: Hanes Naturiol

Sbeisys a pherlysiau o Dde Asia

Hasminder Kaur Aulakh, 21 Chwefror 2023

Yn ddiweddar, mae curaduron o'r adran Fotaneg wedi bod yn gweithio ar broject a ariennir gan Gyngor Ymchwil i’r Celfyddydau a’r Dyniaethau (AHRC) o’r enw Hawliau a Defodau. Nod y project yw cyd-greu dehongliadau newydd ar gyfer sbesimenau o Dde Asia trwy ychwanegu profiadau byw pobl a dealltwriaeth ddiwylliannol o wlad tarddiad y sbesimenau; cysylltu grwpiau cymunedol sy’n hanu o Asia â sbesimenau bioddiwylliannol perthnasol, ac annog deialog a chyfnewid gwybodaeth am fflora De Asia. 

Rydym wedi datblygu partneriaethau newydd gyda sawl aelod o'r gymuned Asiaidd leol trwy gyfres o weithdai rhyngweithiol. Roedd y digwyddiadau hyn yn gyfle gwych i rannu gwybodaeth am y modd y defnyddir cynhyrchion o blanhigion wrth goginio ac ar gyfer meddyginiaeth mewn diwylliannau Asiaidd traddodiadol. Yma mae’r blogiwr gwadd, Hasminder Kaur Aulakh, yn rhannu ei phrofiad o ddefnyddio ffenigl, ffenigrig a chardamom gwyrdd gartref.

 

Mae sbeisys a pherlysiau’n hanfodion mewn ceginau ledled y byd a gall eu harogl ddwyn i’r cof ein cartref a’n teulu, a digwyddiadau ac atgofion hapus. Mae lle arbennig yn ein calonnau i’r hadau, y dail, y coesynnau a’r plisg hyn ac maent yn ein hatgoffa o'n hynafiaid, ein mamwlad a'n gwreiddiau, ac yn y corff yn gymorth i ni i wella a lleddfu anhwylderau.

 

Saumph (Ffenigl)

Mae’r ffenigl cyffredin, er enghraifft, neu saumph fel mae fy nheulu Punjabi yn ei alw, yn bresennol ar ffurf hadau sych neu fel powdwr ar aelwydydd De Asiaidd. Mae’n gynhwysyn allweddol yn y gymysgedd o hadau a ddefnyddir i lanhau’r daflod a gaiff ei chynnig gan lawer o fwytai Indiaidd i buro’r anadl. Cedwir y gymysgedd hon mewn cartrefi Indiaidd  yn aml a’i chynnig i breswylwyr a gwesteion ar ôl prydau bwyd. Ond mae'r hedyn hwn yn helpu’r broses dreulio hefyd gan ei fod yn cynnwys llawer o ffeibr. Gall fod yn ddefnyddiol ar ôl pryd mawr o fwyd, am ei bod yn bosibl ei fod yn tawelu leinin y perfedd. Yn aml byddwn yn rhoi hadau saumph mewn dŵr i fabanod sy’n dioddef colig. Mae cnoi saumph yn gysylltiedig â sefydlogi pwysedd gwaed a rheoli curiad y galon hefyd.

 

Gellir ategu manteision saumph yn y system dreulio gyda moli, neu radis gwyn yn Gymraeg, ac mae saumph yn gynhwysyn hanfodol wrth wneud moli wala paronthe. Mae saumph hefyd yn gynhwysyn allweddol mewn cha hefyd, sef te masala Indiaidd, ac mewn meddyginiaeth Ayurveda, trwytho saumph yw’r ffordd fwyaf effeithiol o’i gymryd.

 

Methi (Ffenigrig)

Mae methi, neu ffenigrig, yn un arall o hanfodion aelwydydd Indiaidd. Mae'r perlysieuyn hwn yn ddefnyddiol fel dail ffres ac fel hadau. Cewch ddail methi ffres mewn cegin Indiaidd yn union fel mae basil ffres mewn cegin Eidalaidd, ac ni fyddai'r pryd Punjabi poblogaidd cyw iâr menyn yn blasu'r un fath heb ysgeintiad o methi ar ei ben. Yn ogystal â gwella blas y bwyd, mae methi yn cynnwys saponinau sy’n gallu helpu i leihau’r colesterol sy’n cael ei amsugno, gan wella iechyd y bwytäwr. Mae methi hefyd yn gadwolyn poblogaidd ar gyfer piclau hefyd.

