Utah Museum of Natural History
Encyclopedia
The Natural History Museum of Utah (NHMU) is a museum
located at the Rio Tinto Center on the campus of the University of Utah
in Salt Lake City, Utah
, United States
. The museum shows exhibits of natural history
subjects, specifically about Utah's natural history. The mission of the museum is to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it.
campus in 1963 by the Utah State Legislature
. It opened in 1969 in the former George Thomas Library and included specimens from the Deseret Museum as well as from the Charles Nettleton Strevell Museum that was located in the old Lafayette School on South Temple Street from 1939 until 1947. In 2011 the museum moved from the old George Thomas Library location into the Rio Tinto Center, east of the main university campus; the move also resulted in a change of name to the Natural History Museum of Utah.
and education
. The Museum's collections emphasize the natural history of Utah and are accessible to researchers from around the world. The majority of the collections are from public lands within the inter-mountain region of the United States.
NHMU collections are used in studies on geological, biological and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The primary goal of the museum is to increase the information content of the collections while providing the widest possible access to that information.
The current curator
of anthropology is Duncan Metcalfe, Ph.D. and the collections manager is Glenna Nielsen-Grimm.
The current curator of vertebrate zoology
is Eric Rickart, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Rebecca Rowe, Ph.D. The curator of botany
is Mitchell Power, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Ann Kelsey. The entomology
collection is managed by Christy Bills.
The current curator of paleontology is Randall Irmis, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Mike Getty.
/paleontology
, anthropology
, and biology
.
opportunities and provide a learning laboratory
for students. Museum programs expose students to many aspects of museum studies: educational outreach, exhibit design and fabrication development, public relations
, and curriculum development.
The Museum is a repository for collections that were accumulated by the University's departments of Anthropology
, Biology
, and Geology
. The collections are held in trust for faculty
, graduate students, and undergraduates who have access to the collections for research
and teaching purposes.
In-service training is offered by the Utah Museum of Natural History Education Department; university credit can be earned with these courses, leading to salary
lane changes for public school teachers. These courses are coordinated with the Academic Outreach and Continuing Education and the Department of Teaching and Learning. As the founder of the University’s Genetic
Science Learning Center, the Museum continues to partner in its teacher training program.
The Museum's meeting rooms are available for rental for on- and off-campus groups.
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
located at the Rio Tinto Center on the campus of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
in Salt Lake City, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The museum shows exhibits of natural history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
subjects, specifically about Utah's natural history. The mission of the museum is to illuminate the natural world and the place of humans within it.
History
The museum was conceived, in 1959, when the University of Utah faculty committee decided to consolidate natural history collections from around its campus. The museum was established as the Utah Museum of Natural History on the University of UtahUniversity of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
campus in 1963 by the Utah State Legislature
Utah State Legislature
The Utah State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Utah. It is a bicameral body, comprising the Utah House of Representatives, with 75 Representatives, and the Utah Senate, with 29 State Senators...
. It opened in 1969 in the former George Thomas Library and included specimens from the Deseret Museum as well as from the Charles Nettleton Strevell Museum that was located in the old Lafayette School on South Temple Street from 1939 until 1947. In 2011 the museum moved from the old George Thomas Library location into the Rio Tinto Center, east of the main university campus; the move also resulted in a change of name to the Natural History Museum of Utah.
Collections and research
The Natural History Museum of Utah has over 1.2 million objects in its collection that are used for researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
. The Museum's collections emphasize the natural history of Utah and are accessible to researchers from around the world. The majority of the collections are from public lands within the inter-mountain region of the United States.
NHMU collections are used in studies on geological, biological and cultural diversity, and the history of living systems and human cultures within the Utah region. The primary goal of the museum is to increase the information content of the collections while providing the widest possible access to that information.
