RUI: CSBR: Natural History: Securing and digitizing the world's largest Mexican bird collection

自然历史收藏记录了地球的生物多样性，是研究生物多样性如何产生以及如何在我们的星球上保持的原始材料。自然历史收藏中的标本也具有实际重要性，它提供了关于人类疾病的数据，并为法医学提供了信息。该奖项用于重新安置史无前例的自然历史收藏品。目前，该收藏是记录北美鸟类最大的收藏之一，由于陈旧的箱子不再保护其免受害虫和不利环境因素的侵害，它正面临退化的威胁。此外，该奖项还支持收集和传播关于鸟类标本位置的开放获取数据。来自研究不足的鸟类群体的标本的数字图像将通过一个新的门户网站提供，该门户网站将吸引科学家和公众的参与。世界上最大的墨西哥鸟类收藏地位于美国一所小型文理学院，为本科生提供了培训本科生管理技术和应用标本数据解决生物问题的机会。该项目旨在保护、地理参考和数字化世界上最大的墨西哥鸟类收藏(63,000个标本)，这些标本位于加利福尼亚州洛杉矶西方学院的摩尔动物学实验室(MLZ)。MLZ收集不仅为了解墨西哥在一个主要的发展和森林砍伐时期之前的地方性鸟类多样性提供了一个窗口，而且也为许多出现在美国的广泛物种提供了一个窗口。放置在MLZ的标本填补了连接整个北美大陆鸟类种群的一个巨大的关键缺口。该项目迫在眉睫，因为需要新的样本病例来取代过时的病例，这些病例不再能够防止虫害，也无法预防意外洪水。除了新的案例，拟议的活动还包括对该集合的分类和组织进行重大更新，以促进该集合的研究潜力。该项目的一个主要目标是对收集的数据进行地理参考、数字化和成像，并使这些数据可作为在线资源供研究和教育参考。MLZ的使命是利用我们在一所小型文理学院的独特环境：(I)利用自然历史收藏品进行尖端研究；(Ii)促进在本科教育和研究中使用自然历史收藏品；以及(Iii)促进未被充分代表的群体和女性在博物馆科学领域的职业发展。欲了解更多信息，请访问以下网站：http://www.oxy.edu/moore-lab-zoology.

Natural history collections document Earth's biodiversity and are the raw material for studies of how that biodiversity arose and how it is maintained on our planet. Specimens in natural history collections are of practical importance as well, providing data on human disease and informing forensic science. This award funds the rehousing of an unparalleled natural history collection in new specimen cases. Currently the collection, one of the largest documenting the birds of North America, is under threat of degradation due to antiquated cases that no longer protect against pests and adverse environmental factors. Additionally, this award supports the gathering and dissemination of open-access data on the location of bird specimens. Digital images of specimens from under-studied avian groups will be made available through a new web portal that will engage scientists and the public alike. The location of the world's largest collection of Mexican birds, at a small liberal arts college in the United States, provides opportunities to train undergraduates, who are the next generation of museum scientists, in curation techniques as well as in the application of specimen data to address biological questions.This project seeks to secure, georeference, and digitize the world's largest Mexican bird collection (63,000 specimens), located at the Moore Laboratory of Zoology (MLZ) at Occidental College in Los Angeles, California. Not only does the MLZ collection provide a window into Mexico's endemic bird diversity prior to a major period of development and deforestation, but also, for many widespread species that occur in the United States. The specimens housed at MLZ fill a large, critical gap linking bird populations of the entire North American continent. This project is urgent because new specimen cases are needed to replace antiquated cases that no longer prevent insect infestations and would not be able to protect against accidental flooding. In addition to new cases, the proposed activities include a major update to the taxonomy and organization of the collection, to facilitate the collection's research potential. A major goal of this project is to georeference, digitize and image the collection and make these data accessible as online resources to inform research and education. The MLZ's mission is to leverage our unique setting at a small liberal arts college toward: (i) Conducting cutting-edge research using natural history collections; (ii) promoting the use of natural history collections in undergraduate education and research; and (iii) promoting career development for underrepresented groups and women in museum science. More information is available at the following website: http://www.oxy.edu/moore-lab-zoology.