A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions

Marcelo Weksler; Guillermo D’Elía; Pablo Teta; Abelardo R. Bolaños; Adriana Bocchiglieri; Adriana Delfraro; A. Itatí Olivares; Aldo Caccavo; Alejandro Portillo; Alexandra M.R. Bezerra; Alexandre R. Percequillo; Ana C. Loss; Ana C. Bernardes-Dias; Ana C. Mendes-Oliveira; Anna L. Costa-Pinto; Benjamin Bender; Benoit De Thoisy; Carmen F. Marques; Catalina Cárdenas-González; Cecilia Calabuig; Claudia G. Costa; Cláudia R. Silva; Cody W. Thompson; Cristian A. Cruz-Rodríguez; Daniel M. Cisterna; Danny Zurc; Darío A. Lijtmaer; Diego Astúa; R. Eduardo Palma; Eliana Yepes; Elisandra A. Chiquito; Enrique A. Crespo; Enrique M. González; Erick Meza-Andrade; Fernando A. Perini; Fernando C. Passos; Fernando Torres-Pérez; Gabriel M. Martin; Gilberto Sabino-Santos; Guilherme S.T. Garbino; Gyanpriya Maharaj; Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves; Hernán Pastore; Hernani F.M. Oliveira; Hugo F. López-Arévalo; Hugo Mantilla-Meluk; Jaime A. Salas; Jairo Pérez-Torres; Janaína C. Wickert; Javier Barrio; Jhoann C. Hernández; João A. Oliveira; Jocelyn P. Colella; John H. Castaño; Jonathan L. Dunnum; Jorge Brito; Jorge L. Baldo; Jorge Salazar-Bravo; José A. Coda; José L. Mena; José M.B. Duarte; Joseph A. Cook; Joyce R. Do Prado; Juan C. Fernicola; Juan C. Ortiz-Zapata; Juan P. Carrera-E; Julieth S. Cárdenas; Julio Torres; Katherine C. Concha; Kathia Rivero; Katia Airaldi-Wood; Leandro R. Monteiro; Lena Geise; Leonardo A. Leiva; Leonora P. Costa; Ludmilla M.S. Aguiar; Luís F. Silveira; M. Alejandra Camacho; Manoel dos Santos-Filho; Marcus V.M. Barbosa; María E. Montani; Maria G. Piccirilli; Maria J.R. Pereira; Maria R.S. Pires; Mariana Cosse; Mariano S. Sánchez; Mariluce R. Messias; Marisol Hidalgo-Cossio; Martín R. Alvarez; Mauro N. Tammone; Mendelson Lima; Miguel Santillán; Mirtha Alfonso; Nelsy R. Pinto-Sánchez; Nicolás Reyes-Amaya; Nilton C. Cáceres; Oscar E. Murillo-García; Pablo R. Gonçalves; Pablo Suárez; Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela; Raúl Maneyro; Renan N. Costa; Renato Gregorin; Robert D. Owen; Roberto V. Vilela; Rubén M. Barquez; Santiago F. Burneo; Sebastián García-Restrepo; Sergio Bogan; Sérgio L. Althoff; Sergio Solari; Rebecca Smith; Susana González; Tatiana Velásquez-Roa; Thales R.O. Freitas; Thomaz R.F. Sinani; Víctor Pacheco; Victor R. Saavedra; Víctor Romero; Wellington Hannibal; Xilena Rueda-Isaza

doi:10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069

A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions

Marcelo Weksler^*
, Guillermo D’Elía^*
, Pablo Teta^*
, Abelardo R. Bolaños
, Adriana Bocchiglieri
, Adriana Delfraro
, A. Itatí Olivares
, Aldo Caccavo
, Alejandro Portillo
, Alexandra M.R. Bezerra
, Alexandre R. Percequillo
, Ana C. Loss
, Ana C. Bernardes-Dias
, Ana C. Mendes-Oliveira
, Anna L. Costa-Pinto
, Benjamin Bender
, Benoit De Thoisy
, Carmen F. Marques
, Catalina Cárdenas-González
, Cecilia Calabuig

