Category Archives: In the News
Public Exhibit Opening Soon!
The Collection of Birds from the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections will host an exhibit including original photography, specimens, data visualizations and more at the SEAD Gallery in downtown Bryan, read more here: https://brtc.tamu.edu/collections/ornithology/vitality/
New species of clingfish discovered!
Dr. Kevin Conway, Curator of Fishes at the Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections, and Dr. Phil Hastings, Professor and Curator of Marine Vertebrates at SCRIPPS, describe a new species of clingfish from the Los Frailes canyon in the southwestern Gulf of California. This group of fishes is best known for occurring in rocky intertidal and shallow subtidal reef areas in the western Atlantic. The discovery of this new species the “Canyon Clingfish” is additionally noteworthy because the specimen was collected at a greater depth than most species of… Read More →
Collection of Birds at Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections adds a rare bird and reaches 24,000 specimens.
The Collection of Birds at the BRTC now contains over 24,000 specimens! Historically the collection has focused on specimens from the United States and Texas (63% of the collection) and Mexico (14%), but it also includes specimens from 64 additional countries. Over the past eight years, the collection has grown from ca. 14,500 specimens, and has added material not only from Texas, but from expeditions to Armenia, Benin, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Italy, and South Africa. In fact, 5% of the collection is now from South Africa. These… Read More →
3 New Species of African Forest Robin
WFSC team discovers three new species of African forest robins in the genus Stiphrornis! The paper describing these new species has been published online in Systematics and Biodiversity (http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/14772000.2016.1226978). The three species are named Stiphrornis inexpectatus, the Ghana Forest Robin; Stiphrornis dahomeyensis, the Dahomey Forest Robin, and Stiphrornis rudderi, Rudder’s Forest Robin. The latter, Rudder’s Forest Robin, is named in honor of James Earl Rudder, former president of Texas A&M University. The type specimens for dahomeyensis and rudderi (pictured below) are housed in the Collection of Birds at the… Read More →
Museums: The endangered dead : Nature News & Comment
Museums: The endangered dead : Nature News & Comment.
BRTC specimens used in seahorse study
Recent publication from colleagues in Brazil identifies 3 species of seahorses in Brazil. The BRTC contributed radiography of specimens to help with the morphological component of the study.
Come work with us!
Museum Collections Assistant Job Announcement Job Description: The Biodiversity Research and Teaching Collections is looking for a mature, responsible, and detail orientated undergraduate student, with a strong interest in ichthyology, to assist staff and faculty curators with a variety of curatorial tasks in the Collection of Fishes. Primary responsibilities: Include but not limited to: Preparing voucher specimens and associated tissues; electronically documenting and physically inventorying specimens; organizing tissue samples stored in ultra-cold freezers; assisting the curator of collections with special projects. Qualifications: WFSC 311 and WFSC 302 or equivalent,… Read More →
How the Conservation Plan for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Works | StateImpact Texas
How the Conservation Plan for the Dunes Sagebrush Lizard Works | StateImpact Texas.