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The Zoology Museum, which is located in the University of Costa Rica, traces its origins to the early 1960's. At the time, the university's School of Biology was established for the collection of scientific material, with the interest of conducting research and teaching.
These small, but expanding collections were stored in small private offices or warehouses located inside the university. After a few years, the museum was established to better organize these specimens.
Director of the university at the time, Dr. Jorge Mora Urpi, pushed for a new office building for the school to store the zoological specimens, which mostly included fish, amphibians and reptiles. This new office building marked the true beginning of the Zoology Museum.
What to SeeUltimately founded in 1966, the Zoology Museum currently consists of a number of these scientific collections, which include specimens of both vertebrates and invertebrates. These specimens have been donated to the museum from a variety of research projects conducted across the globe.
Scientific ResearchThe goal of the museum is to provide a national repository for the zoological collections while also fostering and promoting scientific research. Because of this, the museum maintains a close relationship with institutions in a number of different countries. Scientists from these various institutions often visit the museum to conduct research.
The specimens found at the Zoology Museum are either preserved as skeletons, shells or in a liquid solution. Some of the most important collections visitors can view at the museum are dedicated to mammals, aquatic invertebrates (including coral, mollusks, crustaceans and insects) and arachnids.
The bird collection at the Zoology Museum, an equally impressive group of specimens, was initiated by professor Gary Stiles in 1967. This collection includes more than 4,100 specimens belonging to 768 different species of Costa Rican birds, which is 92 percent of the total species in the country.
Animal SoundsFinally, visitors to the Zoology Museum will want to check out the bioacoustic library, which includes studio recordings of animal sounds. The library is the perfect place for those looking to pinpoint exactly what bird or animal they are hearing throughout their time in Costa Rica. | |
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