 

Defnyddir methi fel meddyginiaeth yn y cartref hefyd. Gellir gwneud te ohono gyda mêl a lemwn i helpu i leddfu twymyn. Mae hefyd yn dda at drin problemau croen fel ecsema, llosgiadau a chrawniadau trwy wneud eli methi. Gellir defnyddio eli methi i drin cosi a chen ar y pen hefyd ac fe'i defnyddir mewn sebonau cosmetig at y diben hwn. Mae rhai’n credu bod gan methi briodweddau gwrthasid, ac o’i lyncu gall leddfu dŵr poeth.

 

Elaichi (Cardamom Gwyrdd)

Mae cryn ddadlau am y perlysieuyn hwn, gyda rhai’n cael ei flas yn atgas ac eraill yn barod i fwyta coden amrwd gyfan. Er hynny mae gan elaichi le pwysig yn y gegin yn Ne Asia. Fe'i defnyddir mewn seigiau sawrus fel biryani a bara ac mewn danteithion melys fel cha a  melysion eraill – does dim dwywaith bod lle pwysig i elaichi wrth goginio a phobi yn Ne Asia. Gwelir elaichi yn y gegin ar ffurf codenni, hadau, a/neu bowdwr, mae’n amlbwrpas a gall fod yn wyrdd neu'n ddu. Elaichi gwyrdd yw'r un a ddefnyddir gan amlaf yn Ne Asia, ond defnyddir elaichi ledled y byd yn ei wahanol ffurfiau.

 

Credir bod gan elaichi briodweddau gwrthficrobaidd, ac felly mae wedi’i ddefnyddio

mewn triniaethau llysieuol yn erbyn bacteria niweidiol. Yn debyg iawn i saumph a drafodwyd uchod, mae priodweddau gwrthficrobaidd elaichi yn ei wneud yn ddewis poblogaidd ar gyfer puro’r geg a chredir y gall cnoi’r codenni helpu i atal bacteria yn y geg sy'n gallu achosi problemau fel heintiau a thyllau mewn dannedd. Credir hefyd ei fod yn bwerus ar gyfer lleddfu llid, ac y gellir ei ddefnyddio i helpu’r system dreulio a helpu i osgoi problemau fel adlif asid a chramp yn y stumog. Mae'r rhinweddau atal llid yn dda ar gyfer trin dolur gwddf hefyd o’i ddefnyddio fel trwyth mewn dŵr neu de poeth.

 

A dyna flas ar ddefnyddiau amrywiol perlysiau a sbeisys yn Ne Asia. Er nad yw'r rhain yn gallu cymryd lle triniaethau gwrthfiotig, brechlynnau neu boenladdwyr, does dim dwywaith eu bod yn gymorth gyda chyflyrau llai difrifol. Mae perlysiau a sbeisys sawrus a blasus seigiau De Asia yn hynod bwysig wrth gadw ein cyrff yn iach a’n stumogau’n llawn, ac maent wedi’u defnyddio o un genhedlaeth i’r llall.

 

 

Digideiddio sbesimenau botanegol o Dde Asia ar gyfer y project Hawliau a Defodau

Nathan Kitto a Heather Pardoe, 21 Chwefror 2023

Dros y 7 mis diwethaf mae curaduron wedi bod yn gweithio ar y project Hawliau a Defodau a ariennir gan Gyngor Ymchwil y Celfyddydau a'r Dyniaethau (AHRC). Nod y project yw gweithio gydag aelodau o'r gymuned leol i ail-ddehongli sbesimenau Botaneg o Dde Asia, o’r Casgliad Botaneg Economaidd yn bennaf, er mwyn darparu cyd-destun diwylliannol, deall dulliau traddodiadol o ddefnyddio cynhyrchion o’r planhigion ac er mwyn gwneud y casgliadau yn fwy hygyrch. 

Mae'r Casgliad Botaneg Economaidd yn cynnwys tua 5500 o sbesimenau ac amrywiaeth o wahanol gynhyrchion o blanhigion, megis dail, gwreiddiau, ffibrau a hadau, ac mae gan bob un ohonyn nhw werth arwyddocaol yn economaidd, yn ddiwylliannol neu fel meddyginiaeth. Mae'r project hefyd wedi defnyddio casgliadau o sbesimenau llysieufa, darluniau botanegol, sbesimenau is-blanhigion a Materia Medica.

