Understanding and preserving nature

THE MUSÉUM THROUGH THE CENTURIES

1635 - Jardin royal des plantes médicinales founded by royal edict

1640 - Jardin royal opens and offers free botany, chemistry and anatomy courses, in French (not Latin)

1739 - Georges-Louis Leclerc, Count de Buffon, named Intendant of the establishment until his death in 1788

10 June 1793 - Muséum d’Histoire naturelle created by Revolutionary decree; courses offered under 12 professorial/administrative chairs held by the era’s great scientists: Cuvier, Jussieu, Lamarck, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire, and later, Gay-Lussac, d’Orbigny, Chevreul, Becquerel

1793 - Ménagerie founded at the Jardin des Plantes

1841 - Galerie de Minéralogie et de Géologie opens

1889 - Galerie de Zoologie opens

1898 - Galeries d’Anatomie comparée and Paléontologie open

1934 - Parc zoologique de Paris opens in the Bois de Vincennes

1938 - Inauguration of the Musée de l’Homme, formerly the Musée d’Ethnographie du Trocadéro opened in 1880 and part of the Muséum since 1928

1994 - Inauguration of the newly renovated Grande Galerie de l’Évolution, formerly the Galerie de Zoologie

2010 - Galerie des Enfants opens and Jardin des Plantes greenhouses reopen

2014 - Parc Zoologique de Paris reopens

2015 - Musée de l’Homme reopens

Welcome to the French Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle. Like nature, it is both one and diverse.

The unique character of the institution resides in its history and tradition of excellence, its vision of humans and nature, the passion that drives its teams, its centuries-old heritage and know-how, and the spirit of sharing and cooperation that pervades its activities.

At the crossroads of the Earth, life and human sciences, the Muséum’s missions, like its fields of action, discoveries and innovations, professions and collections, knowledge sharing and partnerships, are broad in scope and interdisciplinary.

Read on, and peek behind the scenes, follow scientific expeditions, discover unusual details and unexpected treasures... These are sure to enrich your Muséum experience!

LEFT: PARADISEA APODA © MNHN - LAURENT BESSOLABOVE: NAUTILUS, RADIOGRAPH © MNHN

1 . VIEW OF THE JARDIN DES PLANTES FROM THE GRANDE GALERIE DE L’ÉVOLUTION - 2. INAUGURATION OF THE PARC ZOOLOGIQUE DE PARIS, 1934 © DR - 3. MUSÉE DE L’HOMME © J.-F. KRETTLY - 4. GIRAFFE AT THE MÉNAGERIE © DR - 5. LICHENS, PLATE 83, E. HAECKEL - KUNSTFORMEN DER NATUR © MNHN - LAURENT BESSOL

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LIFE IN PERSPECTIVE

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Conservation—The Muséum’s naturalist collections and documentation are among the world’s foremost. They provide a wealth of research material for scientists at the Muséum and around the planet. The preservation and enrichment of this invaluable heritage is a priority for the Institution.

Research—Whether in the laboratory or in the field, Muséum researchers cover a wide range of topics, exploring minerals, plants and animals, as well as the link between humans and nature, to better grasp their history, diversity and processes.

Higher education—In keeping with its early vocation, the Muséum offers Masters and Doctoral degrees, a professional undergraduate diploma and continuing education for teachers. The establishment’s multidisciplinary, naturalist approach relies largely on its collections and research potential.

Expertise—As a scientific authority on biodiversity and monitoring, the Muséum provides specialist expertise to governments at local, national, European and global levels, as well as to the private sector.

Public Awareness—The dissemination of scientific knowledge is a longstanding tradition at the Muséum. Its exhibitions, cultural and scientific communication at twelve locations (botanical and zoological gardens, museums and galleries) are designed to raise awareness of past, present and future environmental issues and promote eco-citizenship through the understanding of nature.

A FIVE-FOLD MISSIONBELOW:SHRIMP TRAWLER USED FOR THE ATIMO VATAE EXPEDITION AT FORT DAUPHIN, MADAGASCAR AND THE SORTING OF CRUSTACEAN SPECIMENS COLLECTED. © XAVIER DESMIER - MNHN - PNI

RIGHT:EPUMALA SP. © TIN-YAM CHAN INSTITUTE OF MARINE BIOLOGY, NATIONAL TAIWAN OCEAN UNIVERSITY

BÉNITIER © PHILIPPE BOUCHET

A FIVE-FOLD MISSION

ONE OF THE MOST SURPRISING

FINDS TO EMERGE FROM

MADAGASCAR IN TERMS OF

BIODIVERSITY IS A GIANT CLAM

MEASURING MORE THAN 30 CM

LONG THAT WAS DISCOVERED

SIX METRES DEEP ON A REEF

CREST. MALACOLOGISTS

ARE THRILLED. THE SPECIES,

FROM THE TRICADNA GENERA,

IS UNKNOWN TO SCIENCE.

