The Department of Malacology at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia

摘要

The United States has a remarkable number of museum shell collections, the largest of which were mostly founded during the nineteenth century. Among the most prominent, in terms not only of sheer size but also of breadth and scientific significance,stands that of the Department of Malacology at the Academy of Natural Sciences in Philadelphia. It is the fourth largest shell collection on Earth, and the oldest in the USA. There are roughly half a million dry lots, including between 13,000 and 14,000 that contain type specimens. Its extensive historical sets of endangered and extinct species continue to grow in scientific value as habitat loss and climate change accelerate, while field collecting in some of the most diverse but threatened environments on the planet keep it abreast of current events. Here we will present a brief history of the department and introduce some of our current projects.