Claudia G. Costa, Cláudia R. Silva, Cody W. Thompson, Cristian A. Cruz-Rodríguez, Daniel M. Cisterna, Danny Zurc, Darío A. Lijtmaer, Diego Astúa, R. Eduardo Palma, Eliana Yepes, Elisandra A. Chiquito, Enrique A. Crespo, Enrique M. González, Erick Meza-Andrade, Fernando A. Perini, Fernando C. Passos, Fernando Torres-Pérez, Gabriel M. Martin, Gilberto Sabino-Santos, Guilherme S.T. Garbino, Gyanpriya Maharaj, Héctor E. Ramírez-Chaves, Hernán Pastore, Hernani F.M. Oliveira, Hugo F. López-Arévalo, Hugo Mantilla-Meluk, Jaime A. Salas, Jairo Pérez-Torres, Janaína C. Wickert, Javier Barrio, Jhoann C. Hernández, João A. Oliveira, Jocelyn P. Colella, John H. Castaño, Jonathan L. Dunnum, Jorge Brito, Jorge L. Baldo, Jorge Salazar-Bravo, José A. Coda, José L. Mena, José M.B. Duarte, Joseph A. Cook, Joyce R. Do Prado, Juan C. Fernicola, Juan C. Ortiz-Zapata, Juan P. Carrera-E, Julieth S. Cárdenas, Julio Torres, Katherine C. Concha, Kathia Rivero, Katia Airaldi-Wood, Leandro R. Monteiro, Lena Geise, Leonardo A. Leiva, Leonora P. Costa, Ludmilla M.S. Aguiar, Luís F. Silveira, M. Alejandra Camacho, Manoel dos Santos-Filho, Marcus V.M. Barbosa, María E. Montani, Maria G. Piccirilli, Maria J.R. Pereira, Maria R.S. Pires, Mariana Cosse, Mariano S. Sánchez, Mariluce R. Messias, Marisol Hidalgo-Cossio, Martín R. Alvarez, Mauro N. Tammone, Mendelson Lima, Miguel Santillán, Mirtha Alfonso, Nelsy R. Pinto-Sánchez, Nicolás Reyes-Amaya, Nilton C. Cáceres, Oscar E. Murillo-García, Pablo R. Gonçalves, Pablo Suárez, Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela, Raúl Maneyro, Renan N. Costa, Renato Gregorin, Robert D. Owen, Roberto V. Vilela, Rubén M. Barquez, Santiago F. Burneo, Sebastián García-Restrepo, Sergio Bogan, Sérgio L. Althoff, Sergio Solari, Rebecca Smith, Susana González, Tatiana Velásquez-Roa, Thales R.O. Freitas, Thomaz R.F. Sinani, Víctor Pacheco, Victor R. Saavedra, Víctor Romero, Wellington Hannibal, Xilena Rueda-Isaza

^*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.

Translated title of the contribution	Un estudio exhaustivo de las colecciones de mamíferos y los recursos genéticos en América del Sur: desafíos y direcciones
Original language	English
Article number	blaf069
Pages (from-to)	1-14
Number of pages	14
Journal	Biological Journal of the Linnean Society
Volume	146
Issue number	1
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069 https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069
State	Published - 16 Sep 2025

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Linnean Society of London. All rights reserved.

Funding

Maintenance of several collections reported herein is supported, in part, through funding provided by the parent institutions in the author list. Additional support for some collections also comes from national and regional funding agencies, including the following: CNPq, CAPES, FINEP, FAPERJ, FAPEMIG, FAPERGS, FAPES, FAPESP, FACEPE, FAPEG, FAPESPA, FAPITEC, FAPESB, FUNCAP (Brazil), CONATURAR, Redes Federales de Alto Impacto (MINCYT, Argentina) Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC—Pba, Argentina), CONICET (Argentina), Fundación Williams (Argentina), ANID-FONDECYT (Chile), Servicio del Patrimonio del Estado (Chile), Programa Nacional de Incentivo al Investigador (PRONII-CONACyT, Paraguay), Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (MEC, Uruguay), French Ministry of Environment, Collectivité Territoriale de la Guyane, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane (French Guiana), and Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MINCYT, Venezuela), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) Hantavirus Grant to Chile. Finally, we thank the mammalogy societies that provide funding and support through grants and programmes, including the American Society of Mammalogists and the Sociedade Brasileira de Mastozoologia. Maintenance of several collections reported herein is supported, in part, through funding provided by the parent institutions in the author list. Additional support for some collections also comes from national and regional funding agencies, including the following: CNPq, CAPES, FINEP, FAPERJ, FAPEMIG, FAPERGS, FAPES, FAPESP, FACEPE, FAPEG, FAPESPA, FAPITEC, FAPESB, FUNCAP (Brazil), CONATURAR, Redes Federales de Alto Impacto (MINCYT, Argentina) Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas de la Provincia de Buenos Aires (CIC—Pba, Argentina), CONICET (Argentina), Fundación Williams (Argentina), ANID-FONDECYT (Chile), Servicio del Patrimonio del Estado (Chile), Programa Nacional de Incentivo al Investigador (PRONII-CONACyT, Paraguay), Ministerio de Educación y Cultura (MEC, Uruguay), French Ministry of Environment, Collectivité Territoriale de la Guyane, Institut Pasteur de la Guyane (French Guiana), and Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología (MINCYT, Venezuela), and the National Institutes of Health (NIH, USA) Hantavirus Grant to Chile. Finally, we thank the mammalogy societies that provide funding and support through grants and programmes, including the American Society of Mammalogists and the Sociedade Brasileira de Mastozoologia. We thank the generations of colleagues and students who through the years have dedicatedly contributed to maintaining and enlarging the holdings of the South American mammal collections. We also thank the Museum and Emerging Pathogens in the Americas (MEPA) network for stimulating discussion and the Project ECHO community at the University of New Mexico for helping us to launch MEPA. Finally, we thank two anonymous reviewers for their suggestions that helped us to improve the text.

