American Society of Mammalogists
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| American Society of Mammalogists | |
|---|---|
| Name | American Society of Mammalogists |
| Formation | 1919 |
| Type | Scientific society |
| Headquarters | United States |
| Region served | North America |
| Membership | Mammalogists, researchers, students |
| Leader title | President |
American Society of Mammalogists is a professional organization of scientists dedicated to the study of Mammals, promoting research, education, and conservation across the Americas and globally. It supports field studies, museum curation, and laboratory research connecting practitioners from institutions such as Smithsonian Institution, Field Museum of Natural History, and American Museum of Natural History. The Society interacts with governmental and nongovernmental bodies including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Science Foundation, and World Wildlife Fund to influence species management and biodiversity policy.
History
Founded in 1919, the Society emerged in the context of early 20th-century natural history institutions like Harvard University and University of California, Berkeley, following antecedents in societies such as the American Ornithological Society and the Ecological Society of America. Early leaders included curators and field naturalists connected to Carnegie Institution for Science, Museum of Comparative Zoology, and Yale University who contributed to mammal taxonomy and biogeography alongside figures associated with National Geographic Society. Throughout the 20th century the Society engaged with initiatives at United States National Museum, responded to conservation crises highlighted at IUCN meetings, and collaborated with agencies such as U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management on habitat protection. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries the organization adapted to molecular advances from laboratories at University of Michigan, University of California, Davis, and Washington University in St. Louis and partnered with international programs like Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora and Convention on Biological Diversity.
Mission and Objectives
The Society’s mission emphasizes promotion of mammalogy through research, museum collections stewardship, and public outreach, aligning with activities of National Science Teachers Association and advocacy seen in groups such as Defenders of Wildlife. Objectives include supporting taxonomy practiced in museums like the Field Museum, advancing conservation policy influenced by The Nature Conservancy, and fostering training similar to programs at Cornell University and University of Florida. Educational goals mirror partnerships with science communicators from Smithsonian Institution and curriculum efforts at American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Membership and Organization
Membership comprises professional mammalogists, students, and emeritus researchers affiliated with institutions like University of California, Santa Cruz, Texas A&M University, University of Arizona, Duke University, and Montana State University. Governance includes an elected Council and officers who interact with professional bodies such as Society for Conservation Biology and American Association for the Advancement of Science. Local chapters and regional sections coordinate with museums including Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and universities such as University of Kansas and University of New Mexico. Committees address ethics, collections, and public policy similar to those in American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.
Publications and Communications
The Society publishes peer-reviewed journals and newsletters paralleling outlets like Science, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and subject journals in the style of Journal of Mammalogy, along with online resources analogous to content from BioOne and PLOS. It issues position statements influencing agencies such as Environmental Protection Agency and collaborates with data repositories similar to Dryad and GenBank hosted by National Center for Biotechnology Information. Outreach uses social media platforms and partnerships with media organizations including Nature and Scientific American to disseminate findings from field programs at sites like Yellowstone National Park and Everglades National Park.
Meetings and Conferences
Annual meetings convene researchers from institutions such as University of Alaska Fairbanks, University of Pennsylvania, Ohio State University, University of Texas at Austin, and international collaborators from University of British Columbia and University of São Paulo. Symposia often mirror thematic sessions of International Union for Conservation of Nature conferences and adjunct meetings with organizations like Society for the Study of Evolution and American Society of Ichthyologists and Herpetologists. Workshops cover museum curation techniques taught at American Museum of Natural History and field methods used in projects with The Wildlife Conservation Society.
Awards and Grants
The Society awards honors and grants supporting early-career scientists and established researchers similar to fellowship schemes at National Institutes of Health and grants from National Geographic Society. Awards recognize contributions to mammalogy comparable to prizes in other societies like the Linnean Society medals, and travel grants enable participation in international meetings such as International Mammalogical Congress. Funding supports collections care at institutions such as Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History and research programs at Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute.
Research and Conservation Activities
Research supported ranges from systematics and phylogenetics using methods developed in labs at California Institute of Technology and Harvard University to population ecology and disease ecology collaborating with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and World Health Organization. Conservation efforts have involved species recovery programs for animals managed by U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, habitat restoration projects with The Nature Conservancy, and landscape-scale monitoring using techniques employed in Long-Term Ecological Research Network sites. The Society contributes to specimen-based science in museums such as Natural History Museum, London and integrates genomic resources from initiatives like Biodiversity Genomics.