This project will produce digital images of about 12,000 type specimens in the mollusk collection at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP), which is part of Drexel University. Type specimens are the original specimens that scientists used when naming a new species, so they are the standards of reference for identifying species and doing comparative research in systematic biology. The mollusk collection at ANSP is the oldest in North America, dating from the early 1800s, and holds type specimens named by more than 600 scientists. Project images will be served online and made available to websites that consolidate information about biodiversity.
Mollusks have the highest extinction rate of any major group of animals, accounting for more than 40% of species extinctions in recorded history, with freshwater and terrestrial mollusks being most strongly impacted. Only 3% of mollusk species have had their conservation status assessed, so many extinctions have likely been overlooked. The availability of project images online will help scientists identify mollusk species and assess their conservation status, which is urgently needed throughout the world. The project will train undergraduates from Drexel University in molluscan systematics, taxonomy, and curatorial techniques and in working with electronic databases and imaging equipment. Project website: http://clade.ansp.org/malacology/collections/index.html