Mae digideiddio'r sbesimenau yn un dull allweddol o wneud y casgliadau yn fwy hygyrch, gan gynhyrchu delweddau y gellir eu rhannu â staff yr amgueddfa, gydag ymchwilwyr a gyda chymunedau y tu hwnt i'r amgueddfa. Defnyddiwyd sawl techneg i ddigideiddio'r sbesimenau, yn dibynnu ar eu maint a’u ffurf.

Mae'r Cynorthwy-ydd Ymchwil, Nathan Kitto, trwy gyfrwng amrywiol offer a thechnoleg, wedi adeiladu casgliad o dros fil o ddelweddau sy'n cynnwys taflenni llysieufa fasgwlaidd, sbesimenau mewn jariau a blychau, a darluniau hardd o waith llaw. Bydd y delweddau hyn yn cael eu storio yn llyfrgell delweddau ar-lein Gwyddorau Naturiol yr Amgueddfa, ynghyd â data’r sbesimenau, y gellir wedyn eu defnyddio fel adnoddau ymchwil a chyfeirio. Yn y dyfodol bydd y delweddau ar gael yn ehangach trwy gyfrwng Casgliadau Ar-lein yr amgueddfa 

I ddechrau, crëwyd delweddau 2D gan ddefnyddio camera SLR digidol ansawdd uchel. Mae hyn yn gam hanfodol er mwyn cofnodi manylion unigryw’r sbesimen, gan gynnwys y rhif derbyn, enw cyffredin ac enw a tharddiad gwyddonol y rhywogaeth. Fel arfer, mae siart lliw yn cael ei gynnwys yn y ddelwedd er mwyn sicrhau cysondeb o ran lliw, maint a graddfa. Defnyddir offer micrograff hefyd i gymryd lluniau eithriadol agos o sbesimenau. Trwy chwyddo'r sbesimen, gellir gwahaniaethu manylion cain na ellir eu gweld fel arfer, gan roi dimensiwn hollol wahanol.

Yn ddiweddar, prynwyd offer sganio 3D uwch-dechnoleg newydd, diolch i grant gan AHRC. Mae sganiau 3D manwl iawn wedi'u cynhyrchu o rai sbesimenau penodol a oedd yn addas o ran maint a siâp. Mae'r offer yn ein galluogi i gymryd delwedd lawn 3D o sbesimen ac felly gall defnyddwyr terfynol gylchdroi'r sbesimen a’i weld o bob ongl, sy’n rhoi persbectif reit wahanol o gymharu â delwedd dau ddimensiwn. 

Mae'r sganiwr yn gweithio trwy gymryd sawl ffrâm neu ddelwedd o'r gwrthrych o onglau gwahanol er mwyn adeiladu delwedd 3D go iawn. Mae gan un math o sganiwr, sef yr Artec Micro, broses fwy awtomataidd gyda'r offer yn gwneud y rhan fwyaf o'r gwaith, drwy gylchdroi a dewis onglau penodol i gymryd delweddau o ansawdd uchel. Ar y llaw arall, mae'r Artec Space Spider yn sganiwr llaw, sy’n cael ei reoli gan y gweithredwr. Mae’n cymryd mwy o ddelweddau wrth i’r gwrthrych gylchdroi. Roedd yn hawdd iawn i'w ddefnyddio ac yn gywir iawn hefyd. Ar ôl cael digon o ddelweddau o wahanol gyfeiriadau, mae’r delweddau’n cael eu cyfuno gan ddefnyddio meddalwedd Artec Studio arbenigol. Gydag ychydig o fireinio ac ail-leoli, mae model 3D yn cael ei greu a'i lanlwytho i Sketchfab. Dyma'r stiwdio ar-lein lle mae modd optimeiddio'r ddelwedd 3D o'r sbesimen gyda goleuadau a golygiadau safleol. Mae'r llyfrgell o ddelweddau Botaneg Economaidd 3D, sydd i'w gweld yma, yn dangos 21 model o sbesimenau, gyda gwybodaeth ategol am y modd y defnyddir y rhywogaethau unigol fel meddyginiaeth ac mewn diwylliannau traddodiadol.

