@AMNH crocodile specimens today...and a $10 plea!

Hi everyone,

First. I want to thank you all again for joining us on this project, and to remind you that we have 5 days left. If each of our current backers gets one more person to back us for $10, we will meet out goal and be all set!

In the mean time, Taylor and I will be heading downstairs to the herpetology department at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) later today to begin documenting the croc specimens we are going to sample for the project. I love this part. Some of the specimens are over 150 years old. Imagine. They were collected when people were using wooden ships to travel the world. They were collected during the American Civil War! They were collected when most people had never seen even a picture of a crocodile.

The specimen pictured here was collected during the Lang-Chapin expedition to the Congo. The expedition lasted from 1910-1916 and documented thousands of species from beetles to bongos..There are also hundreds of glass slides, and recordings of languages and musical instruments. The team was based out of and area in what is now Garamba Park on the north eastern edge of the Congo Bason. It is one of the most biodiverse places on Earth. Sadly this world heritage site is now under siege by poachers, so these collections are an even more important record of the biodiversity of the Congo Basin. Hopefully our research showing that there are new species in the area will help with more protection for both the people and the wildlife...