Vertebrate Museum Collections
BSC 480/580, 3 credits
Spring 2012
Dr. Suzanne Strait S274;
Reading: All posted on MUOnline
Class: 12:30 pm - 1:45 pm TR Jenkins Hall 100
Office Hours: Tuesday & Thursday 8:15-9:15; Wednesday 8:15-11:15 (other by appointment)
Course Description:The class resolves around learning all the basic techniques for curating a natural history collection. That will include specimen preparation (skin, skeleton, and alcohol preps), paleontological preparation (molding and casting), acquiring specimens (trapping), exhibit and outreach design, and data base management and design. The class will focus on mammals and herps because that is what we have in our collection - if there is interest in other animals we can add that as well. We will also spend a week considering the extra issues of preparation of fossil material and curating plants. Everyone will do a project of their own choosing which will be a major focus of the class. The project must either design an outreach exhibit or kit or a curation in the Extant Vertebrate or Paleontology collections.
Prerequisites: BSC 121 with grade of C or better plus an additional 8 hrs. BSC
Attendance Policy:You are expected to come to class - end of story.
Date
I January 10: Class Logistics
January 12: Why museum collections are so important: specimens and metadata
IIJanuary 20 – making study skins; S269 12:00-2:30.
IIIJanuary 24: Discuss class project ideas (meet in Jenkins)
January 26: Call of the Wild taxidermy (meet at 630 30th street at 12:30)
IVJanuary 31: Beyond taxidermy – skeleton preparation
February 2: Beyond taxidermy – skeleton preparation
VFebruary 7: Beyond taxidermy – skeleton preparation
February 9:Beyond taxidermy – skeleton preparation
VIFebruary 14: Alcoholic preparation
February 16: Alcoholic preparation
VIIFebruary 21: Collection related metadata
February 23: Collection related metadata - georeferencing
VIIIFebruary 28: Fossil Prep
March 2:Molding and casting
XVIIMarch 7: Herbarium
XVIIIMarch 9: Herbarium
XIXMarch 14: Animal trapping
XXMarch 16: Animal trapping
XXIMarch 21-25: No class Spring Break
XXIIMarch 28:Museum database discussion
XXIIIMarch 30: Field notes, database design, software (Dr. Holroyd, Univ. California, Berkeley)
XXIVApril 4: Field trips (Herp and small mammal trapping, bat mist netting, behind the scenes tour)
April 6: Field trips/Projects
XXVApril 11:Field trips/Projects
XXVIApril 13: Field trips/Projects
XXVIIApril 18: Field trips/Projects
XXVIIIApril 20: Field trips/Projects
XXIXApril 25:Project presentations
XXXApril 27: Project presentations
Grading:
100-90: A; 89-80: B; 79-70: C; 69-60: D; >60: F
Undergraduates & Graduates:
30% Class Participation and Exercises
70% Projects
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