[Feature] Museum drawers go digital
No one knows exactly how many natural history specimens exist in museums and other research institutions worldwide, but some calculate it's on the order of 3 billion. In most cases, the displays seen by visitors make up a tiny slice of this treasure; museum curators estimate that more than 99% is stored away from the public gaze. Researchers have for decades used museum specimens to answer questions about how species diverge, where they move around the globe, and how they respond to changing conditions. But they have traditionally had to travel from museum to museum in person, or else request that the specimens be mailed to them. Now, even as museums struggle with funding woes that limit their activities, many around the world are working to put specimen photographs and related data online where anyone can view them. Until recently, these efforts were slow and painstaking, barely chipping away at...