概述
Simply put, invertebrates are all animals that lack a backbone. 然而, invertebrates are far from simple. 而, they comprise an overwhelming majority of diversity of life on Earth, both in number and in form. Invertebrates can be found in the depths of the ocean, the high Himalaya Mountains, and nearly every habitat in between, 陆地 and aquatic.
北卡罗来纳自然科学博物馆(NCSM或NCMNS)的大量无脊椎动物收藏分为两个收藏:软体动物和非软体动物无脊椎动物. 非软体动物无脊椎动物馆成立于2015年，由研究策展人. 布朗温威廉姆斯, and includes what was formerly the Museum’s Crustacean Collection, Terrestrial Invertebrate Collection, and a portion of the Aquatic Invertebrate Collection. The Non-molluscan Invertebrate Collection covers a wide range of taxonomic groups, and includes representatives of more than 20 phyla; it does not include members of phylum Mollusca, 比如贻贝, 蛤, 蜗牛, 章鱼, 和鱿鱼, which are are housed separately in the Mollusk Collection.
The Non-molluscan Invertebrate Collection houses well over 30,000个标本批次(其中一个批次包含同一时间从同一地点收集的一个或多个个体)和1500多个类型标本(正式指定分类学名称的物理标本). With specimens dating back to the 1850s, the Collection reflects over a century and a half of collecting in freshwater, 陆地, and near- and far-shore marine habitats of the Carolinas, 大西洋沿岸中部地区, 和美国东南部. Holdings of certain taxonomic groups span a much broader, i.e., international, 地理 scope. 然而,, 它是非软体动物收集的全部，反映了丰富的科学收集和分类的历史, and thus a wealth of opportunities for research, 教育, 和推广.
的优势
博物馆藏品的优势反映了前任和现任策展人员的研究和兴趣, as well as major donations and acquisitions. 非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏有最大的淡水小龙虾收藏之一, 和, the southeastern United States, 这在很大程度上是由于前甲壳类研究馆长对分类学的关注, Dr. 约翰•库珀. 由于现任非软体动物无脊椎动物研究馆长正在进行的研究，收藏中的小龙虾在地理和分类范围上继续扩大, Dr. 布朗温威廉姆斯, and contributions from collaborative institutions. 在非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏中有250多种小龙虾, 其中大部分是 North American in origin. 特别值得注意的小龙虾包括大量的专性洞穴物种, dozens of type specimens, and scores of lots of historical significance, 包括, but certainly not limited to, specimens collected by Walter Faxon in the late 1800s, NCSM的第一个, 尽管非官方, 策展人, C. S. Brimley in the 1920s, and renowned [marine] biologists G. 小罗伯特·伦兹.奥斯汀·B. 威廉姆斯 in the 1930s and 1950s, respectively.
随着非软体动物无脊椎动物种群中小龙虾数量的战略性扩张，两大类小龙虾外共生体的数量和多样性迅速增长, 也就是小龙虾科的支足类和介形虫. 目前, 非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏馆收藏了数千个昆虫标本，代表了40多个物种, 和60,000+ branchiobdellidan specimens representing nearly 90 species.
非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏了大量国际上重要的多足动物(=蜈蚣), 千足虫, 和亲属收集, 包括广泛分布的千足虫属的最全面的收藏之一. Although the majority of these holdings are from North Carolina, 相当数量的标本是从美国西部和全球各地的热带地区取样的.
非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏馆收藏了大约1万件海洋标本. 这些很多, in large part acquisitions from the Charleston Museum, University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences, and Duke University Marine Laboratory, 它们共同代表了中大西洋地区规模最大、历史上最重要的海洋无脊椎动物群之一. 这些集合的空间重叠导致了许多分类群的无与伦比的时间序列，延伸了一个多世纪. Primary holdings within these acquisitions are decapod crustaceans, although additional substantial holdings include annelids and echinoderms. 尽管这些海洋标本目前正受到策展人的关注, we hope to have these specimens “research-ready” soon.
DEVELOPMENTS AND FUTURE 方向
非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏有成千上万的标本, 其中大部分是, 目前, uncataloged and undatabased. 这些数据的数字化是非软体动物无脊椎动物收集工作人员的重中之重. 这些努力将极大地提高研究界和公众对馆藏馆藏的可及性. This process will take some time. 因此，我们鼓励任何想要了解我们持有的信息的人与我们联系.
The taxonomic breadth of the Non-molluscan Invertebrate Collection is vast, 因此, there is a portion that remains unidentified, or identified only to a broad taxonomic level. 进一步, many of these groups have undergone, or are actively undergoing, 分类学修订, 并且在非软体动物无脊椎动物收集工作人员的专业领域之外. We welcome any and all assistance!
在非软体动物无脊椎动物中增长最快的部分是小龙虾的专性共生体. 然而,, 小龙虾当然不是唯一拥有共生物种的生物(想想儿歌), “跳蚤”1). 事实上, many specimens have several associate taxa, which may include obligate symbionts, opportunistic symbionts, 或者其他生物在采集时可能在同一附近. Depending on how any given specimen was initially fixed and curated over time, it may have retained much of its associate community. For example, we recovered more than two hundred small crustaceans, annelids, etc. from a lot containing a single crab. 我们的目标是为未来的分类工作和看似无穷无尽的研究可能性保护这些群落. 如果您有兴趣了解更多关于非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏中的这些“社区分类群”，请与我们联系.
捐款
Specimen donations come from a variety of sources, 包括 research institutions, state and federal agencies, 私人收藏家. We encourage the donation and deposition of type specimens or series, and specimens that fill key taxonomic, 地理, and/or ecological gaps in the existing Non-molluscan Invertebrate Collection. To ensure proper stewardship of current holdings and future acquisitions, we ask that potential donations include detailed collection event data (e.g., date, specific location, collector, etc.). Please note that a donation may be refused if quality of the specimen(s) and/or data are deemed to be poor; acceptance of donations is at the discretion of the research 策展人.
ACCESSING THE COLLECTION
我们欢迎并鼓励将非软体动物无脊椎动物收藏用于研究目的, 教育, and general advancement of knowledge. We regularly give guided tours to primary, 二次, and university students, and to members of the general public. We host visiting scientists to facilitate research efforts, frequently loan material to other institutions, and even help students with class projects.
我们的目标是通过数字化的过程使非软体动物无脊椎动物的收藏公开开放. This includes specimen data and high-quality images of exemplars. A small percentage of the Collection’s specimen data is currently available via the NCSM online database; please check back frequently for updates. 非软体动物无脊椎动物馆藏的全面数字化工作正在进行中, 但这需要时间. As such, please contact us with any questions regarding our holdings. 我们可以接受特定的数据要求，并努力及时满足此类要求.
欲了解更多信息，或安排一个非软体动物无脊椎动物收集全球最大彩票网站排名，请 contact 梅根McCuller at 梅根.mcculler@relativisticdesigns.com or 919.707.9957.
在线收藏
Search the Non-molluscan Invertebrates Database
Check out our Invertebrates Facebook Group.
1 The first verse of “The Siphonaptera†reads as this:
“Big fleas have little fleas,
Upon their backs to bite ‘em,
And little fleas have lesser fleas,
所以，AD无穷.â€
工作人员
- 策展人: 布朗温威廉姆斯
- 收藏管理器: 梅根McCuller