Our Research and Collections

Alvaro Keding/© AMNH
Since its founding in 1869, the American Museum of Natural History has been a world leader in the natural sciences.

The Museum's research enterprise includes world-class facilities, a global field expedition program, the Richard Gilder Graduate School, and one of the most important scientific collections on the planet, which is an invaluable resource for approximately 170 Museum scientists and for scholars from around the world. 

Scientific Collections

Find out how scientific collections benefit science and society, how they are used and maintained, and why they are deposited at the American Museum of Natural History.

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Tagged specimen jar. R. Mickens/© AMNH

Research Divisions

Physical Sciences The Division of Physical Sciences focuses on galaxies, stars, and planets, with a particular emphasis on planet Earth. Anthropology The Division of Anthropology is concerned with all aspects of human behavior, past, present, and with an eye to the future. Invertebrate Zoology The Division of Invertebrate Zoology studies and archives non-vertebrate animals, which make up 95% of all animal species. Vertebrate Zoology The Division of Vertebrate Zoology focuses on animals with backbones—fish, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds.

Collections and Databases

Ambrose Monell Cryo Collection Database View the Ambrose Monell Cryo Collection database. Amphibian Species Database View the Amphibian Species of the World database. Anthropology Database View over 250,000 ethnographic and archaeological objects. Invertebrate Zoology Database View the Invertebrate Zoology type specimens database. Paleontology Database View the Paleontology collections database. Vertebrate Zoology Database View the database for herpetology ichthyology, mammalogy, and ornithology collections. World Spider Catalog View the database for spider species.

Science News

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Scorpion Venom “Fingerprints” May Help Find Hidden Species New study finds chemical profile of scorpion venom can complement other techniques to distinguish species. Famous First Reptile Fossil Wasn’t a Reptile After All Study uncovers gills and fish-like teeth in 345-million-year-old fossil, upending long-held ideas on origins of reptiles.
New Study Points to Bats Originating in Europe Study Suggests Some Catfish Can Sniff New Study Asks: “Where Are the Tiny Dinosaurs?” Research Uncovers Earliest Evidence of “Right-Handedness” in Animals

Resources

Scientific Publications

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Research Library

Our research collection is made up of more than 450,000 volumes.

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Collections & Databases

We are a collections-based museum with millions of objects.