Computerization of Mollusk Collections at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

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9616621 Rosenberg The Recent mollusk collection of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) is the oldest mollusk collection in the country, and the second largest catalogued one in the world. It currently has more than 430,000 catalogued lots containing about 12 million specimens. Many of the land and freshwater specimens represent species now threatened, endangered or extinct. To further increase the scientific value of the collection, this project will computerize the label and catalog data of those specimens collected in the United States. Computerization has obvious benefits for scientists studying systematics, evolution and biogeography, but there are also broad benefits for environmental sciences. Computerization of the collections will help in determining changes in the historical distribution patterns of mollusk species. Little such information is currently available, but is needed not only by scientists conducting basic systematic and ecological research on mollusks, but to provide baseline data for monitoring the health of ecosystems. This project is funded by a partnership between the NSF and the Biological Resources Division of the USGS, and will contribute to the Integrated Taxonomic Information System.