ORDINARILY, NEWLY DISCOVERED

SPECIES TEND TO BE SMALL.

IF CONFIRMED, IT’S A SIZEABLE

DISCOVERY! AND WHAT ABOUT

THE LARGE TROMIDIA STARFISH,

AND THE YELLOW SPONGE WITH

A ROUND HOLDFAST THAT WERE

COLLECTED. COULD THEY BE

NEW TO SCIENCE TOO?

NEW SPECIES

The lab at the “Our Planet Reviewed” expedition centre is bustling. A team of scientists is getting rea-dy to leave Madagascar after two months in the field investigating the island’s overriding mystery: its record concentration of endemic plants and animals, few of which have ever been studied.

Mission accomplished! The researchers managed to explore the entire target area—the Great South, unique for its biogeography and ecology—by proceeding on three fronts at the same time: two locations on land (Fort-Dauphin and Lavanono) as well as 119 deep dragging and trawling operations with the Nosy Be 11 and 59 dives off the Antéa. The sampling is excep-tionally complete, from the lagoons and supralittoral zone to the continental plate at a depth of 1000 metres.

Findings? Very high endemism and a wide variation in diversity depending on the groups collected: only a hundred or so coral species were inventoried com-pared with over 500 seaweed species. Mollusc spe-cies ranged near 1500, while crustaceans were closer to 800. Fishes scored lower, with only 253 species. Now it’s up to taxonomists to confirm the discoveries.

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Madagascar, 10 :00 a.m.

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NATURE THE SUBSTANCE OF SCIENCE

1 . MAORI HEAD, CAST © MNHN - JACQUES VEKEMANS - 2 . © MNHN - JACQUES VEKEMANS - 3 . CARAVAN, MONGOLIA © ALLOCRICETULUS/SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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BELOW:LA NANO SIMS 50 © MNHN - J. -C . DOMENECH

RIGHT:3D RECONSTRUCTION OF THE FOSSIL SKULL OF A CRO-MAGNON © AST -RX/MNHN CT SCAN © MNHN - PATRICK LAFAITE

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The Muséum’s scope of research is broad. Knowledge of the past sheds light on the future as researchers study the natural and environmental sciences and all of the elements that compose them: minerals, plants, animals and microorganisms, as well as the relationship between humans and nature.—This fabulous spectrum offers an infinite number of study topics, ranging from the exploration of the solar system to DNA analysis, species conservation and more.Muséum research reaches from the infinitely large (the universe, ecosystems, large mammals…) to the infinitely small (particles, cells and tissues, seeds and pollens, mineral dust, etc.).It spans the depths of time and the origins of life (palaeontology, prehistory, etc.) to modern times (ecology, modelling, etc.). This synergy in fields of inquiry contributes to advancing knowledge of species evolution, the Muséum’s core focus.—Today, thanks to its interdisciplinary, expert teams and exceptional heritage, the Muséum is one of the rare institutions poised to study the evolution of life from its beginning to the present day.

OF RESEARCHAREAS OF RESEARCH

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You can feel the excitement among the Muséum’s team of scientists. On the ground floor of the Mineralogy building, rue Buffon, the NanoSIMS 50 ion microprobe has just finished analyzing micrometeorites that were discovered at the Concordia Station in Antarctica. Until now, only the American space mission Stardust had made it possible to conduct mineralogy and geochemical analyses on comet dust.

While the newcomers show many similarities with the Stardust samples, they provide first-time access to extremely well-preserved assemblages of the minerals and organic matter that were present in space when the sun and planets were formed 4.5 billion years ago. Measurements made by the NanoSIMS instrument—only twenty of which exist worldwide—indicate that these particles come from the celestial objects that travel from the furthermost reaches of the solar system: comets. They reveal the extent to which extraterrestrial matter contributed to the rise of life on Earth…

Mineralogy and cosmochemistry, 1 :30 p.m.

USING THE ALMOST COMPLETE

FOSSIL SKULL OF A CRO-

MAGNON MAN FROM THE

MUSÉUM’S ANTHROPOLOGICAL

COLLECTIONS, TWO

PALEOANTHROPOLOGISTS

FROM THE MUSÉUM AND CNRS

(CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE) HAVE

BEEN ABLE TO RECONSTRUCT,

IN THREE DIMENSIONS, THE

BRAIN IMPRINT OF THIS 28,000

YEAR-OLD HOMO SAPIENS! THANKS TO 3D IMAGING,

PALAEOANTHROPOLOGY HAS

ENTERED A NEW ERA THAT

ALLOWS FOR EVER MORE

THOROUGH INVESTIGATIONS.

THE EXPLOIT WAS MADE POSSIBLE

BY A MEDICAL SCANNER, AN

INSTRUMENT THAT ENABLES THE

EXPLORATION OF INTERNAL

DETAILS OF FOSSILS.

