Scientists Use Lasers to Identify Darwin's 200-Year-Old Specimen Fluids
Updated
Updated · ScienceAlert · May 18
Scientists Use Lasers to Identify Darwin's 200-Year-Old Specimen Fluids
1 articles · Updated · ScienceAlert · May 18
A January 2026 paper showed scientists could identify the preservation fluids in Charles Darwin’s sealed specimen jars using laser light, avoiding the need to open containers that could damage the remains.
The method solved a long-standing museum problem: Darwin used different fluids for different kinds of animals, but the contents of many jars had remained unknown because direct sampling was too risky.
Knowing which fluids were used gives curators a practical guide to care for the nearly 200-year-old specimens and preserve them for future research.
The finding was highlighted for International Museum Day as an example of how new analytical tools can unlock discoveries from long-stored museum collections without disturbing fragile artifacts.
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Protecting 100 Million Museum Specimens: SORS Brings Non-Invasive, Accurate Fluid Identification to Heritage Conservation
Overview
A major breakthrough in museum conservation has been achieved with the use of Spatially Offset Raman Spectroscopy (SORS), a non-invasive laser technique that can identify preservation fluids inside sealed specimen jars. This method was successfully applied to 46 historic specimens at the Natural History Museum in London, including some collected by Charles Darwin nearly 200 years ago. These specimens, ranging from mammals and reptiles to fish and jellyfish, have been preserved for centuries using various and sometimes hazardous chemicals. SORS allows museums to safely analyze these fluids without opening the jars, protecting both the priceless specimens and museum staff.