Mae yna fanteision di-ri o gael modelau 3D o sbesimenau amgueddfa; maen nhw’n gwneud y casgliad yn hygyrch i bawb, ac yn addas ar gyfer chwiliadau ar-lein. Mae modd archwilio’r gwrthrychau’n fanwl heb gyffwrdd â’r sbesimen gwreiddiol nac achosi unrhyw ddifrod. Nid yw ased digidol yn dirywio dros amser a gellir ei gopïo a'i storio mewn sawl man a’i ddefnyddio hefyd i greu modelau printiedig 3D. Ar ben hynny, mae gwrthrych 3D digidol yn golygu bod modd rhyngweithio’n wahanol â’r gwrthrych.

Defnyddiwyd y modelau 3D i wneud sbesimenau’r Amgueddfa yn hygyrch i aelodau'r cyhoedd yn ystod gweithdai cymunedol. Cafwyd adborth cadarnhaol iawn yn sgil y math hwn o ymgysylltu a bu’n fan cychwyn da ar gyfer trafodaethau am gasgliadau’r amgueddfa a'r dulliau niferus o ddefnyddio'r sbesimenau. Ond y cam cyntaf yn unig yw creu'r modelau 3D hyn. Mae'r curaduron ar y project Hawliau a Defodau yn awyddus i weld sut bydd pobl yn parhau i ryngweithio â'r modelau yn y dyfodol ac yn gobeithio y bydd yn adnodd defnyddiol a deniadol i'r cyhoedd a'r amgueddfa ei rannu. Os oes gennych chi unrhyw sylwadau am y gwrthrychau sy'n cael eu dangos yn y blog hwn, cysylltwch â: heather.pardoe@amgueddfacymru.ac.uk.

 

Where Have All Our Seabirds Gone?

Jennifer Gallichan, 23 Ionawr 2023

Regular visitors to the Natural History galleries at National Museum Cardiff will be familiar with our fantastic dioramas, particularly the one recreating a Pembrokeshire sea cliff complete with nesting sea birds, rock pools and life-size basking shark. Recent visitors will have noticed however a distinct lack of sea birds as we have had an outbreak of clothes moths which has threatened to eat all the taxidermy specimens! All the specimens have had to be removed for treatment and some will unfortunately not be returning as the damage is too severe.

A sad fact is that this disappearance is mirroring what is happening in the outside world. Birds are suffering a pandemic of their own, the worst outbreak of avian flu ever known in the northern hemisphere. A new strain of bird flu has been attacking bird populations since the autumn of 2021, spreading from intensively farmed poultry in China. By late spring of 2022 there were increasing reports of the disease in seabird colonies in the north of the UK, and this has now spread across the whole of the country.

Avian flu is a virus that affects a range of birds but as with other viruses there are many different strains, most of which cause few or moderate symptoms. The difference is that this current strain, HPAI H5N1, is transmitted easily and causes symptoms that can be fatal to birds.

The effect on wild bird populations has been devastating, particularly on sea birds who live in large dense colonies along cliffs and islands where the virus is easily transmitted. It is estimated that tens of thousands of birds have died - you may well have seen some of the footage of dead or dying birds or even seen dead birds along our coasts.

In the UK we are privileged to host internationally important breeding populations of seabirds, a whopping 25% of Europe’s breeding seabirds. Worst affected species are the Great Skua and Northern Gannet populations. Up to 11% (over 2,200 birds) of the UK population of Great Skuas have been lost and scientists have recorded such high numbers of Gannet deaths that they think some populations are near collapse. 

The situation is continuing to be monitored, particularly with waterfowl, like geese, who overwinter in the UK. The hope is that populations will eventually develop an immunity to the disease, and there have been some encouraging signs in some birds, like Puffins, who seem to have had a good breeding year in 2022.

We hope to see the return of our seabirds both in the galleries and along our coasts soon!

You can find more information and recent updates on the situation in Wales here: Avian influenza (bird flu): latest update | GOV.WALES. You can also read a more detailed blog about it on The Wildlife Trust blog pages: Avian flu – the latest symptom of our ailing ecosystems | The Wildlife Trusts.