Funders
Fundación Williams
Fundação de Apoio à Pesquisa e à Inovação Tecnológica do Estado de Sergipe
Fundação Amazônia Paraense de Amparo à Pesquisa
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa e Inovação do Espírito Santo
Fundação Cearense de Apoio ao Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro
Museum and Emerging Pathogens in the Americas
Fundação de Amparo à Ciência e Tecnologia do Estado de Pernambuco
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado da Bahia
Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos
Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Servicio del Patrimonio del Estado
Institut Pasteur de la Guyane
Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnología, Paraguay
Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico
Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior
National Institutes of Health
Fondo Nacional de Desarrollo Científico y Tecnológico
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Minas Gerais
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo
American Society of Mammalogists
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de Goiás
French Ministry of Environment
Ministerio de Ciencia y Tecnología
Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas
CONATURAR
Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado do Rio Grande do Sul
Ministerio de Educación y Cultura
Collectivité Territoriale de la Guyane

Keywords

biodiversity research
biorepository
conservation
Mammalia
natural history museum
Neotropics

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

Cite this

Weksler, M., D’Elía, G., Teta, P., Bolaños, A. R., Bocchiglieri, A., Delfraro, A., Olivares, A. I., Caccavo, A., Portillo, A., Bezerra, A. M. R., Percequillo, A. R., Loss, A. C., Bernardes-Dias, A. C., Mendes-Oliveira, A. C., Costa-Pinto, A. L., Bender, B., De Thoisy, B., Marques, C. F., Cárdenas-González, C., ... Rueda-Isaza, X. (2025). A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 146(1), 1-14. Article blaf069. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069, https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069

@article{39750a272cf54ac78a6de391dc7a5dfd,

title = "A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions",

abstract = "Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.",

keywords = "biodiversity research, biorepository, conservation, Mammalia, natural history museum, Neotropics",

