Muskoxen and Jackalopes
What connections do field scientists working in the wilds of nature have with scientists working in museum collections? Both play a key role in understanding living organisms, including deciphering their behavior in the wild, understanding their interactions with other members of their communities, uncovering details about their physiology, classification, diversity and evolution over time.
Patricia Reynolds is a retired wildlife ecologist with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service at the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge in northeastern Alaska. During her career, she studied the biology and natural history of muskoxen and collaborated on studies of bears with wildlife biologists from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Patricia retired from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service but continues to analyze data, conduct research, and submit scientific papers about her work on muskoxen and bears, and remains very interested in arctic environments and mammalian species.
Meghan Truckey is a Collections Manager Assistant in the Zoology Department at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. She works with collection managers, curators, and conservators to prepare specimens for the move to collection storage areas. Meghan is also involved in day-to-day specimen care and provides scientific researchers access to various zoological collections within the museum.
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