Specimen Records, 1961-1972

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Summary

This collection consists of the field catalogs and journals of collectors for the Smithsonian Institution African Mammal Project (1961-1972). Henry W. Setzer, curator at Division of Mammals at the National Museum of Natural History, conceived and directed the project in which more than 40 collectors worked in more than 20 countries across Africa, resulting in over 63,000 specimens now housed in the National Museum of Natural History. Specimens included mammals as well as ectoparasites. Collected specimens were primarily Rodentia and Chiroptera, though 208 genera are represented. Collecting was primarily completed with multiple transect lines of snap traps, but also with hunting, roost searching, mist-netting, and specimen purchasing. Surveyed localities included a variety of zones, focusing on Northern Savanna and Southern Savanna biotic zones but also covering the Mediterranean, Sahara Desert, Guinea High Forest, and Southwest Arid, and to a lesser extent the Southwest Cape and Afromontane zones. Field books are organized by collector and time period. Journals describe most aspects of field work including collecting methods, specimens, environment, and sometimes include sketches to augment text. Formats are often consistent across journals, also including data and tables about temperature and relative humidity readings (usually at 0700 and 1900), as well as phase of the moon. Countries covered include: Algeria, Benin (Dahomey), Botswana (Bechuanaland or Bechuanaland Protectorate), Burkina Faso (Upper Volta), Chad, Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), Gambia, Ghana, Lesotho, Libya, Mauritania, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Togo, Zimbabwe (Southern Rhodesia). Principle collectors include: Stanley B. Akpan, John H. Case, C. G. Coetzee, Ron E. Cole, Richard M. Davis, John E. W. Dixon, Stephen D. Durrant, Julius C. Geest, Piet J. Geldenhuys, S. W. Goussard, O. F. Graupner, A. Frank Hallett, Alan R. Hardy, Dean E. Harvey, Bruce J. Hayward, Michael G. Hearst, Ted A. Heist, Robert D. Hepplewhite, Dorothy L. Herbert, H. John Herbert, George R. Hughes, A. Kofi, A. V. W. Lambrechts, James E. LeDuc, J. Carl Lingebach, S. J. Liversedge, Tim N. Liversedge, Thomas J. Mclntyre, Alvin L. Moore, Wallace P. Murdoch Jr., Harry L. Norman, J. J. L. Pretorius, Gary L. Ranck, I. L. Rautenbach, Arthur C. Risser Jr., C. Brian Robbins, Lynn W. Robbins, Duane A. Schlitter, Henry W. Setzer, James H. Shaw, Alan R. Silberstein, and Ralph E. Vaden.

Subject

  • Setzer, Henry W
  • Akpan, Stanley B
  • Case, John H
  • Cole, Ron E
  • Davis, Richard M
  • Dixon, John E. W
  • Durrant, Stephen D
  • Geest, Julius C
  • Geldenhuys, Piet J
  • Goussard, S. W
  • Graupner, O. F
  • Hallett, A. Frank
  • Hardy, Alan R
  • Harvey, Dean E
  • Hayward, Bruce J
  • Hearst, Michael G
  • Heist, Ted A
  • Hepplewhite, Robert D
  • Herbert, Dorothy L
  • Herbert, H. John
  • Hughes, George R
  • Kofi, A
  • Lambrechts, A. V. W
  • LeDuc, James E
  • Lingebach, J. Carl
  • Liversedge, S. J
  • Liversedge, Tim N
  • McIntyre, Thomas J
  • Moore, Alvin L
  • Norman, Harry L
  • Pretorius, J. J. L
  • Rautenbach, I. L
  • Risser, Arthur C (Arthur Crane)
  • Robbins, C. Brian
  • Schlitter, Duane A
  • Shaw, James H
  • Silberstein, Alan R
  • Vaden, Ralph E
  • Coetzee, C. G
  • Murdoch, Wallace P. 1924-
  • Ranck, Gary L (Gary Laval) 1933-
  • Robbins, Lynn W
  • African Mammal Project (Smithsonian Institution)
  • National Museum of Natural History (U.S.) Division of Mammals

Notes

For a description of the record series of which these materials form a part, refer to the "Forms part of" above.

Organization

Unarranged

Repository Loc.

Smithsonian Institution Archives Capital Gallery, Suite 3000, MRC 507; 600 Maryland Avenue, SW; Washington, DC 20024-2520

Date

  • 1961
  • 1961-1972

Topic

  • Animals
  • Mammals

Form/Genre

  • Field notes
  • Collection descriptions

Local number

SIA Acc. 12-444

Physical description

16.96 cu. ft. (16.96 non-standard size boxes)

Full Record

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