future researches reference works that would eliminate the need to study the older
literature. Consequently, her work (all exclusively written in Spanish) contains a
staggering amount of details pictured in highly illustrated volumes. After her death
(October 23, 1991) some of her papers were still in press. They were published
postmortem (Caso 1992, 1994a, b, 1996a, b, c, d). Her ideas on the taxonomy of
echinoderms were often controversial but were always respected. Maria Elena Caso
will always be regarded as the pivotal figure in the systematic study of echinoderms
in Mexico.
Currently, the Mexican Echinoderm National Collection (MENC) that Dr. Caso
started holds more than 74,000 specimens belonging to *620 species distributed
along Mexican coasts. The MENC also holds specimens from different parts of the
world. Recently, the collection has entered a rapid growth phase both in terms of
numbers and of geographic and taxonomic coverage. Since 1984, yearly expeditions of Mexican research vessels ‘‘Puma’’ in the Pacific Ocean and ‘‘Justo Sierra’’
in the Atlantic, and since 1992, twice-yearly expeditions to both shallow and deep
sea areas in Mexican waters, have added numerous taxa previously unrepresented
in the collection. Important collections previously minor at MENC, such as frozen
tissues, have grown quickly, establishing MENC as an important national repository. The MENC also possesses an excellent echinoderm library, with more than
5,100 reprints, books, proceedings, dissertations, etc., covering a great variety of
topics from Aristotle to the present. Such records have been much more complete
with generous requests from people around the world since 1939.
Knowledge of Mexican echinoderms continued to increase in the MENC at the end
of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, with new curators
and several students. The papers published include description of new species,
checklists, taxonomic and biogeographic studies as well as morphological and
molecular phylogenies. Some examples are Buitron and Solis-Marin (1993),
Reyes-Bonilla (1995), Solís-Marín et al. (1997a, b, 2003, 2005, 2007a, b, 2009), CintraBuenrostro et al. (1998), Bravo-Tzompantzi et al. (1999), Godinez-Dominguez and
Gonzalez-Sanson (1999), Solis-Marin and Laguarda-Figueras (1999, 2008, 2010a, b),
Barbosa-Ledesma et al. (2000), Laguarda-Figueras et al. (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005a, b,
2009), Duran-Gonzalez et al. (2005), Fuentes-Farias et al. (2005), Luna and GonzalezVallejo (2006), Hernandez-Herrejon et al. (2008, 2010), Honey-Escandón et al. (2008),
Solis-Marin (2008), Torres-Martinez et al. (2008), Laguarda-Figueras and Solis-Marin
(2009) and Martinez-Melo and Solis-Marin (2010).
The number of thesis or dissertations on the taxonomy of echinoderms
increased during this period, with the highest number between 2001–2010:
Orbe-Mendoza (1971), Gamboa-Contreras (1978), Worbis-Torres (1986),
Olivares-Gonzalez (1986), San Juan-Ruiz (1988), Herrero-Perezrul (1990),
(Sánchez-Domínguez 1993), Anzo-Martinez (1994), Bravo-Tzompantzi (1996),
Castañeda-Sarabia (1996), Hernandez-Pliego (1998), Solis-Marin (1998),
Cortes-Fernandez (1999), Benitez-Villalobos (2000), Gomez-Carriedo (2001),
Frontana-Uribe (2002, 2005), Celaya-Hernandez (2006), Arriaga-Ochoa (2007,
2010), Dominguez-Castanedo (2007), Hernandez-Herrejon (2007, 2010),
2 The Echinoderms of Mexico
17
literature. Consequently, her work (all exclusively written in Spanish) contains a
staggering amount of details pictured in highly illustrated volumes. After her death
(October 23, 1991) some of her papers were still in press. They were published
postmortem (Caso 1992, 1994a, b, 1996a, b, c, d). Her ideas on the taxonomy of
echinoderms were often controversial but were always respected. Maria Elena Caso
will always be regarded as the pivotal figure in the systematic study of echinoderms
in Mexico.
Currently, the Mexican Echinoderm National Collection (MENC) that Dr. Caso
started holds more than 74,000 specimens belonging to *620 species distributed
along Mexican coasts. The MENC also holds specimens from different parts of the
world. Recently, the collection has entered a rapid growth phase both in terms of
numbers and of geographic and taxonomic coverage. Since 1984, yearly expeditions of Mexican research vessels ‘‘Puma’’ in the Pacific Ocean and ‘‘Justo Sierra’’
in the Atlantic, and since 1992, twice-yearly expeditions to both shallow and deep
sea areas in Mexican waters, have added numerous taxa previously unrepresented
in the collection. Important collections previously minor at MENC, such as frozen
tissues, have grown quickly, establishing MENC as an important national repository. The MENC also possesses an excellent echinoderm library, with more than
5,100 reprints, books, proceedings, dissertations, etc., covering a great variety of
topics from Aristotle to the present. Such records have been much more complete
with generous requests from people around the world since 1939.
Knowledge of Mexican echinoderms continued to increase in the MENC at the end
of the twentieth century and the beginning of the twenty-first century, with new curators
and several students. The papers published include description of new species,
checklists, taxonomic and biogeographic studies as well as morphological and
molecular phylogenies. Some examples are Buitron and Solis-Marin (1993),
Reyes-Bonilla (1995), Solís-Marín et al. (1997a, b, 2003, 2005, 2007a, b, 2009), CintraBuenrostro et al. (1998), Bravo-Tzompantzi et al. (1999), Godinez-Dominguez and
Gonzalez-Sanson (1999), Solis-Marin and Laguarda-Figueras (1999, 2008, 2010a, b),
Barbosa-Ledesma et al. (2000), Laguarda-Figueras et al. (2001, 2002, 2004, 2005a, b,
2009), Duran-Gonzalez et al. (2005), Fuentes-Farias et al. (2005), Luna and GonzalezVallejo (2006), Hernandez-Herrejon et al. (2008, 2010), Honey-Escandón et al. (2008),
Solis-Marin (2008), Torres-Martinez et al. (2008), Laguarda-Figueras and Solis-Marin
(2009) and Martinez-Melo and Solis-Marin (2010).
The number of thesis or dissertations on the taxonomy of echinoderms
increased during this period, with the highest number between 2001–2010:
Orbe-Mendoza (1971), Gamboa-Contreras (1978), Worbis-Torres (1986),
Olivares-Gonzalez (1986), San Juan-Ruiz (1988), Herrero-Perezrul (1990),
(Sánchez-Domínguez 1993), Anzo-Martinez (1994), Bravo-Tzompantzi (1996),
Castañeda-Sarabia (1996), Hernandez-Pliego (1998), Solis-Marin (1998),
Cortes-Fernandez (1999), Benitez-Villalobos (2000), Gomez-Carriedo (2001),
Frontana-Uribe (2002, 2005), Celaya-Hernandez (2006), Arriaga-Ochoa (2007,
2010), Dominguez-Castanedo (2007), Hernandez-Herrejon (2007, 2010),
2 The Echinoderms of Mexico
17