Research Collections
In addition to our education programs and exhibits, the Bean Life Science Museum is home to several research collections for use by BYU faculty and the larger academic community. If you would like more info on a particular collection, you can contact one of the curators listed on each collection tab.
BIRDS
FISHES
Insects and Arachnids
Lichens
Mammals
Mollusks
Reptiles and Amphibians
Vascular Plants
BIRDS
Specimens: 10,932
The museum's bird collection contains more than 10,000 specimens with representation from all orders and most bird families found in the world. Of particular value is a large collection of peregrine falcons collected from across the globe, several hundred hummingbirds from South American, and major representation of species found in western North America. The museum also houses an oological collection of more than 2,300 bird egg clutches.
Note: The Utah County Birders meet every 2nd Thursday of the month from 7-8:30 PM at the Bean Life Science Museum in the orientation theater behind the information desk.
Lytle Preserve Checklist
Utah County Checklist
The museum's bird collection contains more than 10,000 specimens with representation from all orders and most bird families found in the world. Of particular value is a large collection of peregrine falcons collected from across the globe, several hundred hummingbirds from South American, and major representation of species found in western North America. The museum also houses an oological collection of more than 2,300 bird egg clutches.
Note: The Utah County Birders meet every 2nd Thursday of the month from 7-8:30 PM at the Bean Life Science Museum in the orientation theater behind the information desk.
Lytle Preserve Checklist
Utah County Checklist
Clayton White
Emeritus Curator
FISHES
The museum's fish collection contains more than 150,000 specimens. The collection includes fishes from throughout the world with emphasis on western North American and South and Central America. It includes a large collection of native western trout and Central American live-bearing fish.The collection also contains extensive alcohol-preserved tissues, frozen tissues, and DNA archives from western North American fishes.
Dennis Shiozawa
Emeritus Curator
801-422-4972
Room: 1133 MLBM
801-422-4972
Room: 1133 MLBM
INSECTS AND ARACHNIDS
The insect and arachnid collection is comprised mainly of pinned specimens, but there are also major alcohol and slide collections. The collection serves as a library of insects and arachnids for western North America. It is a valuable historical collection and serves as an important voucher depository. BYUC is registered as the official acronym for the collection by the Entomological Collections Netword (ECN), a national organization.
Geographic representation: Worldwide coverage; emphasis on western North America
Geographic representation: Worldwide coverage; emphasis on western North America
Richard Baumann
Emeritus Curator
Phone: 801-422-5492
Room: 3103C
Phone: 801-422-5492
Room: 3103C
Research Affiliates
Mike Hastriter
Alan Myrup
Robert Mower
Alan Myrup
Robert Mower
Lichens
The lichen and bryophyte collection, one of the largest in North America, contains more than 105,000 specimens, including more than 100 type collections. Specimens are primarily from the western United States, but some worldwide collections are also represented. Many specimens have been obtained in connection with air-quality biomonitoring surveys in western U.S. wilderness areas and national parks. This collection also includes more than 1,500 archival elemental analysis samples.
BYU Lichen Tour
BYU Lichen Tour
Larry St. Clair
Emeritus Curator
Room: 1115C
801-422-4879
Room: 1115C
801-422-4879
MAMMALS
Specimens: 41,300 (400 uncatalogued)
Frozen tissues: 11,200
Geographic representation: Emphasis in the Great Basin (especially Utah and Nevada) and Mexico. Accredited by the American Society of Mammalogists (1991)
The collection includes skins, skulls, skeleton, tissue slides, paraffin tissue blocks, and trophies. It also houses the collection that was formerly at Utah State University as well as a portion of the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History collection (specimens from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Mexico).
SEARCH SPECIMEN RECORDS
Frozen tissues: 11,200
Geographic representation: Emphasis in the Great Basin (especially Utah and Nevada) and Mexico. Accredited by the American Society of Mammalogists (1991)
The collection includes skins, skulls, skeleton, tissue slides, paraffin tissue blocks, and trophies. It also houses the collection that was formerly at Utah State University as well as a portion of the University of Illinois Museum of Natural History collection (specimens from Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, Washington, Wyoming and Mexico).
SEARCH SPECIMEN RECORDS
Duke Rogers
Emeritus Curator
MOLLUSKS
Specimens: 42,962
Major groups represented: Gastropods and Bivalves
Geographic representation: Mostly from the tropics and subtropics. Some temperate specimens as well as some freshwater specimens from Utah.
Major groups represented: Gastropods and Bivalves
Geographic representation: Mostly from the tropics and subtropics. Some temperate specimens as well as some freshwater specimens from Utah.
John Bell
Emeritus Curator
REPTILES AND AMPHIBIANS
Specimens: ~ 39,500
Types: 36
Paratypes: 27
Diversity: Species: 1,689 Genera: 567 Families: 95
Geographic Coverage: Global, but with main strengths in the continental US (especially the Great Basin/Intermountain West, and a secondary strength in the Appalachian region); collections are extensive for much of Latin America (especially Mexico and Argentina); west and central Africa; southeast Asia & South Pacific Islands; Madagascar; and Australia.
Wilmer Tanner Publications
SEARCH SPECIMEN RECORDS Read Full Story
Types: 36
Paratypes: 27
Diversity: Species: 1,689 Genera: 567 Families: 95
Geographic Coverage: Global, but with main strengths in the continental US (especially the Great Basin/Intermountain West, and a secondary strength in the Appalachian region); collections are extensive for much of Latin America (especially Mexico and Argentina); west and central Africa; southeast Asia & South Pacific Islands; Madagascar; and Australia.
Wilmer Tanner Publications
SEARCH SPECIMEN RECORDS Read Full Story
Jack Sites
Emeritus Curator
VASCULAR PLANTS
Specimens: 600,000+
Type specimens: ~2,000
Major Groups include: ferns and fern allies, gymnosperms, and flowering plants
Geographic representation is world wide, with strong emphasis on the Great Basin & Intermountation West. The Herbarium is recognized as a major regional center for the study of Western American plants and is equally important as resource for student research and learning.
Current & recent research projects include threatened and endangered species, species delimitation, and phylogeography in western North America and Patagonia.
The herbarium database is incomplete, but actively growing. Access to specimen records and images is available via intermountainbiota.org.
Type specimens: ~2,000
Major Groups include: ferns and fern allies, gymnosperms, and flowering plants
Geographic representation is world wide, with strong emphasis on the Great Basin & Intermountation West. The Herbarium is recognized as a major regional center for the study of Western American plants and is equally important as resource for student research and learning.
Current & recent research projects include threatened and endangered species, species delimitation, and phylogeography in western North America and Patagonia.
The herbarium database is incomplete, but actively growing. Access to specimen records and images is available via intermountainbiota.org.
