OSU Collection of Vertebrates
Mission
The mission of the OSU Collection of Vertebrates (OSU COV) is to house collections
as documentation of the vertebrate faunal history and biodiversity of Oklahoma, the
United States, and those regions of the world where faculty and students of OSU conduct
research and to maintain those collections in conditions that promote long-term conservation,
education, and research. We will make those reference collections available for research
or education to faculty, staff, and students of the Department of Zoology, the community
of Oklahoma State University, authorized researchers from other institutions, and
the public.
Purpose
Natural history research collections serve as a foundation for research on the diversity,
evolution, distribution, and conservation of wild species, and the composition, importance,
and functioning of natural ecosystems. Just as libraries are archives of printed and
recorded materials, natural history collections are archives for anthropological,
botanical, geological, paleontological, and zoological objects and their associated
data. The OSU COV, like most natural history collections, is made available to the
scientific community either by personal visits, loans, or through electronic transfer
of information. Although there are no public exhibits at the OSU COV, we provide outreach
and educational opportunities to the community by giving tours to local groups and
by providing specimens for educational programs.