A REMARKABLE MAN

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INTERDISCIPLINARITYINTERDISCIPLINARITY

BELOW:MOUNTED SKELETON, ANTHRO-POLOGY RESERVES OF THE MUSÉE DE L’HOMME © MNHN - JACQUES VEKEMANS

LE MUSÉE DE L’HOMME, 20 1 1 , BY GEORGES ROUSSE © GEORGES ROUSSE

RIGHT:OSMODERMA EREMITA © MARCO ULIANA - SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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The Muséum has a unique approach to combining the natural and human sciences: palaeontology, prehistory, ecology, microbiology, chemistry, genetics, systematics.—By its very nature, the establishment cultivates a taste for research and know-how. The Children’s Gallery is a recent example of the teamwork between in-house museologists—who write the scripts, design the exhibits, make the films, etc.—and researchers, as well as outside exhibition designers. The Children’s Gallery raises awareness in young visitors about today’s need to protect biodiversity. Another example of this integral approach is the productive teamwork of physiologists and palaeontologists that has led to the discovery of a family of genes called “Distal-less”, which controls the evolution of jaws and the capacity for predation in vertebrates.—The creation of a Mathematical Modelling and Biodiversity Chair common to the Muséum and France’s prestigious École Polytechnique offers one more example of this interdisciplinarity. The chair focuses on key environmental issues such as adaptive evolution, colonization of space, ecological niches and biodiversity scenarios.—In the race against the planet’s sixth extinction of species, the Muséum has developed a veritable science of nature combing the biological, ecological and social sciences.

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HAVE YOU HEARD ABOUT

THE HERMIT BEETLE THAT HELD UP

CONSTRUCTION ON A LEG OF

FRENCH FREEWAY FOR SIX YEARS

AND CHANGED LOCAL LAND USE

POLICY? IN 1997, THE COFIROUTE

COMPANY AND THE FRENCH

GOVERNMENT REQUESTED THE

MUSÉUM’S EXPERTISE. THE IDEA

WAS TO CARRY OUT A STUDY OF

THE SPECIES, OSMODERMA EREMITA,

WHICH IS PROTECTED AT EUROPEAN

LEVEL BUT STILL POORLY KNOWN,

AND OF ITS HABITAT, IN ORDER TO

PROPOSE POSSIBLE CONSERVATION

MEASURES. AFTER A FIVE-YEAR STUDY

UNDER THE WATCHFUL EYE OF

THE EUROPEAN COMMISSION,

THE MUSEUM’S RECOMMENDATIONS

WERE ADOPTED. A NUMBER OF

MEASURES HAVE SINCE BEEN

TAKEN TO PROTECT THE AREA’S

OSMODERMA EREMITA.

THE EXPERT AND THE BEAST

A morning not quite like any other begins at the Museum of Man, which is closed for renovation. Construction workers have replaced the usual visitors as the 20,000 m2 building undergoes renovation. Some sixty scientists—anthropologists, palaeontologists, ethnologists, prehistorians, etc.—have moved to the Jardin des Plantes along with the museum’s collections, which remain available to them during the works.

During a break, photographer Georges Rousse has managed to squeeze into a time slot on the busy construction schedule to create an ephemeral art piece that photography alone will capture for posterity.

During the renovation, it’s business as usual for museum activities. A cultural programme entitled Hors les murs (Outside the walls) offers a series of lectures, screenings and round tables. Meanwhile, the entire museum trail will be redesigned with the purpose of overturning certainties about Homo sapiens. Focusing on the central concern of the Muséum and society, the newly renovated museum will explore the relationship between humans and nature, both how we use it and how it shapes us.

Musée de l’Homme, 10:00 a.m.

1 . INJECTING DNA INTO EGGS © MNHN - 2 . RESEARCHERS IN THE FIELD © CYRILLE D’HAESE, CAFOTROP MISSION3. WEEVIL , CURCULIONIDAE FROM THE LOWERMOST EOCENE OISE AMBER © NEL / AST-RX / MNHN - 4 . OBSERVING ALGAE IN THE FIELD, MADAGASCAR © XAVIER DESMIER / MNHN / PNI5. DAPHNIA PULEX OR “WATER FLEA” © LEBENDKULTUREN.DE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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A PASSION FOR RESEARCH

