Throughout the last four centuries, many anatomical museums across the world have collected teratological specimens that became precious objects. These can be regarded as spirits of the past which have captured the morphology of diseases through time. These valuable and irreplaceable specimens can be perfectly used in contemporary dysmorphological or genetic research. Unfortunately, due to the historical nature of these specimens and the regularly used aggressive preservation fluids, DNA degradation is often present. Furthermore, the use of material for DNA extraction is restricted to preserve the appearance of these valuable museological specimens. Thus, the most challenging part in this perspective is to harvest sufficient DNA of good quality for further testing without damaging the specimens. Besides fixated specimens, most teratological collections contain dried skeletal and teeth materials which are an excellent source to extract DNA. We here present a DNA-based method that enables genetic identification of the G1138A mutation of the FGFR3 gene in a 180-year-old achondroplastic skeleton, confirming the previously morphologically determined disease. Nuclear DNA was extracted from a premolar tooth and the mutation was found using Sanger sequencing of a small region of the FGFR3 gene.
Several teratologic collections containing specimens with malformations and syndromes are maintained in a number of Dutch anatomical museums. Technically, these are not works of art or antiquities. However, many have been depicted in illustrations of such high quality that they merit discussion here. We review a selection of specimens and their artistic portrayals which find their origin in four Dutch teratological collections. These museum specimens are more than just intriguing objects for the inquisitive museum visitor. As we will substantiate, these specimens-and their artistic depictions-can be used to find and describe rarely occurring birth defects, provide etiopathogenetic information and are a source of novel diagnosis. Additionally, we briefly discuss the ethical aspects and motivations of exhibiting these specimens, as these collections have to be protected meticulously by the new generation of museum professionals, who eventually determine what kind of past our future will have. It is therefore imperative that these collections of antique specimens are treasured as their importance is easily overlooked.
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