Welcome to the Department of Museum Research and Collections!
We oversee the management and curation of the Alabama Museum of Natural History collections and develop interdisciplinary research programs focusing on museum-based research. An increasing portion our collections can be found in the online database Arctos. Browse this site to learn more about who we are and what we do.
In recent decades, a lack of available knowledge about the magnitude, identity and distribution of biodiversity has given way to a taxonomic impediment where species are not being described as
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Species identification and description are two of the basic tasks in taxonomy, commonly known as alpha-taxonomy.
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The Odonata community has embraced the benefits afforded by the digital age to access specimens, promote and disseminate data, engage with an ever-growing community of enthusiasts, and answer big questions.
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Today marks the 68th Anniversary of the Hodges Meteorite.
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When trying to study changes in insect populations, researchers are hindered by one big problem: We don’t know as much about bugs as we need to. “We know almost nothing,”
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The remains of a 70-million-year-old carnivorous lobster have been found in Alabama, and the fossil is so well preserved it resembles well-cooked bacon.
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Trackways of ancient animals inhabiting a swampy area during the coal-age in what is now northern Alabama have been known for nearly a century, but they were nearly forgotten for
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Alabama has a fantastic fossil record and many important fossils have been discovered by avocational (amateur/hobby) paleontologists. In 2020, a new award was created by the University of Alabama Museums
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Visit the Alabama Museum of Natural History on October 15 from 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM for a free event to celebrate National Fossil Day and the scientific and educational value of paleontology and
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