The GRR is a unique collection within the Museum.  It receives, catalogs, and stores tissue samples from our other biological collections and, as such, contains data referencing other collections’ specimens.

The GRR includes specimens from the Museum’s Mammals, Herpetology, Ornithology, Invertebrate Zoology and Ichthyology divisions, the McGuire Center for Lepidoptera and Biodiversity, the Herbarium, and the Laboratory of Molecular Systematics and Evolutionary Genetics.

The variety of tissues in the collection reflects the Museum’s diverse taxonomic research. Specimens from the Mammal and Bird ranges are primarily liver, heart and muscle tissues. The Ichthyology specimens are mostly clips from fins, with a few samples of muscle plugs. Samples from the Lepidoptera collection include leg tissue, wing samples, and DNAs. The most diverse tissue types are from the Invertebrate Zoology specimens, which vary widely depending on the source organism. The plant samples include tissues from flowers and leaves as well as many DNA extractions.