AMNH Library Digital Repository
The AMNH Library Digital Repository is an archive maintained by the Research Library for AMNH Scientific Publications, AMNH scholarly output and other original and published materials digitized by the Library. All information in the repository is freely accessible to scholars around the world to support their research.
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- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Division of Anthropology.
- Contains scientific data and other digitized material from the Department of Astrophysics.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Center of Biodiversity and Conservation.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences.
- Contains scientific data and/or field notes and other digitized material from the Department of Herpetology.
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Recent Submissions
Codex Eurypterida : a revised taxonomy based on concordant parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses (Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, no. 473)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2025-06-11) Lamsdell, James C.
Eurypterids, also known as sea scorpions, were aquatic chelicerate arthropods that were important components of Paleozoic marine and freshwater ecosystems from the Ordovician to the Permian. The group represents an excellent subject for studies into evolution due to their exceptionally preserved fossils which frequently reveal almost complete details of the exoskeleton, including the appendages, which allows for interpretation of their roles in ancient ecosystems. This contribution presents an overview of the 200-year history of eurypterid research and their occurrence in popular media before presenting an updated classification for Eurypterida based on concordant parsimony and Bayesian phylogenetic analyses of 238 morphological characters coded for 152 species. This represents the first comprehensive treatment of eurypterid systematics in 35 years and includes evaluation of every known described species of eurypterid. In the process several species names occurring in the Russian literature are shown to be invalid. The appropriate taxonomic authorities for Eurypterida, Stylonurina, and Eurypterina are revised and a revision conducted of all known species. Eighteen new taxa are proposed; the superfamily Waeringopteroidea, the families Brachyopteridae, Stylonurellidae, Strobilopteridae, Waeringopteridae, Nanahughmilleriidae, Parahughmilleriidae, Pittsfordipteridae, Ciurcopteridae, Herefordopteridae, and Hunanopteridae, and the genera Athenepterus, Waterstonopterus, Barusopterus, Cruinnopterus, Selkiepterella, and Hunanopterus. The species name Strobilopterus proteus is also formally made available for the first time. Eurypterid anatomical terminology is updated and standardized. Reviewing previous analyses of macroevolutionary and macroecological trends within eurypterids in light of the revised relationships suggested here indicates that their conclusions are still generally supported, although the history of eurypterid geographic occurrence and dispersal is more complicated than previously considered. Recent discoveries of eurypterids from the paleocontinent of Gondwana represent some of the more exciting new developments in eurypterid research and it is likely that more eurypterids will be found in these regions in the future. Ongoing research into eurypterid ontogeny and macroevolution is detailed and understudied aspects of eurypterid paleobiology, including their ichnological record, role in paleocommunities, and taphonomy are explored. Suggestions are made for inroads into these relatively neglected research programs. Common misconceptions about eurypterids are also addressed; no eurypterid is known to possess a venomous sting in its tail, and while eurypterids likely congregated to shed their exoskeletons there is no compelling evidence that they mated en masse.
An atlas of malformed trilobites from North American repositories. Part 3. The Field Museum of Natural History (American Museum novitates, no. 4035)
(American Museum of Natural History., 2025-05-30) Bicknell, Russell D. C.; Mayer, Paul (Paul Stephen); Smith, Patrick M.
Examples of malformed trilobites are well documented in the fossil record. These specimens are critical for elucidating aspects of trilobite paleoecology, particularly in the context of developmental biology, predation, and pathologies. Ongoing efforts to catalog these malformations within paleontological collections have yielded significant insight into trilobite paleobiology, especially related to posttraumatic recovery and predator-prey interactions. For the third component of this atlas, we identified five examples of malformations across Cambrian (Ogygopsis klotzi, Paradoxides davidis) and Silurian (Glyptambon verrucosus, Lichas breviceps) species within the Field Museum of Natural History collection. These specimens show demonstrable evidence of traumatic injuries, unsuccessful predation, and pathological developments. We investigate the etiologies of these malformations and compare them to other examples of malformed trilobites. Finally, we consider the history of trilobite collections at the Field Museum, exploring the major changes in the collection since the museum was founded.
Decolonizing Primate Conservation in Africa: BIPOCs’ Perspective
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2022) Goodwin, Reiko Matsuda; Eniang, Edem A.
Rethinking a Class: on Mushrooms, Molds, and Society
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2022) Howe, Natalie
Observed Impacts of Climate Change on Biodiversity
(New York, NY : Center for Biodiversity and Conservation, American Museum of Natural History, 2022) Pearson, Richard G.; Siller, Stephanie J.
There is strong scientific evidence that climate change is already impacting plant and animal populations, and model projections indicate that the current trends are likely to continue over the coming century. This synthesis reviews case studies from the primary scientific literature on the observed effects of climate change on biodiversity and an exercise that has participants explore the communication and interpretation of climate change science through role-playing as climate scientists or journalists.