Renovation of Vertebrate Fossil Collections of the University of Nebraska State Museum

哥伦比亚大学的脊椎动物化石收藏 内布拉斯加州是最重要的记录之一 脊椎动物的进化，特别是新生代哺乳动物， 北美大平原。 它很大（不止一个 百万标本），历史上重要的（143个全模标本），和 被活跃的策展人员大量使用， 访问科学家 然而，两个严重的问题阻碍了 这一独特资源的研究潜力， 实现了 首先，至少有三分之一的收藏品被储存 在离纽约市40英里的地方， 博物馆的研究设施在大学校园。 大学 认识到这个问题的官员们已经在 一个更现代化的建筑在校园里，并已同意翻新8500 平方英尺这个设施是用来接收濒危物种的 收集，其中大部分是未经准备的，研究质量 新第三纪哺乳动物材料收集通过联邦资助的领域 1930年代的节目。 该项目提供资金， 将这些材料运送到新工厂， 初始制备和稳定化。 第二个需要解决 该项目的目的是升级活跃的研究收藏， 已经被安置在大学里一个非常现代化的设施里 校园 目前只有大约1/3的收藏品存储在 功能金属柜;其余的是排列，在各种各样的 难以接近的程度，在恶化的木柜或 堆在纸箱里 该项目提供资金， 重新组织并显著增强其有效性 收藏.

The vertebrate fossil collection of the University of Nebraska constitutes one of the most important records of vertebrate evolution, especially of Cenozoic mammals, in the Great Plains of North America. It is large (more than one million specimens), historically important (143 holotypes), and is heavily used by an active curatorial staff and numerous visiting scientists. Two serious problems, however, prevent the research potential of this unique resource from being fully realized. First, at least one-third of the collection is stored in insecure, unlit, unheated temporary shelters 40 miles from the Museum's research facility on the University campus. University officials, cognizant of the problem, have made space available in a more modern building on campus and have agreed to renovate 8500 sq. ft. of this facility for the reception of the endangered collection, much of which is unprepared, research-quality Neogene mammal material collected through federally-funded field programs in the 1930s. This project provides funds for transporting this material to the new facility and for its initial preparation and stabilization. The second need addressed by the project is for upgrading the active research collection already housed in an excellent modern facility on the University campus. Only about 1/3 of this collection is currently stored in functional metal cabinets; the remainder is arrayed, in various degrees of inaccessibility, in deteriorating wooden cabinets or stacked in cardboard boxes. This project provides funds to reorganize and markedly enhance the usefulness of this collection.