author = "Marcelo Weksler and Guillermo D{\textquoteright}El{\'i}a and Pablo Teta and Bola{\~n}os, \{Abelardo R.\} and Adriana Bocchiglieri and Adriana Delfraro and Olivares, \{A. Itat{\'i}\} and Aldo Caccavo and Alejandro Portillo and Bezerra, \{Alexandra M.R.\} and Percequillo, \{Alexandre R.\} and Loss, \{Ana C.\} and Bernardes-Dias, \{Ana C.\} and Mendes-Oliveira, \{Ana C.\} and Costa-Pinto, \{Anna L.\} and Benjamin Bender and \{De Thoisy\}, Benoit and Marques, \{Carmen F.\} and Catalina C{\'a}rdenas-Gonz{\'a}lez and Cecilia Calabuig and Costa, \{Claudia G.\} and Silva, \{Cl{\'a}udia R.\} and Thompson, \{Cody W.\} and Cruz-Rodr{\'i}guez, \{Cristian A.\} and Cisterna, \{Daniel M.\} and Danny Zurc and Lijtmaer, \{Dar{\'i}o A.\} and Diego Ast{\'u}a and Palma, \{R. Eduardo\} and Eliana Yepes and Chiquito, \{Elisandra A.\} and Crespo, \{Enrique A.\} and Gonz{\'a}lez, \{Enrique M.\} and Erick Meza-Andrade and Perini, \{Fernando A.\} and Passos, \{Fernando C.\} and Fernando Torres-P{\'e}rez and Martin, \{Gabriel M.\} and Gilberto Sabino-Santos and Garbino, \{Guilherme S.T.\} and Gyanpriya Maharaj and Ram{\'i}rez-Chaves, \{H{\'e}ctor E.\} and Hern{\'a}n Pastore and Oliveira, \{Hernani F.M.\} and L{\'o}pez-Ar{\'e}valo, \{Hugo F.\} and Hugo Mantilla-Meluk and Salas, \{Jaime A.\} and Jairo P{\'e}rez-Torres and Wickert, \{Jana{\'i}na C.\} and Javier Barrio and Hern{\'a}ndez, \{Jhoann C.\} and Oliveira, \{Jo{\~a}o A.\} and Colella, \{Jocelyn P.\} and Casta{\~n}o, \{John H.\} and Dunnum, \{Jonathan L.\} and Jorge Brito and Baldo, \{Jorge L.\} and Jorge Salazar-Bravo and Coda, \{Jos{\'e} A.\} and Mena, \{Jos{\'e} L.\} and Duarte, \{Jos{\'e} M.B.\} and Cook, \{Joseph A.\} and \{Do Prado\}, \{Joyce R.\} and Fernicola, \{Juan C.\} and Ortiz-Zapata, \{Juan C.\} and Carrera-E, \{Juan P.\} and C{\'a}rdenas, \{Julieth S.\} and Julio Torres and Concha, \{Katherine C.\} and Kathia Rivero and Katia Airaldi-Wood and Monteiro, \{Leandro R.\} and Lena Geise and Leiva, \{Leonardo A.\} and Costa, \{Leonora P.\} and Aguiar, \{Ludmilla M.S.\} and Silveira, \{Lu{\'i}s F.\} and Camacho, \{M. Alejandra\} and Santos-Filho, \{Manoel dos\} and Barbosa, \{Marcus V.M.\} and Montani, \{Mar{\'i}a E.\} and Piccirilli, \{Maria G.\} and Pereira, \{Maria J.R.\} and Pires, \{Maria R.S.\} and Mariana Cosse and S{\'a}nchez, \{Mariano S.\} and Messias, \{Mariluce R.\} and Marisol Hidalgo-Cossio and Alvarez, \{Mart{\'i}n R.\} and Tammone, \{Mauro N.\} and Mendelson Lima and Miguel Santill{\'a}n and Mirtha Alfonso and Pinto-S{\'a}nchez, \{Nelsy R.\} and Nicol{\'a}s Reyes-Amaya and C{\'a}ceres, \{Nilton C.\} and Murillo-Garc{\'i}a, \{Oscar E.\} and Gon{\c c}alves, \{Pablo R.\} and Pablo Su{\'a}rez and Pedro Cordeiro-Estrela and Ra{\'u}l Maneyro and Costa, \{Renan N.\} and Renato Gregorin and Owen, \{Robert D.\} and Vilela, \{Roberto V.\} and Barquez, \{Rub{\'e}n M.\} and Burneo, \{Santiago F.\} and Sebasti{\'a}n Garc{\'i}a-Restrepo and Sergio Bogan and Althoff, \{S{\'e}rgio L.\} and Sergio Solari and Rebecca Smith and Susana Gonz{\'a}lez and Tatiana Vel{\'a}squez-Roa and Freitas, \{Thales R.O.\} and Sinani, \{Thomaz R.F.\} and V{\'i}ctor Pacheco and Saavedra, \{Victor R.\} and V{\'i}ctor Romero and Wellington Hannibal and Xilena Rueda-Isaza",