If you want to help, there are several organizations appealing for support to help monitor the situation and help seabirds recover: The British Trust for Ornithology (BTO): BTO Avian Influenza Appeal | BTO - British Trust for Ornithology and RSPB: Bird Flu Emergency Appeal Donation Form | The RSPB.

If you find dead wild birds, you should follow the latest guidance on GOV.WALES (Report and dispose of dead birds | GOV.WALES) or GOV.UK (Report dead wild birds - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)) or  webpages. Remember not to touch or handle any dead or sick birds.

For a handy guide to identifying Welsh coastal birds, download our Nature On Your Doorstep spotters guide: Spotter's Guide | Museum Wales

Nature Finds a Way

3 Mai 2022

The Recolonisation of Invertebrates on Restored Grassland:

I’m Alyson, a Professional Training Year placement year student from Cardiff University (School of Biosciences), currently working within the Entomology department at National Museum Cardiff under the supervision of Dr Michael R Wilson (researchgate.net). My interest in ecology, conservation and zoology ultimately led me here, and with no prior specialist knowledge in entomology (the study of insects) I jumped in at the deep end. Within a few months I was sampling in the field and identifying leaf- and planthopper species from Ffos-y-Fran (an open cast colliery site near Merthyr Tydfil). This  is currently undergoing the process of restoration so that it is converted from a colliery site to reseeded grassland.

Identifying and analysing over four years of invertebrate samples, involved looking at 195 samples.  This took a fair amount of time but allows the rate of recolonisation over a 5-year period, total species diversity, richness, and population dynamics within the fields across the years and seasons to be calculated. Leaf- and planthoppers (Hemiptera: Auchenorrhyncha) were chosen as models within this study as they are frequently common within grassland environments and can be used as an indicator of recolonisation progress on man-restored environments and ex-colliery spoil sites. Colliery sites are a common landscape visible across the UK, especially in the south Wales valleys. Their ecological importance and possible biodiversity are often overlooked, however work by Liam Olds (formerly Natural Talent apprentice at Amgueddfa Cymru), continues to highlight this through the Colliery Spoil Biodiversity Initiative (https://www.collieryspoil.com/about).

I am currently in the process of analysing this huge data set and creating a report to show the findings. However, in summary, the data has shown a trend of increasing diversity of hopper species within the field since it was reseeded. In total, 33 species were identified from the site – highlighting the ecological importance these habitats hold. Interestingly, grassland species generally uncommon to the area such as the planthopper Xanthodelphax flaveola and the leafhopper Anoscopus histrionicus, were abundant across the site leading to interesting discussion points as to why this environment encourages their colonisation. Other observations and discussions have also arisen from different wing-morphologies (shapes) seen in specimens of the same species. For example, the discovery of long-winged females of Doratura impudica, which are commonly a brachypterous species (short or rudimentary wings) encourages thought on arrival and colonisation methods of certain species, which could potentially help analyse other environments under recolonisation and ‘rewilding’ programmes. 

Studying the recolonisation of hoppers at Ffos-y-Fran has allowed me to develop and gain numerous skills which I will take with me into my final year of university and beyond. Not only have I been able to improve on existing skills such as report writing and data analysis, but I’ve also had the opportunity to gain new skills such as invertebrate identification, mounting specimens and taxonomical drawing. I’ve also had the chance to use the Scanning Electron Microscopy and sputter coating, and I have also used the imaging equipment at National Museum Cardiff to create a ‘species guide’ of the 33 observed at Ffos-y-Fran to supplement the report and provide a visual aid. Within my first few months at the museum, I was also able to get involved in a data collection project run by Dr Alan Stewart (University of Sussex), analysing specimens within the Auchenorrhyncha collections to create spreadsheets for the eventual creation of species distribution maps as part of the UK Mapping scheme for this insect group. There are so many opportunities and experiences to be had within the museum!

My time with Amgueddfa Cymru has been amazing, conducting research and joining the Natural Sciences team, and has solidified my desire to pursue a career in research. I believe my placement has given me a great start for a future career with the skills I’ve gained and developed through my work on Ffos-y-Fran and my secondary research project. The second project I am currently working on in collaboration with Dr Mike Wilson will provide an up-to-date redescription and description of new species of Fijian spittlebugs with the aim of publication of my first peer-reviewed scientific paper. Watch this space to find out more on the latter project …. 

