Expeditions
Learn about the Philippine Biodiversity Expedition
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Department/Staff
Partial view of the IZG Department.
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Collections
Forams in compactors in the dry collection.
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Research
Research in Invertebrate Zoology and Geology.
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Fieldwork
Our researchers work around the world.
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Invertebrate Zoology and Geology
IZG Highlights
Welcome to the Department of Invertebrate Zoology and Geology. Our curators conduct research in their areas of specialty - systematics and phylogeny of octocorals, opisthobranch mollusks, echinoderms, and paleontology. Additionally, they oversee the preservation and maintenance of the specimen collections with the assistance of two senior collection managers and their curatorial assistants. The collections of the department are the most diverse within the Academy, containing over two and a half million specimens. View select geology and diatom specimens and archives on our Flickr page.
Over 150 years of Research
News
Read KQED's story about California Academy of Science researcher Dr. Rebecca Johnson's study of evolutionary color patterns in chromodorid nudibranchs.
The Summer Systematics Institute is an 8 week research internship that hands-on, collections-based undergraduate research experience at the California Academy of Sciences.
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The Research Division of the California Academy of Sciences is about to embark on an ambitious expedition to the Philippines. The goals of the expedition include exploration, discovery,...
The California Academy of Sciences is pleased to announce that 12 new members have joined the ranks of the Academy Fellows, a governing group of around 300 distinguished scientists who have made...
Today we are pleased to officially announce the launch of PLoS Hubs: Biodiversity, a new pilot Web site to connect the biodiversity community with...
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Volume 61, Nos. 7-18. 15 September 2010. Order Now.
Notes from the Field
Academy Scientist Terry Gosliner talks Nudibranchs, Corals and Readers’ Questions in The New York Times.
Nudibranchs, Corals and Readers’ Questions...
Proceedings of the California Academy of Sciences Volume 61, Supplement 1. 31 March 2010. Order Now.
Terry Gosliner, Gary Williams, and Bob Van Syoc recently conducted exploratory biodiversity surveys in the Philippines at two locations along 12° of north latitude - northern Palawan in the west...
Mapping Research
IZG maintains four major collections: Recent invertebrates, fossils (invertebrates, vertebrates, and plants), diatoms (fossil and Recent), and minerals.
FAQs
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Have a question about a strange animal or unusual natural occurrence?
Please direct it to our Naturalist Center.
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How may I request a loan?
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Where can I go to collect minerals/fossils?
In the Bay Area, most potential collecting sites are on private land or in a county/state/federal park, where collecting is not allowed. We suggest you join your local gem and mineral society (there are lots of them in Northern California and elsewhere) or take a class at the nearest university or community college. Those groups often take field trips to local sites of geologic interest, where collecting is allowed. And learning some geology along the way makes it more fun!
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Where else can I go to see minerals and fossils on exhibit?
The California State mineral collection, which used to be on display in the Ferry Building in S.F., is in Mariposa, near Yosemite. It is displayed at the County Fairgrounds, in the care of California State Parks. It is unknown at this time whether that park will survive the State's government shutdown schedule. There are a few minerals on display at UC Berkeley and Stanford, but no organized exhibits. The closest good big mineral and fossil displays are at the Los Angeles County Museum of Natural History.
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I think I've found a meteorite/dinosaur bone/fossil. How can I tell if it's real? Or can I bring it in and have somebody look at it?
It will save you a trip if you can take a couple of pictures of your specimen and send them to us via e-mail or as prints in the regular mail. You are welcome to drop specimens off at the Academy’s Naturalist Center, where they will be identified by CAS scientists. In some cases, you can make an appointment to talk to someone on staff about your specimen.
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Are the collection data available online?
Yes. Please follow this link.
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Who can borrow specimens from the IZG collections?
Any qualified research scientist, including students, with an institutional affiliation is eligible to borrow specimens. Final approval of any loan is at the discretion of the Collection Managers and Curators of IZG. However, most eligible loan requests are approved.
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Are the CAS IZG collections open to non-staff for study?
Yes, the collections are available for study by qualified researchers by appointment. Contact the Collection Managers or Curators for details.
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Where are the mineral/gem/fossil exhibits in the Academy?
The Academy's new bulding "breathes," and the temperature and humidity inside the display areas usually reflect the conditions outside. Most natural history specimens cannot be displayed under these circumstances, and specially environmentally-controlled cases must be built for the main floor. This may happen gradually, as the Academy exhibitions mature and change.
The Academy's SSI and BI internships are now open to submission of applications according to the instructions given here. Learn more.
February 17, 2012