University of Kansas, R. L. McGregor Herbarium (KANU-KU-F)

The Biodiversity Institute collections include 9 million specimens of plants, animals and fossils collected worldwide and 1.2 million archaeological artifacts. For more than 140 years, KU scientists and students have collected and studied life on Earth. Our specimens of plants and animals — prehistoric to living species, microscopic to colossal — have been gathered from every continent and ocean. Our archaeological artifacts document the past cultures of the Great Plains. Biodiversity Institute collections include DNA samples, sound recordings, images, tissues, skeletons and field notes. With powerful tools of information technology, we harness the data associated with our collections to forecast critical environmental events, such as the spread of diseases, invasive species and agricultural pests, and the effects of climate change.

Contacts: Craig Freeman, Director, ccfree@ku.edu
Collection Type: Preserved Specimens
Management: Data snapshot of local collection database
Last Update: 3 February 2016
Digital Metadata: EML File
Collection Statistics
  • 2,945 specimen records
  • 2,934 (100%) georeferenced
  • 1,116 (38%) identified to species
  • 31 families
  • 60 genera
  • 229 species
  • 229 total taxa (including subsp. and var.)
Extra Statistics