Taxonomy- A dying science?

29 Ebrill 2022

As a Biological Sciences student I am very familiar with the concept of classification and evolution, having been taught about it from primary school level. The idea of using a filing system to organise species became common place at secondary school level. Constantly reciting the Linnean system and its eight levels of taxa (domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, and species) for exams and coming up with rhymes and mnemonics to remember it in class. 

Due to this I was vaguely familiar with taxonomy, I knew what it was and why it was important, as I describe below. However, we never truly explored taxonomy in any great detail, especially in a modern context, and so I never thought about it as a career many still do today. That was until February of 2020 when I was searching for placement opportunities for my Professional Training Year as a part of my degree at Cardiff University, and I came across an opportunity to undertake at National Museum Cardiff exploring taxonomy. I now have a much greater understanding of taxonomy’s importance and unfortunately the crisis it might be facing.

What is taxonomy?

Taxonomy is the science of naming, describing and classifying species, including species new to science. It is the foundation stone of biological science. The first step in understanding how many species we have, where they live, and what they look like so others can identify them. For example, it can be an early indicator of evolution, and in seeing how the morphological characteristics of species may help in adapting and surviving in their environments. 

Why is taxonomy important?

To understand the great diversity of the world we must know what is in it, and so taxonomy is essential in beginning to describe distributions and habitats of species. This will help scientists determine for example, whether a species is under threat, or the presence of an invasive species that can threaten other species and as a result their ecosystem. Scientists need to know all of the species in an environment, all described in a standardised manner that can be understood by those from around the world no matter the language spoken. This is so that they can begin to understand how to help preserve biodiversity and help the planet. 

Taxonomy is essential in aiding communication between scientists by giving a species a binomial scientific name. Many species will have many differing common names, for example Puma concolor, also known as the puma, cougar, panther, mountain lion, catamount, etc. in fact, P. concolor has over 40 common names in English alone. A binomial name (often in Greek or Latin) reduces confusion by surpassing language barriers and avoiding differing common names.

Taxonomy is also the first step in identifying species that have the potential to help people, to that end, the species related to them which may possess similar qualities. 

Truthfully, it is not known how many species share the planet with us. The most commonly cited number is 8.7 million species, however, this number ranges from five to ten million species. Either way taxonomists have only identified and described around two million species. Unfortunately, there will be many species that become extinct before we even know they existed. Scientists are unable to determine the rate of species extinctions or truly understand changes in biodiversity on a global scale because of the frightfully little knowledge of the species we share the planet with.

Importance of taxonomists

As mentioned, I mostly knew taxonomy as science undertaken in the past and if I did think of it in a modern context it was through modern techniques such as DNA barcoding. As a career opportunity for new biologists, taxonomy barely crosses the mind. It has been suggested that funding in taxonomic research is also on the decline, and that traditional taxonomy is too slow in producing research papers. 

But while using DNA to aid in identifications and for evolutionary relationships is no doubt useful, it is dangerous to remove all of the other “old-fashioned” techniques used for looking into morphological characteristics. Techniques such as drawing, AutoMontage imaging, scanning electron microscopy, written descriptions from observations, notes on habitat and distribution to name but a few. DNA analysis should be used to supplement the more traditional techniques, not replace them. There have been numerous examples in papers of errors in conclusions being made due to scientists looking at species from only a genetic point of view but having misidentified the species. To that effect integrative taxonomy has recently become a popular choice. It includes multiple perspectives such as phylogeography, comparative morphology, population genetics, ecology, development, behaviour, etc., so as to create the best descriptions and knowledge of species. 

After all, without taking the time to properly observe and describe a specimen you won’t truly know what the species looks like and how it uses its features to survive. How shall keys and field guides be properly constructed so that non-experts can identify species too? Without taxonomists how can the irreplaceable and valuable collections in our natural history museums be properly maintained and organised?

As I have experienced in my research on a relatively understudied family, mistakes have been made in identifications leading to false conclusions to be drawn, which has dangerous consequences for example in determining biodiversity. These false identifications may be enhanced by a purely DNA route into taxonomy. If taxonomy starts to die and fewer experts who truly understand a species exist who shall correct these mistakes and continue to document the rich biodiversity of the world?