Anthropology collection
- Archaeological collections of 3/4 million objects
- Associated records from more than 3,800 sites
- Ethnographic collections including more than 2,000 objects
The current curator
Curator
A curator is a manager or overseer. Traditionally, a curator or keeper of a cultural heritage institution is a content specialist responsible for an institution's collections and involved with the interpretation of heritage material...
of anthropology is Duncan Metcalfe, Ph.D. and the collections manager is Glenna Nielsen-Grimm.
Biology collection
- 30,000 specimens of mammals
- 20,000 birds
- 18,000 lower vertebrates
- 22,000 mollusks
- 180,000 insects
- 123,000 plant specimens in the Garrett Herbarium, many with viable seedsSEEDSSEEDS is a voluntary organisation registered under the Societies Act of India....
and spores
The current curator of vertebrate zoology
Zoology
Zoology |zoölogy]]), is the branch of biology that relates to the animal kingdom, including the structure, embryology, evolution, classification, habits, and distribution of all animals, both living and extinct...
is Eric Rickart, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Rebecca Rowe, Ph.D. The curator of botany
Botany
Botany, plant science, or plant biology is a branch of biology that involves the scientific study of plant life. Traditionally, botany also included the study of fungi, algae and viruses...
is Mitchell Power, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Ann Kelsey. The entomology
Entomology
Entomology is the scientific study of insects, a branch of arthropodology...
collection is managed by Christy Bills.
Geology collection
- 3,600 minerals
- 250 rocks
- 4,000 plant and 2,500 invertebrate fossils
- 20,000 vertebrateVertebrateVertebrates are animals that are members of the subphylum Vertebrata . Vertebrates are the largest group of chordates, with currently about 58,000 species described. Vertebrates include the jawless fishes, bony fishes, sharks and rays, amphibians, reptiles, mammals, and birds...
fossils, including the famous Cleveland-Lloyd JurassicJurassicThe Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
dinosaur collections, Late CretaceousCretaceousThe Cretaceous , derived from the Latin "creta" , usually abbreviated K for its German translation Kreide , is a geologic period and system from circa to million years ago. In the geologic timescale, the Cretaceous follows the Jurassic period and is followed by the Paleogene period of the...
vertebrates from Grand Staircase-Escalante National MonumentGrand Staircase-Escalante National MonumentThe Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument contains 1.9 million acres of land in southern Utah, the United States. There are three main regions: the Grand Staircase, the Kaiparowits Plateau, and the Canyons of the Escalante. President Bill Clinton designated the area as a U.S. National...
, and important lower Cretaceous dinosaurs from the Museum's Long Walk Quarry and other Cedar Mountain FormationCedar Mountain FormationThe Cedar Mountain Formation is the name given to distinctive sedimentary rocks in eastern Utah that occur between the underlying Morrison Formation and overlying Naturita Formation . It is composed of non-marine sediments, that is, sediments deposited in rivers, lakes and on flood plains...
localities.
The current curator of paleontology is Randall Irmis, Ph.D., and the collections manager is Mike Getty.
Exhibits
The museum's exhibit areas occupy almost 23000 square feet (2,136.8 m²) on the first and second floors of the George Thomas Building, located on the University of Utah campus. The exhibits target three broad areas of the natural sciences: geologyGeology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
/paleontology
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, and biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
.
Cooper Hall of Anthropology
- Renovated in 2003 to include Utah’s First Nations exhibit components originally developed for the 2002 Cultural Olympiad
- Ethnographic highlights include pieces of the Tony Taylor collection and objects purchased by UMNH Collectors Council
- Archaeological interpretation of Utah’s prehistoric cultures and sites in the Great BasinGreat BasinThe Great Basin is the largest area of contiguous endorheic watersheds in North America and is noted for its arid conditions and Basin and Range topography that varies from the North American low point at Badwater Basin to the highest point of the contiguous United States, less than away at the...
and Colorado PlateauColorado PlateauThe Colorado Plateau, also called the Colorado Plateau Province, is a physiographic region of the Intermontane Plateaus, roughly centered on the Four Corners region of the southwestern United States. The province covers an area of 337,000 km2 within western Colorado, northwestern New Mexico,...
