RESEARCH
Biodiversity
Systematics
Natural History
Faunistics &
Biogeography
BIODIVERSITY
SERVICES FACILITY
BSF Client WebsiteIdentification
Collection Services
Molecular Services
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Collection Services to Heritage Program and Others One of the most important responsibilities of a research collection at a major natural history is making those collections and associated data, literature, and expert advice available to others involved in the study of biodiversity. Invertebrate Zoology routinely hosts visitors conducting research on Pennsylvania invertebrates. Visitors use the scientific resources of the Section for far more than basic research, as it is the largest source of information for conservation and management of invertebrate species in Pennsylvania. |
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 Scientific visitors depend on the invertebrate collection and library for comparative and identification purposes, especially for specimens from geographical regions not well-represented in other North American collections. Invertebrate Zoology also routinely lends specimens and provides data to specialists and conservationists worldwide. The collection is one of the richest sources of information on Afrotropical insects in the New World. Staff interests and projects extend far beyond the United States, most recently to Haiti and Dominican Republic on the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. |
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Pennsylvania state agencies often support activities in the CMNH
collections to further an understanding of invertebrates, to facilitate
their authoritative identification, and to assist conservationists and
state agencies in making informed and science-based decisions for
management and preservation of living populations. Such activities are
almost never limited to isolated observations in the collection, and
usually involve basic research on specific species or habitats. Participants
include staff, research associates, or persons external to CMNH. A major
source of funding for such projects in the last ten years
has been the PA Wild Resource Conservation Program.
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| Information from returned
loans often change determinations or scientific nomenclature. Because these changes
are noted on specimen labels (and often in the Section's database), the collection
itself constitutes the only primary authoritative source for current information. |