Museum of Vertebrate Zoology
Encyclopedia
The Museum of Vertebrate Zoology is a natural history
museum
at the University of California, Berkeley
, USA. The museum was founded by philanthropist Annie Montague Alexander
in 1908. Alexander recommended zoologist Joseph Grinnell
as museum director, a position he held until his death in 1939.
The museum became a center of authority for the study of vertebrate
biology
and evolution
on the West Coast, comparable to other major natural history museums in the United States.
It has one of the nation's largest research collections of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and the largest collection of any university museum.
The museum is located on the UC Berkeley campus, in the Valley Life Sciences Building, on the 3rd floor, entrance at room 3101.
Natural history
Natural history is the scientific research of plants or animals, leaning more towards observational rather than experimental methods of study, and encompasses more research published in magazines than in academic journals. Grouped among the natural sciences, natural history is the systematic study...
museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
at the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
, USA. The museum was founded by philanthropist Annie Montague Alexander
Annie Montague Alexander
Annie Montague Alexander was an American philanthropist and paleontological collector. She established the University of California Museum of Paleontology , Museum of Vertebrate Zoology , and financed their collections as well as a series of paleontological expeditions to the western United States...
in 1908. Alexander recommended zoologist Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell
Joseph Grinnell was a field biologist and zoologist. He made extensive studies of the fauna of California, and is credited with introducing a method of recording precise field observations known as the Grinnell System...
as museum director, a position he held until his death in 1939.
The museum became a center of authority for the study of vertebrate
Vertebrate
Vertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
on the West Coast, comparable to other major natural history museums in the United States.
It has one of the nation's largest research collections of mammals, birds, amphibians and reptiles, and the largest collection of any university museum.
The museum is located on the UC Berkeley campus, in the Valley Life Sciences Building, on the 3rd floor, entrance at room 3101.
External links
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology main page. Accessed Feb 5 2010
- UC Berkeley Interactive Map - Museum is in Valley Life Sciences Building (3rd floor)