Scientific Collections Unit

The Scientific Collection Unit is an organizational unit established to provide comprehensive care for the scientific collection of the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISEA PAS). Its responsibilities include the acquisition, registration, conservation, storage, and dissemination of the collections for both scientific research and educational and outreach activities. Individual collections are supervised by technical curators with many years of experience in museum work. In many cases, the collections also have a scientific curator, who is a research staff member of the Institute.

The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is among the largest zoological collections in Poland and among the most important in Europe. It comprises approximately 2,500,000 specimens of invertebrates and vertebrates, most of which are well preserved and supplemented annually with new acquisitions.

A special place among all collected objects is held by a unique specimen of the woolly rhinoceros, †Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799), which lived approximately 40,000 years ago and was discovered in Starunia near Stanisławów (currently Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine). Although the collections began to be assembled as early as the late 19th century, some specimens are considerably older. Particularly exceptional are two nocturnal moths of the species Orgyia recens (Hübner, 1819), collected in 1774. Of unique historical value is also the collection of Antoni Waga from the mid-19th century, comprising over 26,000 specimens. It represents the first such detailed documentation of the diversity of native invertebrate fauna and includes mainly (though not exclusively) domestic insects, myriapods, arachnids, and other invertebrates.

Continuously functioning for 155 years, the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS constitutes both an exceptional historical object of international importance and an asset of invaluable value — not only for science, but also for national culture. It is a unique testimony to the beginnings of scientific zoology in the Polish territory.

The natural value of a scientific collection is evidenced above all by the type specimens, i.e. specimens that serve as reference material for the description of species new to science. The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS currently holds more than 5,000 type specimens, representing both vertebrate and invertebrate species.

The collection also serves as evidence of the biodiversity of many protected areas, both of national importance (national parks, nature reserves) and international importance (Natura 2000 sites), the protection of which is one of the priorities of the European Union.

Furthermore, it constitutes a unique archive of information on the genetic diversity of the fauna of Poland and many regions of the world that are threatened by degradation resulting from the development of civilization. Each year, the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is used by approximately 30 research institutions from around the world, conducting various types of research projects, expert studies, and student theses. Annually, several dozen scientific papers based on the use of the Collection are published in renowned Polish and international journals, including those indexed on the Philadelphia List.

The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is also used for exhibition purposes, educational activities (schools, classes for students), and science popularization events (such as the Night of Biologists and the Małopolska Researchers’ Night).

Each year, the Scientific Collection is enriched with several thousand specimens representing a wide variety of organism groups.

More information about the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS can be found here:
https://kosmos.ptpk.org/index.php/Kosmos/article/view/2766
(link to an article in the journal KOSMOS).

For matters related to access to the collection (loans, use of the collections), please contact the technical curators listed below or the Head of the Scientific Collection Unit

 

The Scientific Collection Unit is an organizational unit established to provide comprehensive care for the scientific collection of the Institute of Systematics and Evolution of Animals, Polish Academy of Sciences (ISEA PAS). Its responsibilities include the acquisition, registration, conservation, storage, and dissemination of the collections for both scientific research and educational and outreach activities. Individual collections are supervised by technical curators with many years of experience in museum work. In many cases, the collections also have a scientific curator, who is a research staff member of the Institute.

The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is among the largest zoological collections in Poland and among the most important in Europe. It comprises approximately 2,500,000 specimens of invertebrates and vertebrates, most of which are well preserved and supplemented annually with new acquisitions.

A special place among all collected objects is held by a unique specimen of the woolly rhinoceros, †Coelodonta antiquitatis (Blumenbach, 1799), which lived approximately 40,000 years ago and was discovered in Starunia near Stanisławów (currently Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine). Although the collections began to be assembled as early as the late 19th century, some specimens are considerably older. Particularly exceptional are two nocturnal moths of the species Orgyia recens (Hübner, 1819), collected in 1774. Of unique historical value is also the collection of Antoni Waga from the mid-19th century, comprising over 26,000 specimens. It represents the first such detailed documentation of the diversity of native invertebrate fauna and includes mainly (though not exclusively) domestic insects, myriapods, arachnids, and other invertebrates.

Continuously functioning for 155 years, the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS constitutes both an exceptional historical object of international importance and an asset of invaluable value — not only for science, but also for national culture. It is a unique testimony to the beginnings of scientific zoology in the Polish territory.

The natural value of a scientific collection is evidenced above all by the type specimens, i.e. specimens that serve as reference material for the description of species new to science. The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS currently holds more than 5,000 type specimens, representing both vertebrate and invertebrate species.

The collection also serves as evidence of the biodiversity of many protected areas, both of national importance (national parks, nature reserves) and international importance (Natura 2000 sites), the protection of which is one of the priorities of the European Union.

Furthermore, it constitutes a unique archive of information on the genetic diversity of the fauna of Poland and many regions of the world that are threatened by degradation resulting from the development of civilization. Each year, the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is used by approximately 30 research institutions from around the world, conducting various types of research projects, expert studies, and student theses. Annually, several dozen scientific papers based on the use of the Collection are published in renowned Polish and international journals, including those indexed on the Philadelphia List.

The Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS is also used for exhibition purposes, educational activities (schools, classes for students), and science popularization events (such as the Night of Biologists and the Małopolska Researchers’ Night).

Each year, the Scientific Collection is enriched with several thousand specimens representing a wide variety of organism groups.

More information about the Scientific Collection of ISEA PAS can be found here:
https://kosmos.ptpk.org/index.php/Kosmos/article/view/2766
(link to an article in the journal KOSMOS).

For matters related to access to the collection (loans, use of the collections), please contact the technical curators listed below or the Head of the Scientific Collection Unit