BELOW:SABRINA KRIEF, PRIMATOLOGIST, ON ASSIGNMENT IN AFRICA © J. -M. KRIEF

RIGHT:BERLESE FUNNELS, CHILE , 2007 © MNHN - CYRILLE D’HAESE

DISCOVERIESDISCOVERIES

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A research centre at the forefront of major trends in natural history, a common ground and intermediary for current issues, the Muséum is a source of major scientific progress. Some of its most recent discoveries have dispelled long-held certitudes about the world in which we live.—The discovery by Muséum teams of the elephant’s oldest ancestors in Moroccan phosphate deposits has shed light on early mammal life in Africa. Other research has challenged what we previously knew of the history of domestication. Cats, for instance, were first domesticated in Cyprus, not Egypt, and much earlier than previously believed at about 7,000 B.C.E. Other firsts: the use of platanna tadpole embryos as indicators of pollution and the observation of birds and butterflies as indicators of climate change impact on the composition of Europe’s animal life. Thanks to the study of primates, knowledge of evolution, health and aging has also made great strides. On the issue of polyandry, for instance, an evolutionary conundrum, Muséum scientists have shown that it is the female who controls the choice of multiple partners. On an altogether different level, a team has drawn a link between diets rich in omega-3 fatty acids and improved cognitive performance. In outer space, meteorites have their word to say! The radioactive beryllium 10 they contain was formed 4.5 billion years ago and results from nuclear reaction that occurred during the formation of the solar system.

HOW DOES ONE GO ABOUT

CATCHING INSECTS AND SPIDERS?

USING PATIENCE AND SKILL? YES,

BUT NOT ONLY. PICTURE INSTEAD

RESEARCHERS USING CANES

TO SHAKE TREES AND A SORT

OF PARASOL TO COLLECT THE

CREATURES THAT FALL OUT OF

THEM, OR ARMED WITH A PIPETTE

FOR CATCHING SMALL SPECIMENS

AMONG THE FERNS. OTHERS

SUCK THEM INTO A TUBE—TAKING

CARE NOT TO SWALLOW—WHILE

OTHERS YET USE LIGHTS TO DRY

OUT DEAD FOLIAGE AND DROP

THEIR SUBJECTS INTO A TUBE

OF ALCOHOL. IN THE FIELD,

SCIENTISTS RIVAL EACH OTHER IN

INGENUITY!

FIELD INSTRUMENTS

The day started early for the Muséum primatologist who, with her team, observes the behaviour of a group of chimpanzees. From the base camp, she walks several hours to reach the nests of her protégés before they wake. Her goal is to monitor sick animals in response to a question that has researchers baffled: why do these animals consume plants with low nutritional value, which moreover can be hard to get at? Could they have therapeutic value? There’s no question of handling these primates, which are completely wild. Analyzing their excrement, on the other hand, should teach us more about their illnesses, while the plants they eat are collected and dried by the scientists. Back in France, their properties will be tested to determine if they can treat chimpanzees… and humans! Some of the molecules isolated during the twelve years of research have been shown to be active on cancer cells. Others are efficient against the causative agent of malaria.

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Kibale National Park (Uganda) , 6 :00 a.m.

BELOW:MICROINJECTING DNA INTO ZEBRA FISH EGGS © MNHN - B. JAYINTRODUCTING THE MICROPIPETTE INTO AN EGG © MNHN - B. JAY

RIGHT: VIEW OF THE SAHEL BIOZONE AT THE PARC ZOOLOGIQUE DE PARIS © ARTEFACTORY BTUA AJOALARGE MALE LION © ECOPRINT / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

INNOVATIONINNOVATION

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Over the last four centuries the Muséum and its teams, building on the institution’s rare scientific heritage, have developed unique know-how. For instance, at the start of the 18th century, Jardin des Plantes botanist Sébastien Vaillant became the first to demonstrate plant sexuality after the garden’s pistachio tree aroused his botanical curiosity. It is also here that Buffon’s gazebo was built to much acclaim; its metal architecture was a novelty in 1788, nearly a century before Eiffel and his constructions.—Today the Muséum is headed for Mars as it works with the American space mission Curiosity to study the biological potential, the mineral composition and the role of water in the geological formations of the red planet.—Equipped with state-of-the-art instruments, Muséum scientists are able to monitor and interpret biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) factors on organisms and to track the origin of our contemporary societies: ion probe (NanoSIMS), 3D scanner (CT-Scan), high-field high resolution nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscope (RMN), etc., as well as high-tech platforms and exceptional breeding programmes dedicated to analyses of behaviour, adaptation, aging, and more.

MAKE WAY FOR THE ZOO OF

THE 21ST CENTURY! COMBINING

DISCOVERY AND EDUCATION

WITH SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH

AND CONSERVATION, THE PARIS

ZOOLOGICAL PARK IS GETTING A

MAKEOVER AND IS DUE TO REOPEN

IN 2014. THE INNOVATION? IT

WILL BE HOME TO A THOUSAND

ANIMALS IN FIVE BIOZONES THAT

RECALL THEIR NATIVE HABITAT:

PATAGONIA, SAHEL-SUDAN, EUROPE,

THE GUIANAS AND MADAGASCAR.

