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The Global Museum: natural history collections and the future of evolutionary science and public education

Freek T. BakkerBiosystematics Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The NetherlandsAlexandre AntonelliDepartment of Science, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, Richmond, United KingdomJulia A. ClarkeJackson School of Geosciences, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, United States of AmericaJoseph A. CookMuseum of Southwestern Biology, Department of Biology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, United States of AmericaScott V. EdwardsGothenburg Centre for Advanced Studies in Science and Technology, Chalmers University of Technology and University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenPer G. P. EricsonDepartment of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, SwedenSøren FaurbyDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenNuno FerrandMuseu de História Natural e da Ciência, Universidade do Porto, Porto, PortugalMagnus GelangGothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenRosemary G. GillespieEssig Museum of Entomology, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of AmericaMartin IrestedtDepartment of Bioinformatics and Genetics, Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm, SwedenKennet LundinUniversity of GothenburgEllen LarssonDepartment of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Gothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenPável Matos‐MaravíInstitute of EntomologyJohannes MüllerLeibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung, Museum für Naturkunde, Berlin, GermanyTed von ProschwitzGothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenGeorge RoderickEssig Museum of Entomology, Department of Environmental Science, Policy and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA, United States of AmericaAlexander SchliepDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenNiklas WahlbergDepartment of Biology, Lund University, Lund, SwedenJohn WiedenhoeftDepartment of Computer Science and Engineering, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, SwedenMari KällersjöGothenburg Global Biodiversity Centre, University of Gothenburg, Göteborg, Sweden

2020en

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Annotatsiya

Natural history museums are unique spaces for interdisciplinary research and educational innovation. Through extensive exhibits and public programming and by hosting rich communities of amateurs, students, and researchers at all stages of their careers, they can provide a place-based window to focus on integration of science and discovery, as well as a locus for community engagement. At the same time, like a synthesis radio telescope, when joined together through emerging digital resources, the global community of museums (the 'Global Museum') is more than the sum of its parts, allowing insights and answers to diverse biological, environmental, and societal questions at the global scale, across eons of time, and spanning vast diversity across the Tree of Life. We argue that, whereas natural history collections and museums began with a focus on describing the diversity and peculiarities of species on Earth, they are now increasingly leveraged in new ways that significantly expand their impact and relevance. These new directions include the possibility to ask new, often interdisciplinary questions in basic and applied science, such as in biomimetic design, and by contributing to solutions to climate change, global health and food security challenges. As institutions, they have long been incubators for cutting-edge research in biology while simultaneously providing core infrastructure for research on present and future societal needs. Here we explore how the intersection between pressing issues in environmental and human health and rapid technological innovation have reinforced the relevance of museum collections. We do this by providing examples as food for thought for both the broader academic community and museum scientists on the evolving role of museums. We also identify challenges to the realization of the full potential of natural history collections and the Global Museum to science and society and discuss the critical need to grow these collections. We then focus on mapping and modelling of museum data (including place-based approaches and discovery), and explore the main projects, platforms and databases enabling this growth. Finally, we aim to improve relevant protocols for the long-term storage of specimens and tissues, ensuring proper connection with tomorrow's technologies and hence further increasing the relevance of natural history museums.

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DOI: 10.7717/peerj.8225

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