The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (MCZ) is a private center for research and education focused on the comparative relationships of animal life. We house millions of animal specimens and host hundreds of visiting researchers each year.
Museum of Comparative Zoology
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Ernst Mayr Grant recipient Ian Solon Ito visited MCZ ichthyology to study Hypomasticus, a poorly known South American fish genus in the family Anostomidae. Ian examined specimens collected more than a century ago during the Thayer and Hassler expeditions from habitats that have since deteriorated.
Photo by Jennifer Winifred Trimble
It was a beautiful day for MCZ staff to visit the @whoi.edu! They viewed three research vessels - a source of over 50,000 specimen lots cataloged in the MCZ over the years - and toured the @mblscience.bsky.social, visiting Carrie Albertin’s (@harvardoeb.bsky.social prof, Curator in Malacology) lab.
Harvard students traveled through diverse habitats in Arizona for the OEB course Biology and Diversity of Birds taught by Scott Edwards. The MCZ funds spring break trips for many OEB courses, providing field experience that compliments classroom and lab learning. photo by Asher Montgomery
Did you know that Nantucket used to have a wild-living population of prairie dogs? A few black-tailed prairie dogs introduced in the 1890s quickly overwhelmed the locals, who raised funds to eradicate them in under 10 years. Caption and images of two MCZ specimens by M. Mullon #mczMammalogy
Our Herpetology department just finished rehousing their primary type specimens: 1,800+ jars (nearly 2,700 specimens) moved into a more space‑efficient and organized setup. The process took three months and provided the bonus benefit of rediscovering dozens of hidden types along the way.
