PICKLED IN JARS AND CRAMMED INTO DRAWERS: UNCOVERING NEW STORIES FROM OLD MUSEUM COLLECTIONS
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Date
2022-05
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Abstract
While most visitors to natural history museums are transfixed by the exhibits, the majority of the research takes place behind and below the public spaces, where specimens are housed in a labyrinth of hallways, cabinets, and drawers. Thanks to cutting-edge technology, scientists can now examine specimens collected decades or even centuries ago in new and intriguing ways. In “Pickled in Jars and Crammed into Drawers,” I highlight several stories of how researchers are using specimens like oyster fossils and pickled garter snakes to address compelling issues like ecological restoration and climate change.
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museums, collections, environmental research, lemurs, snakes, oysters, fossils