replica of the 4,000-year-old pictograph panel from Utah's Horseshoe Canyon
Geology/paleontology hall
- Features four cast skeletons of Jurassic dinosaurs from central Utah
- Allosaurus (dinosaur brain endo cast)
- Two large murals, many sculptures, and 11 skeletons of fossil mammals
- Depictions of geological phenomena and the formation of rocks with touch specimens
Norton Hall of Minerals
- 450 mineral specimens, including touchable amethyst geode and coal
- "Romney Mine," a walk-in recreation of a 19th century Park City lead-zinc-silver mine
- Mining heritage of Utah, spotlighting mining areas and districts
- Workable Geiger counter
Life science halls
- Full-size marsh and mountain dioramas
- Displays of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and invertebrates of Utah
Quinney Dinosaur Discovery Hall
- Hands-on dinosaur dig
- Working fossil preparation lab
- Wall mural of prehistoric life painted by children from Utah
Educational programs
The educational programs are organized by the School Programs Department. Development of school programs is closely tied to the public school system's core curriculum. The Museum's educational programs include:- School Tours: This program includes self-guided groups moving among demonstration carts throughout the galleries.
- Junior Science Academy: A series of workshops for fourth grade students tied to the core curriculum and held in the Museum.
- Youth programs: After-school, Saturday, and summer classes primarily for children in grades K-6, covering various aspects of natural history and science.
- Adult and family programs: Workshops, lectures, and special events intended for an adult and/or family audience in geology, archeology, and biology.
- Youth Teaching Youth: A program with Glendale Middle School; youth from at-risk environments are trained to instruct elementary school classes using outreach kits. These middle school youth conduct all classroom outreach in the Salt Lake School District. As these students graduate to high school, they are offered internships in a variety of disciplines at the Museum and throughout the University.
Outreach
- Museum on the Move: A total of 12 kits containing specimens and activities are presented by Museum educators in schools statewide. The kits use natural history topics to allow students to build science process skills and are tied to science core curriculum standards. Topics addressed by the kits include rocks and minerals, fossils, Utah animals, and Great Salt Lake.
- Field Crates
- Traveling Treasures
- Teaching Toolboxes
- Teachers are able to check boxes out for 2 weeks at a time
- Scientist in the Classroom
Role at the University of Utah
The Museum is part of the academic life of the University of Utah. The collections offer researchResearch
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
opportunities and provide a learning laboratory
Laboratory
A laboratory is a facility that provides controlled conditions in which scientific research, experiments, and measurement may be performed. The title of laboratory is also used for certain other facilities where the processes or equipment used are similar to those in scientific laboratories...
for students. Museum programs expose students to many aspects of museum studies: educational outreach, exhibit design and fabrication development, public relations
Public relations
Public relations is the actions of a corporation, store, government, individual, etc., in promoting goodwill between itself and the public, the community, employees, customers, etc....
, and curriculum development.
The Museum is a repository for collections that were accumulated by the University's departments of Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
, Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
, and Geology
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
. The collections are held in trust for faculty
Teacher
A teacher or schoolteacher is a person who provides education for pupils and students . The role of teacher is often formal and ongoing, carried out at a school or other place of formal education. In many countries, a person who wishes to become a teacher must first obtain specified professional...
, graduate students, and undergraduates who have access to the collections for research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
and teaching purposes.
In-service training is offered by the Utah Museum of Natural History Education Department; university credit can be earned with these courses, leading to salary
Salary
A salary is a form of periodic payment from an employer to an employee, which may be specified in an employment contract. It is contrasted with piece wages, where each job, hour or other unit is paid separately, rather than on a periodic basis....
lane changes for public school teachers. These courses are coordinated with the Academic Outreach and Continuing Education and the Department of Teaching and Learning. As the founder of the University’s Genetic
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
Science Learning Center, the Museum continues to partner in its teacher training program.
The Museum's meeting rooms are available for rental for on- and off-campus groups.