CSBR: Natural History: Upgrading Infrastructure to Protect an Irreplaceable and Heavily Used Primate Collection

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An award has been made to the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) for improving storage, curation, and access to a nationally significant collection of nonhuman primate (monkey and ape) specimens. The AMNH has one of the largest primate collections in the world, including over 10,000 specimens collected on dozens of museum expeditions to South America, Africa, and Asia. The AMNH collection preserves host specimens from large field surveys of scientifically important microbes and parasites and is an archive of biological diversity in many formerly pristine landscapes subsequently altered by human activities. This collection is a national resource for training undergraduate, graduate-student, and postdoctoral researchers from the United States and abroad. Primates are also studied by anthropologists for clues about human evolution, and primate research is also important for understanding the origins of human diseases (like AIDS and malaria), which are caused by microbes that evolved in monkeys and apes. Additionally, the collection is often used as a basis for illustrations in field guides used by the public. Specimens for public exhibits are viewed by millions of museum-goers every year. This award will contribute to the long-term research and societal value of the AMNH primate collection by protecting vulnerable specimens on archival substrates in new dust- and insect-proof cabinetry, cleaning and repairing specimens, decompressing and reorganizing the collection, georeferencing, and improving data quality. Currently, much of this collection is stored in old cabinets, where skins are discolored by dust and urban soot and at risk from insect pests. AMNH houses one of the largest and most heavily used mammal collections in the world. On average, more than 200 unaffiliated researchers visit the AMNH mammal collection every year, the AMNH Department of Mammalogy loans about 1800 specimens annually to researchers at other institutions, and an online collection database provides access to specimen data. Primates comprise a uniquely important part of the mammal collection. Primate researchers account for more than 40 percent of total visitor activity in the Department of Mammalogy and account for a substantial fraction of publications based on AMNH mammals. Traditional museum research with this material has produced hundreds of scientific publications over the last 100 years, and new technologies (such as CT scanning and 3D laser-imaging) allow modern researchers to use AMNH primate specimens for a wide range of non-traditional research purposes. A professionally produced video posted on the AMNH main website and its YouTube channel (the latter with more than 41,000 subscribers and millions of annual visitors) will serve to educate viewers about these important functions and about the challenges of museum specimen conservation.