year = "2025",

month = sep,

day = "16",

doi = "10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069",

language = "English",

volume = "146",

pages = "1--14",

journal = "Biological Journal of the Linnean Society",

issn = "0024-4066",

publisher = "Oxford University Press",

number = "1",

}

Weksler, M, D’Elía, G, Teta, P, Bolaños, AR, Bocchiglieri, A, Delfraro, A, Olivares, AI, Caccavo, A, Portillo, A, Bezerra, AMR, Percequillo, AR, Loss, AC, Bernardes-Dias, AC, Mendes-Oliveira, AC, Costa-Pinto, AL, Bender, B, De Thoisy, B, Marques, CF, Cárdenas-González, C, Calabuig, C, Costa, CG, Silva, CR, Thompson, CW, Cruz-Rodríguez, CA, Cisterna, DM, Zurc, D, Lijtmaer, DA, Astúa, D, Palma, RE, Yepes, E, Chiquito, EA, Crespo, EA, González, EM, Meza-Andrade, E, Perini, FA, Passos, FC, Torres-Pérez, F, Martin, GM, Sabino-Santos, G, Garbino, GST, Maharaj, G, Ramírez-Chaves, HE, Pastore, H, Oliveira, HFM, López-Arévalo, HF, Mantilla-Meluk, H, Salas, JA, Pérez-Torres, J, Wickert, JC, Barrio, J, Hernández, JC, Oliveira, JA, Colella, JP, Castaño, JH, Dunnum, JL, Brito, J, Baldo, JL, Salazar-Bravo, J, Coda, JA, Mena, JL, Duarte, JMB, Cook, JA, Do Prado, JR, Fernicola, JC, Ortiz-Zapata, JC, Carrera-E, JP, Cárdenas, JS, Torres, J, Concha, KC, Rivero, K, Airaldi-Wood, K, Monteiro, LR, Geise, L, Leiva, LA, Costa, LP, Aguiar, LMS, Silveira, LF, Camacho, MA, Santos-Filho, MD, Barbosa, MVM, Montani, ME, Piccirilli, MG, Pereira, MJR, Pires, MRS, Cosse, M, Sánchez, MS, Messias, MR, Hidalgo-Cossio, M, Alvarez, MR, Tammone, MN, Lima, M, Santillán, M, Alfonso, M, Pinto-Sánchez, NR, Reyes-Amaya, N, Cáceres, NC, Murillo-García, OE, Gonçalves, PR, Suárez, P, Cordeiro-Estrela, P, Maneyro, R, Costa, RN, Gregorin, R, Owen, RD, Vilela, RV, Barquez, RM, Burneo, SF, García-Restrepo, S, Bogan, S, Althoff, SL, Solari, S, Smith, R, González, S, Velásquez-Roa, T, Freitas, TRO, Sinani, TRF, Pacheco, V, Saavedra, VR, Romero, V, Hannibal, W & Rueda-Isaza, X 2025, 'A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions', Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, vol. 146, no. 1, blaf069, pp. 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069, https://doi.org/10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069

TY - JOUR

T1 - A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions

AU - Weksler, Marcelo

AU - D’Elía, Guillermo

AU - Teta, Pablo

AU - Bolaños, Abelardo R.

AU - Bocchiglieri, Adriana

AU - Delfraro, Adriana

AU - Olivares, A. Itatí

AU - Caccavo, Aldo

AU - Portillo, Alejandro

AU - Bezerra, Alexandra M.R.

AU - Percequillo, Alexandre R.

AU - Loss, Ana C.

AU - Bernardes-Dias, Ana C.

AU - Mendes-Oliveira, Ana C.

AU - Costa-Pinto, Anna L.

AU - Bender, Benjamin

AU - De Thoisy, Benoit

AU - Marques, Carmen F.

AU - Cárdenas-González, Catalina

AU - Calabuig, Cecilia

AU - Costa, Claudia G.

AU - Silva, Cláudia R.

AU - Thompson, Cody W.

AU - Cruz-Rodríguez, Cristian A.

AU - Cisterna, Daniel M.

AU - Zurc, Danny

AU - Lijtmaer, Darío A.

AU - Astúa, Diego

AU - Palma, R. Eduardo

AU - Yepes, Eliana

AU - Chiquito, Elisandra A.

AU - Crespo, Enrique A.

AU - González, Enrique M.

AU - Meza-Andrade, Erick

AU - Perini, Fernando A.

AU - Passos, Fernando C.

AU - Torres-Pérez, Fernando

AU - Martin, Gabriel M.

AU - Sabino-Santos, Gilberto

AU - Garbino, Guilherme S.T.

AU - Maharaj, Gyanpriya

AU - Ramírez-Chaves, Héctor E.

AU - Pastore, Hernán

AU - Oliveira, Hernani F.M.

AU - López-Arévalo, Hugo F.

AU - Mantilla-Meluk, Hugo

AU - Salas, Jaime A.

AU - Pérez-Torres, Jairo

AU - Wickert, Janaína C.

AU - Barrio, Javier

AU - Hernández, Jhoann C.

AU - Oliveira, João A.

