Biol 119 – Herpetology Lab 7: Museum of Comparative Zoology Fieldtrip Fall 2013
Philip J. Bergmann
Lab objectives The objectives of today’s lab are to: 1. Learn about the role of natural history museums in research. 2. Learn about the MCZ and its collection. 3. Learn how museums work. Today is the second fieldtrip of the course. We will be visiting Harvard University’s Museum of Comparative Zoology in Cambridge, MA.
Schedule This field trip will take place on Sunday, October 20 . We will meet in the Lasry parking lot, off Maywood street at 8:50 am , and leave at 9:00 am, sharp . Please show up on time because the schedule is rather tight and the drive is somewhat long. We should arrive at the museum at around 10:30 am. We will get a behind-the-scenes tour of the herpetology collections that will take approximately two hours, and then head back to Worcester. It is anticipated that we will leave the museum around 12:30 pm, putting us back at Clark around 2:00 pm.
What to bring Since this fieldtrip is actually in the city and inside, there are relatively few things to bring. Make sure that you take a clipboard or notepad, a copy of this lab handout, and some writing utensils. It is unlikely that we will have time to wander the city and grab lunch, so please bring some snacks, and a lunch if you’d like one for the ride back to Clark.
Please come prepared to ask questions!
1 Biol 119 – Lab 7: MCZ Fieldtrip A Tour of the Museum José Rosado is the Collection Manager for the Herpetology Collection at the MCZ and he will be guiding our behind-the-scenes tour of the museum. He has a lot of important and interesting information to share that will allow you to learn about how a natural history museum works. Please ask him any questions that come to mind, as this will only enhance your experience. Pay attention to what José has to say because this will help you answer the questions below and this material might show up on an upcoming lab exam!
1. When was the MCZ founded?
2. In addition to herps, what sorts of collections does the MCZ hold?
3. Considering the herp collection, approximately how many specimens of Amphibians does the MCZ have? How many “Reptiles”?
4. In what state are most amphibians and “reptiles” at the museum (how are they stored)?
5. In what other states are herps at the MCZ kept in?
6. What are the strengths of the herp collections at the MCZ? What sorts of specimens or species does the museum try to have represented?
2 Biol 119 – Lab 7: MCZ Fieldtrip 7. What is a type specimen, and why is this kind of specimen important?
8. Explain what a Collection Manager does. How does this differ from what a Curator does?
9. What is the process of adding a specimen to the collection called?
10. What are the steps involved in adding a specimen to the collection?
3 Biol 119 – Lab 7: MCZ Fieldtrip 11. What are some of the challenges that natural history museums face today (in the 21 st Century)?
12. What sorts of research can be helped by the existence of natural history museums? What sorts of data could be collected from the holdings at such a museum?
13. What are some of the rare species of amphibians and “reptiles” that you saw today that you might not otherwise have had a chance to see?
14. What was your favorite herp that you saw today?
4 Biol 119 – Lab 7: MCZ Fieldtrip