Looking back to move forward – Impact of historical moss specimens on modern systematics

Abstract

Natural history collections reflect our desire to understand the living world. Each collection is unique based on how it was composed, who composed it, where the specimens originated from, and how it has been enriched. Natural history institutions preserve, curate and enhance their collections on an ongoing basis and they serve as a powerful scientific resource. Collections provide a window into past, present and future biodiversity via the information contained on and in specimens. They play a crucial role in the documentation,
description and understanding of species themselves, with the specimens held in global collections forming the foundation for all taxonomic endeavours.