Research Training Program

Amanda Newsom
Hamline University
St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. James Mead, Ph.D.
Supervising Scientist
Department of Vertebrate Zoology
Division of Mammals

"This summer was an inspiration. My curiosity and imagination have been nurtured as valuable research tools in a rare community of truly excellent scientists."

Trends in Circumstances of Death for Smithsonian Institution Cetacean Collection Specimens Since 1900

Cetaceans (whales and dolphins) have long occupied public imagination and interest, as well as museum displays, but human perceptions of these animals have changed dramatically since the turn of the century. This study was designed to identify trends in popular sentiment about cetaceans, and in the procedures used by the Smithsonian Institution to acquire specimens for display and research since 1900. Public interest was quantified from data on publications from Scientific American and National Geographic Magazine that focused on cetaceans during the 20th century. These articles were categorized according to the author's objectives (e.g. many articles in the early 1900's are more about the progress and technologies of the whaling industry than about cetacean biology). The Marine Mammals Division specimen database was used to determine how specimens were collected during each decade of the 20th century. Specimens considered in this study were either captured in the wild by whalers or collectors, incidentally caught by fishermen, were stranded animals, or were victims of boat collisions. Where circumstances of death were unknown, files from the Smithsonian's accession records, and literature associated with the specimen in question were consulted in an attempt to ascertain cause of death. At the beginning of the 1900's, whaling was a worldwide operation, and articles about cetaceans focused mainly on the economic and technological standing of the industry. Most of the cetaceans acquired by the Smithsonian in these years were captured from the wild. Specimens acquired from strandings now dominate the museum's collection. Popular articles in this past decade are largely concerned with general cetacean biology. This study reveals that as the public has become more interested in cetaceans as organisms rather than as commodities, the collections of the Smithsonian Institution rely more heavily on incidentally caught and stranded animals than on those captured from the wild.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation Research Experiences for Undergraduates program, Award Number DBI 9820303.

Letter of Gratitude