The Extended Specimen ─ Emerging Frontiers in Collections-Based Ornithological Research

This book highlights the research potential for ornithological specimens, and stimulates ornithologists poised to initiate a renaissance in collections-based ornithological research. Contributors illustrate collections and specimens in novel ways by adopting emerging new technologies and analytical techniques. Case studies display the use of museum specimens, emerging and non-traditional types of specimens, and developing new methods for making biological collections more accessible and "usable" for ornithological researchers. The book demonstrates the power of ornithological collections to address key research questions at global scales.

Michael Webster is the Robert G. Engel Professor of Ornithology, and also Director of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology. He has served as an Associate Editor for four different scientific journals: Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (2000- 2004), Evolution (2004-2006 and 2008-2010), Emu - Austral Ornithology (2007-present), and Animal Behaviour (2011-present). Webster is also Director of the Macaulay Library at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology, the world’s largest scientific collection of biodiversity media.