AN IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE FOR

VISITORS OF EVERY AGE INTO

THE HEART OF VAST ENCLOSURES

THAT GIVE PRIORITY TO THE WELL-

BEING OF THEIR RESIDENTS AND

AN ENCOUNTER WITH OFTEN

ENDANGERED WILDLIFE.

JOIN THE ADVENTURE

Good news: the zebra fish have spawned. A scientist removes the eggs from the aquarium and checks them under the microscope to make sure they are ready for the manipulation planned that morning. Affirmative.

Here they are again a few rooms away. Entrusted to expert hands, they are about to become transgenic fish. Equipped with a micro-needle, an experienced researcher will inject a new gene intended to inte-grate the DNA of each egg.

Once the gene has been introduced, the embryos will develop normally, with one nuance: some of their cells will be fluorescent. Such, at least, is the hope of the scientists who are perfecting the tech-nique. Their motivation? To be able to directly ob-serve these neurones, the recent study of which has shown they play a major role in the onset of swim-ming. The idea is to learn more about them, in parti-cular how the cells communicate with neighbouring cells to carry out the behaviour.

These studies, conducted with colleagues from the brain and spinal cord institute at the Pitié-Salpêtrière hospital, may provide therapeutic leads in the area of motility. For now the research must be done…

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General and comparative anatomy building, 9 :00 a.m.

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HERITAGE AND KNOW-HOW

1 . SUMATRAN TIGER © MNHN - P. LAFAITE - 2 . RUTILE , GALERIE DE MINÉRALOGIE © MNHN - L . BESSOL3. GINKGO LEAF © MNHN - L . BESSOL - 4 . PERISPHINCTID AMMONITE © MNHN - L . BESSOL - 5. HARPAGOPHYTUM PROCUMBENS: FRUIT © MNHN - P. LAFAITE6. PYROPS PYRORRHYNCA © MNHN - L . BESSOL - 7. NEOFERDINA SP. © MNHN - L . BESSOL - 8 . LOPHOPHORUS IMPEJANUS © MNHN - L . BESSOL

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BELOW:SEEDS, MUSÉUM SEEDBANKSEEDPOD OF COMMON STORK’S BILL (ERODIUM CICONIUM)© MNHN

RIGHT:TAXIDERMIST JACK THINEY © MNHN - J. VEKEMANS

AND TOOLSPROFESSIONS AND TOOLS

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Whether it be a taxidermist dedicated to giving lifelike vigour, movement and expression to a dead animal, a gardener coaxing Mediterranean and montane plants into cohabiting at the Alpine Garden, a teaching researcher on the trail of knowledge to spread for the sake of science, an electrician, an ethnologist, a receptionist, a veterinarian, a palaeontologist or a museologist… a multitude of professionals work side by side at the Museum, all work with equal enthusiasm toward a single goal: to better understand nature in order to better protect it. —To accomplish their daily tasks, they have at their disposal an array of tools and treasures: fabulous plant, animal and mineral collections, zoological parks with their live residents, some of the most cutting edge, powerful instruments in the world like the NanoSIMS and the 3D scanner (CT Scan), and the e-herbarium, a veritable photo bank with millions of digitalized samples, as well as innovative mathematical models, including new probabilistic models of evolution.—A terrific opportunity for scientists, who are taking up one of the 21st century’s great challenges: the modelling of living systems!

THE KING’S RHINOCEROS WAS

BROUGHT TO FRANCE AS A GIFT

FOR LOUIS XV AND LIVED IN THE

MENAGERIE OF THE CHATEAU AT

VERSAILLES UNTIL 1793 WHEN IT

WAS KILLED BY A SWORD BLOW

DURING THE TUMULTUOUS FRENCH

REVOLUTION. ITS REMAINS WERE

CARRIED TO THE MUSÉUM WHERE

IT WAS STUDIED AND STUFFED.

TAXIDERMY TECHNIQUES WERE STILL

RUDIMENTARY; A HAZEL WOOD CAGE

WITH AN OAK CHEVRON STRUCTURE

MADE UP THE FRAME FOR THE

BODY AND LEGS! THE RHINOCEROS

NONETHELESS MADE MUSÉUM

HISTORY AS THE FIRST ANIMAL

OF ITS SIZE TO UNDERGO TAXIDERMY

IN THE MODERN SENSE.

LOUIS XV AND HIS RHINO

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Tonight new seeds are officially joining the 55,000 other specimens stored in the collection. The head of the seedbank can be satisfied: the operation went without a hitch. A few weeks earlier he went on his annual plant collecting trip to the mountains. After preliminary identification, he packed his finds in paper bags for transport. Back at the lab, and before the two-month drying operation, the plants are cross-checked against reference works and floras. The specimens are then cleaned and freed of all dust in a sieve with a mesh varying from 1 cm2 to as little as 4 microns (notably for fern spores). The newcomers go into the cold room and freezers before being published in the Muséum’s index seminum, a seed catalogue that is updated yearly and that allows the seedbank to be enriched and regenerated thanks to international exchanges between institutions. For some it will be the ultimate acknowledgement: entry into the Muséum’s carpothèque-séminothèque, a sort of vast library of seeds and fruits!