AU - Colella, Jocelyn P.

AU - Castaño, John H.

AU - Dunnum, Jonathan L.

AU - Brito, Jorge

AU - Baldo, Jorge L.

AU - Salazar-Bravo, Jorge

AU - Coda, José A.

AU - Mena, José L.

AU - Duarte, José M.B.

AU - Cook, Joseph A.

AU - Do Prado, Joyce R.

AU - Fernicola, Juan C.

AU - Ortiz-Zapata, Juan C.

AU - Carrera-E, Juan P.

AU - Cárdenas, Julieth S.

AU - Torres, Julio

AU - Concha, Katherine C.

AU - Rivero, Kathia

AU - Airaldi-Wood, Katia

AU - Monteiro, Leandro R.

AU - Geise, Lena

AU - Leiva, Leonardo A.

AU - Costa, Leonora P.

AU - Aguiar, Ludmilla M.S.

AU - Silveira, Luís F.

AU - Camacho, M. Alejandra

AU - Santos-Filho, Manoel dos

AU - Barbosa, Marcus V.M.

AU - Montani, María E.

AU - Piccirilli, Maria G.

AU - Pereira, Maria J.R.

AU - Pires, Maria R.S.

AU - Cosse, Mariana

AU - Sánchez, Mariano S.

AU - Messias, Mariluce R.

AU - Hidalgo-Cossio, Marisol

AU - Alvarez, Martín R.

AU - Tammone, Mauro N.

AU - Lima, Mendelson

AU - Santillán, Miguel

AU - Alfonso, Mirtha

AU - Pinto-Sánchez, Nelsy R.

AU - Reyes-Amaya, Nicolás

AU - Cáceres, Nilton C.

AU - Murillo-García, Oscar E.

AU - Gonçalves, Pablo R.

AU - Suárez, Pablo

AU - Cordeiro-Estrela, Pedro

AU - Maneyro, Raúl

AU - Costa, Renan N.

AU - Gregorin, Renato

AU - Owen, Robert D.

AU - Vilela, Roberto V.

AU - Barquez, Rubén M.

AU - Burneo, Santiago F.

AU - García-Restrepo, Sebastián

AU - Bogan, Sergio

AU - Althoff, Sérgio L.

AU - Solari, Sergio

AU - Smith, Rebecca

AU - González, Susana

AU - Velásquez-Roa, Tatiana

AU - Freitas, Thales R.O.

AU - Sinani, Thomaz R.F.

AU - Pacheco, Víctor

AU - Saavedra, Victor R.

AU - Romero, Víctor

AU - Hannibal, Wellington

AU - Rueda-Isaza, Xilena

PY - 2025/9/16

Y1 - 2025/9/16

N2 - Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.

AB - Natural history collections serve as crucial infrastructure for both basic and applied scientific research, providing temporal and spatial specimen data needed to understand biodiversity, environmental change, and emerging pathogens. This study surveyed mammal collections across South America to assess the scope and quality of this infrastructure. A detailed questionnaire was distributed to curators and collection managers from May 2021 to February 2022, gathering information on institutional characteristics, collection size, taxonomic and geographical scope, preservation methods, genetic resource availability, percentage digitization, financial support, and challenges such as funding limitations. Our survey identified 141 collections; more than twice the number reported by the American Society of Mammalogists in 2018. South American collections house ∼746 000 catalogued specimens, including 452 primary type specimens, representing only a modest proportion of the vast mammalian diversity of South America. Collections are geographically concentrated in Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, and Peru, with a significant gap in the Guianas region and a decline in responses from Venezuela. The survey highlights four major challenges facing South American collections: staffing shortages, minimal cryogenic infrastructure, incomplete digitization, and sustainability issues. This initiative aims to raise awareness of collections in South America, plan for strategic growth, and strengthen research capacity to address pressing global issues, such as climate change, zoonotic disease transmission, and long-term conservation strategies.

KW - biodiversity research

KW - biorepository

KW - conservation

KW - Mammalia

KW - natural history museum

KW - Neotropics

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105016881912

U2 - 10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069

DO - 10.1093/biolinnean/blaf069

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:105016881912

SN - 0024-4066

VL - 146

SP - 1

EP - 14

JO - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

JF - Biological Journal of the Linnean Society

IS - 1

M1 - blaf069

ER -

A comprehensive survey of mammal collections and genetic resources in South America: challenges and directions

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Other files and links

Cite this