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Richter Museum as a Resource
Specimens from the Richter Museum have been used extensively
by researchers in the western Great Lakes Region (e.g., White and Cromartie
1977, Robbins 1991, Nelson 1993, 1996, Lowther 1996, Casper 1996). Hickey
and Anderson (1968) used measurements from egg sets of the Herring Gull
(Larus argentatus) in the Richter Museum to analyze for historical
levels of DDT in avian food webs. As a result of their work, which drew
largely from the Richter collections, Wisconsin became the first state to
ban the use of DDT pesticides.
Biologists from UW-Green Bay, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and the Canadian Wildlife Service have used specimens from the Richter Museum to test for other contaminants such as PCB's and dioxin, which are particularly important problems in the Fox River Valley and Green Bay area. Specimens are routinely used as reference materials for identification of small mammals, bird eggs, and other taxa by researchers and resource managers in the region.
Although much larger collections exist at the Field
Museum, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota and University
of Wisconsin, the Richter Museum houses one of the most historically important
collections of birds and mammals in the western Great Lakes states. All
of the locally breeding bird species, 95% of the mammal species, 80% of
the reptile and amphibian species, and 80% of the fish species are represented
in the collection. Standard date/locality information is associated with
all but a few specimens, while the historical collections of Carl Richter
also include original acquisition ledgers, correspondence, field notes,
and a reference library.
The Value of Scientific Collections
Before
the availability of modern field guides, naturalists routinely collected
specimens to identify animal and plant species. These specimens were used
to describe new species and were often sent to other collectors or museums
for verification. Today, photographs and other forms of verification have
largely taken the place of extensive field collections. Nevertheless, collection
and maintenance of scientific specimens is still a very important part of
modern biology. In fact, recent advances in biochemistry, especially the
extraction and analysis of DNA, have led to a growing significance of carefully
maintained scientific specimens. Older collections like those in the Richter
Museum are irreplaceable, and recognition of their importance continues
to increase as analytical tools become more sophisticated. Systematics,
the science of classifying organisms according to evolutionary relationships,
would not be possible without careful studies of specimens. As we accumulate
new evidence about the relationships among species, our ability to understand
and protect the earth's biological diversity improves in truly meaningful
ways.
Biodiversity Topics: Introduction . Plants . Animals . Mammals . Birds . Reptiles & Amphibians . Arthropods . Spiders . Insects
© 2001-2004 The Cofrin Center
for Biodiversity and the University of Wisconsin Green Bay,
All Rights Reserved
Last
updated on
January 12, 2006