Worldwide natural history collections contain more than three billion specimens assembled over hundreds of years, an irreplaceable physical record of life. Though there is bias inherent in their composition — from a disproportionate number of roadside plants to the dismissal of traditional ecological knowledge that could have expanded our understanding far sooner — we rely on them to gather data on the past, decipher the present, and forecast the future of the changing Earth. With modern technology, they can answer questions that their original collectors never dreamed of. Who knows what further mysteries they hold? Below, scientists explain their efforts to unravel some of those mysteries.
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Dr. Michael Tessler, American Museum of Natural History
On the surface, natural history collections are like the best of libraries: impeccable references with rare and historical data, which inspire insight and exploration. But, once you open a cabinet, you realize that collections are the scientific equivalent of unearthed buried treasure. What species are in an area? How might that impact ecosystem functioning over the last century? Are there new species? Have populations gained or lost genetic diversity? Which species are expanding and which are dying off because of climate change? What does a 3D model made from a CT scan tell us about how an animal bites so hard or runs so quickly?
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Several of these scientists spoke at the University of Michigan's virtual Early Career Scientists Symposium of 2021, Natural History Collections: Drivers of Innovation.