Muséum seedbank, 6 :00 p.m.

BELOW:CLOUDED LEOPARD, NEOFELIS NEBULOSA © MNHN - F. -G. GRANDINPRZEWALSKI HORSE SHELTER © MNHN - M. COHEN

RIGHT:IN THE WORKSHOP OF JEAN-HENRI FABRE – HERBIER © MNHN - L . BESSOLFILLING THE PLANT PRESS © MNHN

COLLECTIONSCOLLECTIONS

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Administrating three of the world’s largest natural history collections, the Muséum’s mission is to preserve, enrich and share this veritable archive of nature. Listed and stored among kilometres of shelves and drawers are the institution’s lush scientific and historical documentation and innumerable specimens of extant and extinct biodiversity and geodiversity: animals, plants, minerals, meteorites and fossils, as well as prehistoric, anthropological and ethnological objects…—One of the Muséum’s points of pride is the herbarium, the largest in the world with 8 million specimens, coming in behind its insect collection with its 40 million specimens. The vertebrate collection is famous for its historical pieces and its many type specimens (reference specimens) and boasts the only specimens of some extinct species. The geology collections, of great historical value, include rocks, minerals and meteorites. On the living end, the Muséum’s zoological and botanical gardens are home to numerous, often endangered species. In addition, there are the treasures of one of the finest natural science libraries in the world, with its monographs, periodicals, maps, photographs, manuscripts, engravings and objects as wells artworks, including the Muséum’s celebrated collection of vellums.—Living or otherwise, rare or widespread, the specimens and documentation preserved in the Muséum’s collections are often unique, containing precious information for understanding life on Earth.

EVERY YEAR BOTANISTS COME

FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO

CONSULT THIS VAST REPOSITORY

WITH ITS 10 MILLION SPECIMENS.

IT IS THE NATIONAL HERBARIUM,

A RESEARCH CENTRE AND A

JEWEL OF SCIENTIFIC HERITAGE,

THE RENOVATION OF WHICH

IS DRAWING TO A CLOSE. THE

BUILDING, BUILT IN 1935, HAD RUN

OUT OF ROOM. THE RENOVATION

CONCERNS NOT ONLY THE

BUILDING, BUT ALSO THE

COLLECTIONS: RECONDITIONING,

INVENTORY, CATALOGUING

DIGITALIZATION, AND A NEW

METHOD OF CLASSIFICATION

BASED ON THE LATEST RESEARCH

ON PLANT EVOLUTION.

THE HERBARIUM

Night has fallen at the Ménagerie, the zoo in the Jardin des Plantes. Its 1,800 residents have settled in their shelters. No fewer than 90 keepers, veterinarians, and scientists care for these unusual animals, some of which represent species that are now extinct in the wild. Rounding a path we spot a Przewaski horse, one of the stars of the prehistoric Lascaux caves! Next to the enclosure of the Binturong, a small Asian carnivore, are the red pandas, a rust and white-coloured plantigrade, not to be confused with the larger black and white panda, more closely related to the bears. Next up, the large aviary, the oldest and one of the most beautiful in Europe. Present are representatives of African birdlife: waders like spatulas, ibises, cranes and brightly coloured parrots. Here in the reptile house, impressive Nile crocodiles rub shoulders with pythons and large lizards. A highlight on this nocturnal stroll, the nursery testifies to the Menagerie’s fulfilment of its mission to preserve species. Hush! Baby leopards and vultures are trying to sleep…

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The Ménagerie, 10 :00 p.m.

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1 . SCIENCE FESTIVAL © MNHN - J.-C. DOMENECH - 2. THE ANIMAL PARADE AT THE GRANDE GALERIE DE L’EVOLUTION © C. FICAJA - 3. COLLECTION BOX OBERTHUR © MNHN - P. LAFAITE4. GALERIE D’ANATOMIE COMPARÉ. © C. FICAJA

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KNOWLEDGE EXCHANGE

BELOW:ROBIN © PLATSLEE / SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

RIGHT:SCULPTING WORKSHOP © MNHN - J. -D. DOMENECH

SHARING SCIENCESHARING SCIENCE

Muséum exhibitions often begin in the lab. For generations, these exhibitions have appealed to an ever-growing number of visitors, who are increasingly aware of the issues at stake in the human and natural sciences. Young and old alike visit the permanent and temporary exhibitions and the Jardin des Plantes, or attend free lecture series and documentary screenings hosted by researchers, while dedicated workshops are designed especially for school children. The establishment develops unique cultural and educational programmes, either one-off or ongoing, free or paying, for both the general public and for specialists. Education, the Muséum’s longstanding mission, includes a specialized Master degree in a number of fields, a doctoral school, participation in a professional degree and school teacher training. —The Muséum is also open to civil society. A pioneer in participative science, it includes volunteers in its research and the observation of its collections. Tens of thousands of passionate amateurs have joined the Muséum’s Vigie-Nature programme and participated in biodiversity watches for butterflies, pollinating insects, amphibians, and more. Few structures are capable of mobilizing in this way for the study and preservation of nature. While this confirms the Muséum’s position as a centre for scientific dissemination, there is much more: exchanges between laboratories, international cooperation and cross-over with other research organizations, etc.

