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 a research and teaching center where scientists study living things. They learn about plants, insects, and animals from the American West and all over the world. You can visit the museum by making an appointment.
This museum has one of the biggest collections of frozen tissue samples in the Western Hemisphere. These samples are like tiny biological time capsules. Scientists use them to study how diseases spread from animals to people. This research helps us understand and prevent illnesses.
Contents
Discovering Life at the MSB
The Museum of Southwestern Biology is a hub for scientific discovery. It's not just a place to look at old things. It's an active center where new knowledge is created every day.
What Scientists Do Here
Scientists at the MSB are like detectives. They collect and study specimens. These specimens include everything from tiny insects to large mammals. They learn about how different species live and interact. This helps us understand the natural world better.
Amazing Collections
The museum holds over 4 million specimens! These are carefully preserved plants, insects, and animals. Each specimen tells a story about life on Earth.
- Plants: The museum has a large collection of vascular plants. These are plants with special tissues that carry water and nutrients.
- Invertebrates: This includes creatures without backbones. Think of insects, spiders, and worms.
- Vertebrates: These are animals with backbones. This group includes fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.
Helping Understand Diseases
The MSB has a huge collection of frozen tissue samples. There are more than 500,000 of them! These samples are super important for studying diseases. Scientists use them to research how germs can move from animals to humans. This work helps keep people healthy.
Mammal Discoveries
The museum's mammal collection is very important. Scientists study these specimens to learn about different mammal species. They have even helped discover new ones!
New Species Found
Some of the mammals studied at the MSB have been new to science. Here are a few examples of species that have been identified or studied here:
- Ctenomys erikacuellarae
- Monodelphis sanctaerosae
- Ctenomys lessai
- Tapecomys primus
- Thomasomys andersoni
These discoveries help us understand the amazing variety of life on our planet. They also show how important museums like the MSB are for science.
