preserved in an academic paper."
To conduct an objective analysis for the paper, Komori spent another two years on analysis and review. After peer review by experts, the paper was published on the 22nd of this month in an electronic journal issued by the National Museum of Nature and Science. Kobayashi praised Komori's observational skills and encouraged her to continue deepening her interest in the field she is passionate about.
Shinichiro Kawada, a co-author of the paper and a senior researcher at the Animal Research Department of the National Museum of Nature and Science, appraised Komori's discovery and paper writing at such a young age as "amazing" and looked forward to her future discoveries. The museum houses over 5 million items, including the newly identified Japanese wolf taxidermy and other historically valuable specimens, making it the largest collection in Japan. In August last year, the museum conducted crowdfunding to support the management of its precious collection, raising over 900 million yen, far exceeding the target amount, with support from over 50,000 people.
Kawada, who is also responsible for managing the vast collection of animal taxidermy at the museum, recognized the importance of preserving valuable collections for the future through this discovery. He mentioned that there are quite a few specimens whose origins are not yet understood, and it is crucial to preserve them for future research with new technologies. Although the newly discovered taxidermy is not currently planned for public display, another Japanese wolf taxidermy is exhibited at the museum in Ueno, Tokyo, and is available for viewing.
Source: NHK