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AT THE TIME OF ITS CREATION,

THE FORMER ROYAL GARDENS

WERE DEVOTED TO TEACHING

BOTANY, CHEMISTRY AND

ANATOMY TO FUTURE DOCTORS

AND APOTHECARIES. THE

COURSES WERE OPEN TO THE

PUBLIC AND TAUGHT IN FRENCH.

IT WAS A HUGE SUCCESS AS WELL

AS A FIRST, FOR BACK THEN LATIN

WAS THE PREVAILING LANGUAGE

OF SCIENCE. SINCE THAT TIME,

THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS

HAS CONTINUED TO GROW,

FREQUENTING THE GARDENS

ALONGSIDE ENLIGHTENED

AMATEURS, ARTISTS, FAMILIES

AND SCHOOL GROUPS AT EVERY

LEVEL, ALL OF WHOM ARE SURE

TO FIND ACTIVITIES

TO THEIR TASTE.

A PLACE FOR MEETING AND DISCOVERY

A bee has just landed on a flower only a metre away… Lying in wait, equipped with a camera, a photographer starts to shoot. Is it a paparazzi? No, just an enthusiast from the SPIPOLL network for the photographic monitoring of pollinating insects, a watch started by the Muséum’s Vigie-Nature participative science programme.

Over the twenty minute shoot—in keeping with protocol—as many as fifteen species of pollinating insects may visit the group of flowers selected in the volunteer’s own garden! The stakes are high: in France and throughout Europe, diversity among pollinating insects is dropping, with repercussions on the ability of ecosystems to function and adapt.

Time’s up. Now it’s time to upload the photos to the programme’s dedicated website. But the observation doesn’t end here. Based on a simplified scientific protocol and thanks to an identification key specially designed for SPIPOLL, the photographer will now be able to identify each species caught in the act!

A household garden, 11 : 15 a.m.

BELOW:MISSION TO UZBEKISTAN © T HEGAY (HORSES) © S JACQUESSON (DRAWING BLOOD)

RIGHT:FLUORITE , GALERIE DE MINÉRALOGIE © MNHN - D. BAYLE

PARTNERSHIPSPARTNERSHIPS

— 30 — MNHN.FR

Public institutions, corporations, foundations, associations… The Muséum is the hub of a network of partners that represent all of society, and whose support is indispensable to the fulfilment of its missions. —As part of its research activity, the Muséum is always collaborating with prestigious universities and public institutions, in France and abroad, in order to carry out major projects in the field. As for education, the Masters and the doctoral school also rely on university partnerships. The Muséum’s collections are involved in national and European programmes, while knowledge dissemination, like all of its missions, benefits from the indispensable commitment of patrons, corporate and individual alike. Lastly, its mission of expertise is reflected in its particularly close, major cooperation with the French Ministry of Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy, as well as with local authorities, the European Environment Agency and corporations. It also builds strong partnerships with a number of nature associations.—Beyond its cooperation with other institutions, the Muséum is strongly invested in the construction of the European higher education and research area, as well as in many international programmes for which it serves as an expert on the protection of biodiversity and nature conservation.

KINGS, WEALTHY INDUSTRIALISTS,

FOREIGN INSTITUTIONS, PRIVATE

GROUPS… MANY ARE THOSE

WHO HAVE CONTRIBUTED OVER

THE CENTURIES TO ONE OF THE

WORLD’S LEADING MINERAL

COLLECTIONS. IT IS IN THE

DROGUIER DU JARDIN DU ROY,

FOUNDED IN 1626 AS A SORT OF

PHARMACEUTICAL CURIOSITY

CABINET, THAT VARIOUS GEMS,

SALTS, SOILS AND MINERALS

BECAME THE CORE OF THE

COLLECTION. ONE COULD

SAY THE “CROWNING JEWEL”

OF THE COLLECTION IS KING

LOUIS XIV’S 135 CARAT SAPPHIRE,

BUT WE MUSTN’T FORGET THE

EXCEPTIONAL ASSEMBLAGE

OF RED FLUORITE AND SMOKY

QUARTZ THAT RECENTLY

JOINED THE RANKS, LABELLED

A “CULTURAL POSSESSION OF

MAJOR HERITAGE VALUE”,

A FIRST IN FRANCE!

