Support for the Primate Facility at Field Museum of Natural History

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

With National Science Foundation support, the Field Museum of Natural History will rennovate and equip space to serve as a study area for its extensive primate specimen collection. A large formica work counter will be constructed and overhead fluorescent lights installed. Electrical outlets will be situated along the counter to permit convenient and multipe access for lights, computers and other electric-powered equipment. Shutters will be removed from windows near the counter to permit reseachers to utilize natural light to study materials. Finally the floor will be painted and sealed. The Field Museum in Chicago houses one of the finest collections of primate specimens in the world. The total of ca. 4,500 individuals includes all families, most genera and a majority of species and subspecies of primates worldwide. The taxonomic and geographic composition of the collection is excellent and the majority of the individuals were taken from the wild at a time when it was legally and ethically possible to do so. These specimens document natural distributions and habitat associations of species and reveal the morphological effects of natural foods, movement patterns and social conditions. It would be impossible to duplicate the materials today. While the museum has undertaken major work in restoring the materials to make them more accessible to reseachers, lack of a proper study area still hampers access. This grant will remedy that situation. This project is important because it will make a significant national scientific resource more readily accessible to a large number of interested reseachers.