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 The Field Museum’s Mission:
Collections-based Research
To date, scientists have described only 2 to 15 percent of all estimated species on Earth. This astounding statistic underscores just how little we know about the natural world.
Collections-based research plays a crucial role in helping us bridge the gap between the richness of life and our understanding of it. Scientists use our collections for baseline data as they investigate changes over time in particular species and examine factors that contribute to habitat damage and loss.
To analyze data and better understand biodiversity, Field Museum scientists use state-of-the-art tools, including CAT scans, DNA sequencers, Scanning Electron Microscopes, Global Positioning Systems, Mass Spectrometers, and computers of all types.
Collections-based research includes:
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 Taxonomy
Field Museum scientists compare and contrast specimens to name species and create an order and rank of biodiversity—a research process called taxonomy.
While taxonomy includes describing new species, it also involves re-evaluating known species based on new information. Together, these practices help target which species are endangered and in need of immediate conservation action.
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 Systematics
Field Museum scientists also compare and contrast specimens to determine how organisms are related to one another—a research process called systematics. Understanding these relationships can influence our understanding of evolutionary patterns, natural history, geographic distributions, and trends.
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Introduction | Investigate Biodiversity | YBC | Meet the Scientist | Explore Global Diversity | Events and Programs | Take Action! | Teaching Biodiversity | Biodiversity Exhibition | Credits
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The collections provide scientists the resources they need to continue searching for answers to the planet’s lingering mysteries and growing environmental problems.
—John W. McCarter, Jr.
President and CEO
The Field Museum
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