Alfred Gardner, Ph.D.
Biography
Dr. Gardner's research includes taxonomy, morphology, genetics, distribution, food habits, life history, and nomenclature of mammals of the Western Hemisphere. Reseach is based on a synthesis of original field work and results from the study of specimens in museum collections combined with published information, particularly the earlier literature of the late 18th, 19th, and early 20th centuries.
EDUCATION
University of Arizona, Tucson, Wildlife Management (major), B.S., 1962
University of Arizona, Tucson, Zoology (major), Vertebrate Paleontology (minor), M.S., 1965
Fellow in Tropical Medicine, Louisiana State University--International Center for Medical Research and Training, San José, Costa Rica, 1966-1967.
Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Vertebrate Zoology (major), Paleontology (minor) Ph.D., 1970
Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Biology, University of Texas M. D. Anderson Hospital and Tumor Institute, Houston, Texas, 1970-1971.
Science and Products
Biological Survey Unit
Scientists and staff of the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center stationed at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History (NMNH) do research on the systematics and conservation of vertebrate species and curate and manage the North American collections of Amphibian, Reptile, Bird, and Mammal specimens and associated records.
Mammal Collections
The North American mammal collection contains roughly 300,000 specimens and has grown little over the past 15 years. Geographic representation is excellent for most areas of North and Central America; the arid regions of the southwestern United States are particularly well represented. The standard preparation is the skin and skull of which there are about 190,000 specimens. Other major...
The Mammals of South America
The Challenge: Accurate comprehensive information on current names of species and subspecies, their distributions, and means for their identification are required for effective conservation, management, scientific study, and enforcement of laws governing take, protection, and commerce. For the South American continent, up-to-date references containing this information have not been available...