Established in 1894, the collection of the Division of Mammals is worldwide in scope, and with 155,671 specimens, is one of the largest, most representative and most heavily used collections of mammals in the world. In terms of absolute numbers of specimens, it ranks third or fourth in the nation, and in terms of geographic and taxonomic representation, it probably ranks third in the nation and fourth in the world. More than 410 primary type specimens are included in the collection. Over the last twenty years, major transformations have brought the mammal collection to high standards of curation. Beginning in 1975, nearly the entire collection was moved into newly-constructed quarters; nearly all of the dry collection was accommodated in new specimen cases, and sufficient space has been allocated for several decades of growth. Staff eliminated a large backlog of skeletal specimens; input, edited and verified nearly all collection data in computerized files; constructed a new, well-equipped tanned skin facility; and adopted a large "orphaned" collection of large African mammals originally collected in the 1920s. Field Museum staff have also cataloged and installed large backlogs; updated geographic information on specimens; completed verification of the dry collection; and re-identified large parts of the dry collections (with assistance from Visiting Curators). Recent collection growth has included specimens from recent field work in East Africa (especially Madagascar, Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda), South America (especially Brazil and Chile), and Southeast Asia (especially Malaysia and the Philippines), and from a wide range of other parts of the world. Growth of the fluid-preserved collection has been especially rapid. Nearly all of these specimens have come from recent field work, with the majority coming from Southeast Asia and East Africa. Many of these represent the only fluid-preserved individuals of their species, and at least 20 newly-discovered species are included. The mammal collection of The Field Museum currently consists of 155,671 cataloged, plus 1,500 specimens or less that await cataloging (about half of which are newly acquired through research programs). Some 15,000 specimens have been returned to our foreign collaborators after preparation and cataloging at the Museum. Geographic Coverage-The Field Museum mammal collection is global in scope, and includes specimens from 190 countries or equivalent geographic units. The collection is especially strong in material from South America, Southeast Asia, East Africa, Southwest Asia, China, Central America, Mexico and Australia, with smaller but very important collections from Madagascar, the Sudan, the Himalayan Front, and northern and southern Africa. In comparison with most other large collections, holdings from the United States and Canada are small (ca. 25,000). More than 40% of the specimens are Neotropical, followed by 16% Nearctic, 14% Palearctic, 13% Oriental, and 13% Ethiopian. Although the Neotropical collections represent all areas and taxonomic groups, the collections from northern Colombia and Chile are the best of their kind; Peru, Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Guatemala, Belize and Ecuador are also particularly well represented. From the Palearctic Region, important collections include those from Afghanistan, Iran, Egypt and China, while strengths from the Oriental Region include the Philippines, Borneo, Malaysia and India-Ceylon-Nepal-Sikkim-Burma. Most of these are unique collections. Important collections from the Ethiopian Region include those from the Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda, Burundi, Kenya, Madagascar, Ethiopia and Angola. Systematic Coverage-The collection is equally broad in its systematic coverage. All but one family of mammals is represented (though several by only a few specimens). The Muridae (under the current broad definition) is most abundantly represented with 59,318 specimens, followed by the Phyllostomidae with 11,977, Vespertilionidae with 10,189, and Sciuridae with 9,115 specimens. Some families that are represented by unusually large numbers in The Field Museum collection include the hedge-hogs and relatives (Erinaceidae, 803), several families of bats (Pteropodidae, 4,563; Emballonuridae, 2,030; Rhinolophidae, 4,609), flying lemurs (Cynocephalidae, 90), several families of primates (Lemuridae, 1,364; Callitrichidae, 660; Cebidae, 1,861; Cercopithecidae, 1,409; Pongidae, 152), several unusual families of rodents (Ctenomyidae, 268; Echimyidae, 1,383), large carnivores (Canidae, 2,256; Felidae, 1,365; Hyaenidae, 114), and large herbivorous mammals (Bovidae, 2,554; Cervidae, 940). These figures again indicate the global scope of the collection. Of the 136 extant families of mammals, 135 are represented, with the exception being one family of bats; approximately 83% of 1,100 extant genera are represented. Holdings of rodents and bats are especially large and complete. The Neotropical primate collection is unique owing to the endeavors of P. Hershkovitz. Most of the specimens are study skins with skulls, but some 35,000 are fluid-preserved. In addition, there are 12,000 partial or complete skeletons, including the collection of anatomist D.D. Davis, and segregated collections of genitalia, auditory ossicles, gastro-intestinal tracts and endocranial casts. Fluid-Preserved Specimens-Although all parts of the collection are heavily used, there has been especially rapid growth and increasing use of the fluid-preserved portion during the last five years. This portion of the collection now contains over 35,000 cataloged specimens and approximately 1,480 uncataloged specimens. The fluid-preserved collection grew by 5,613 cataloged specimens (16%) in 1989-1993 (twice the rate of growth in the dry collection), the majority of which were newly acquired through current research programs. This collection includes many species that are rare in museum collections, and contains an unusually large number of large mammals. Auxiliary Collections-The auxiliary collections in the Division of Mammals includes a fluid-preserved brain collection representing most mammalian order, 3500 preserved genitalia, several hundred auditory ossicles, and over 500 endocranial casts representing the majority of mammalian orders. There has been growth in the collection of gastro-intestinal tracts, mainly due to recent field projects of the staff. We also have several hundred owl pellets containing mammal bones, which provide important information on predation, distribution of small mammals, etc. The reprint collection in the Division continues to grow, especially with significant donations by P. Hershkovitz. Frozen Tissues-The Division's frozen tissue collection contains over 10,000 samples, including whole tissue, DNA extracts, and cell suspensions; the collection is growing rapidly due to active field program and high level of demand for this material. The collection has recently been inventoried and is soon to be entered into a computerized database as an aid to management. Other Zoology Collections: Amphibians and Reptiles | Birds | Fishes | Insects | Invertebrates | Mammals