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Museum Collection Records

Research collections of the National Museum of Natural History are available to the public via a standard web interface for the following ten museum collection units: Department of Anthropology, Department of Botany, Department of Entomology, Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Department of Mineral Sciences, Department of Paleobiology, and Department of Vertebrate Zoology Divisions of Fishes, Amphibians and Reptiles, Birds, and Mammals.

A total of 5,029,093 specimen records are currently available from this facility. Of these, approximately 203,000 represent more than 62% of the museum’s extant biological type specimens. Approximately 138,000 are paleobiological type specimen records and 560 are mineral type specimen records. Individual research collection databases can be searched from these links:

• Department of Anthropology: 427,806 records
• Department of Botany: 772,776 records
• Department of Entomology: 109,248 records
• Department of Invertebrate Zoology: 903,275 records
• Department of Mineral Sciences: 373,468 records
• Department of Paleobiology: 587,545 records
• Department of Vertebrate Zoology
  • Division of Fishes: 317,602 records
  • Division of Amphibians and Reptiles: 555,108 records
  • Division of Birds: 404,104 records
  • Division of Mammals: 578,161 records

Please note: these electronic data do not represent the museum's full collection or all electronic or currently digitized specimen records. We constantly add new data and correct information in records. If you see an error in these data please contact us with appropriate details.

These data are made available through a custom online facility that is a part of the museum's Research and Collections Information System (RCIS), known as EMu. Additional NMNH collecting units will be adding data to these in the future.

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