Computerization of the Database System of the Herpetology Collection, American Museum of Natural History

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This grant will support the computerization of the amphibian reptile collection at the American Museum of Natural History (292,000 catalogued specimens) using MUSE, a collection database originally designed with NSF support. The AMNH herpetological collection ranks third or fourth in the world in number of specimens, taxonomic breadth (6000 species; over 520 holotypes) and global geographic coverage. Other holdings include frozen tissues, toxins, chromosome and histological preparations, and tape recordings of anuran vocalizations. The collection is heavily used in teaching and research on biodiversity and environmental biology and is one the most important in the world for systematic studies on amphibians and reptiles. Computerization will greatly increase the accessibility of collections and associated research data to research biologists.