Museum of Southwestern Biology facts for kids
| Established | 1938 |
|---|---|
| Location | University of New Mexico |
| Type | Science museum |
| Collection size | 4,000,000+ specimens |
| Visitors | by appointment or at annual open-collections event |
The Museum of Southwestern Biology (MSB) is a special place at the University of New Mexico (UNM). It's like a huge library, but instead of books, it collects and studies millions of animal and plant specimens! Scientists here learn about living things from all over the world. They focus especially on the American West, Central America, and South America.
The MSB is a center for both research and teaching. It helps scientists discover new things about nature. It also teaches students about biology. You can visit the museum by making an appointment. They also have a special event each year where their collections are open to the public.
Contents
What the Museum Collects
The Museum of Southwestern Biology has an amazing collection of over 4 million specimens. These include many different types of living things. They have plants, insects, and animals with backbones.
Plants and Insects
The museum collects vascular plants. These are plants that have special tissues to carry water and nutrients. Think of trees, flowers, and ferns. They also collect invertebrates. These are animals without backbones, like insects, spiders, and worms.
Animals with Backbones
The MSB also has a large collection of vertebrates. These are animals with backbones. This includes mammals, birds, fish, amphibians, and reptiles. Scientists study these collections to understand how different species live and change over time.
Studying Diseases
The Museum of Southwestern Biology is also very important for studying diseases. In 1997, the museum had one of the largest collections of frozen tissue samples in the Western Hemisphere. These samples are like tiny pieces of animals kept very cold.
Scientists use these frozen samples to study diseases that can spread from animals to humans. These are called zoonotic pathogens. For example, the museum has helped with research on diseases like orthohantavirus and Lassa mammarenavirus. Understanding these diseases helps keep people healthy.
Mammal Discoveries
The MSB's mammal collection is very important. It includes many different types of mammals. Some of these are new species that scientists have discovered.
Here are a few examples of mammals that have been studied or identified at the MSB:
- Ctenomys erikacuellarae
- Monodelphis sanctaerosae
- Ctenomys lessai
- Tapecomys primus
- Thomasomys andersoni
These names might sound complicated, but they represent different types of mice or similar small animals. Studying them helps us learn more about the amazing variety of life on Earth.