MINERAL DONATIONS

For a week now, Muséum anthropologists have been in Central Asia, an area remarkable as a linguistic crossroads, where Turkophone families live side by side with Indo-Iranians, and nomadic and sedentary populations converge. Their goal? To measure how lifestyle choices impact the genetic diversity of populations. The study, which focuses on four ethnic groups—Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Tajiks—should enable scientists to compare genetic data with the known migratory history of Central Asian populations. The researchers got a warm welcome and everyone has cheerfully complied with the blood and other tests. Back at the lab, after hours of analyses, the team’s findings confirm their hypothesis: for at least two of these groups, ethnicity is more of a social system built around maintaining borders with other groups rather than shared genetic ancestry. The scientists are overjoyed…

Uzbekistan, 9 :30 a.m.

— 31 — MNHN.FR

1 . V IEW OF THE JARDIN DES PLANTES © MNHN - MANUEL COHEN — 2 . CHÈVRELOUP ARBORETUM © MNHN - MANUEL COHEN - 3 . HAUTE-TOUCHE NATURE RESERVE © MNHN - F. -G. GRANDIN4. THE MARINARIUM IN CONCARNEAU © MNHN

1 .

2 .

3.

4 .

IN HOUSE AND OUT

For years, numerous backers and partners have contributed to the success of Muséum programmes. Through their support, corporations, institutions, foundations, and philanthropists show their commitment to the conservation of biodiversity and sustainable development.

Their contributions are indispensable to the fulfilment of the Muséum’s missions: the preservation and enrichment of collections, education, knowledge dissemination, expertise and research.

Many Muséum programmes require outside funding and support. Among them are the various construction projects underway at Muséum locations. There are also the temporary exhibitions, which draw an ever-growing number of visitors, as well as the acquisitions that enrich the collections. Muséum benefactors also contribute to bringing its museological techniques up to date, by digitalizing and computerizing collections for instance. In addition, they help to improve visitor reception and to renovate the infrastructure at the Jardin des Plantes. Muséum research and educational programmes, as well as scientific expeditions, also benefit from their support. All of this represents partnerships forged over the long term through ongoing dialogue between Muséum teams and outside partners committed to joint projects.

Individuals, associations, foundations and companies, many are those who work hand in hand with the Muséum. While it is impossible to name them all, the institution values each and every one, and would like to take this opportunity to thank them.

Thank you all!

— Contact: mecenat@mnhn.fr

SUPPORTING MUSÉUM PROJECTS

PUBLICATION DIRECTOR: THOMAS GRENONEDITORIAL DIRECTOR: FRÉDÉRIC VERNHESEDITOR IN CHIEF: SOPHIE LANDRINCOPYWRITING: PCA /ISABELLE SERVAIS-HÉLIE AND ANNE BÉCHIRITRANSLATION: LETITIA FARRIS TOUSSAINTART DIRECTION: RACHEL BRACCOPRINTING: IMPRIMERIE DELORT 31320 CASTANET-TOLOSANNOVEMBER 2013

JARDIN DES PL ANTES

MUSÉE DE L’HOMME(MUSEUM OF MANKIND)/ REOPENING IN 20 15 AFTER RENOVAT ION

ARBORETUM - CHÈVRELOUP

PARC ZOOLOGIQUE DE PAR IS(ZOO)/ REOPENING IN 20 14 AFTER RENOVAT ION

CENTRE D’ÉCOLOGIE GÉNÉRALE(CENTRE FOR GENERAL ECOLOGY) - BRUNOY/ CLOSED TO THE PUBL IC

CRESCO(CENTRE FOR RESEARCH AND EDUCAT ION ON COASTAL SYSTEMS)/ CLOSED TO THE PUBL IC

MARINAR IUM, MARINE B IOLOGY STAT ION - CONCARNEAU

RÉSERVE DE L A HAUTE-TOUCHE(NATURE RESERVE )- OBTERRE

MUSÉE DE L’ABR I PATAUD(MUSEUM)- LES EY Z IES DE TAYAC

HARMAS DE FABRE (MUSEUM)- SÉR IGNAN DU COMTAT

“L A JAYS IN IA” ALP INE GARDEN- SAMOËNS / FREE

JARDIN BOTANIQUE EXOTIQUE (EXOTIC BOTANICAL GARDENS)- MENTON

MUSÉUM LOCATIONS

JARDIN DES PLANTES

KEY FIGURES

TEAMS: 2 ,000 PEOPLE

RESEARCH: 500 SCIENTISTS , 19 RESEARCH UNITS ,APPROXIMATELY 1500 SCIENTIFIC PUBLICATIONS

EDUCATION: 350 STUDENTS (200 MASTER , 150 DOCTORAL ) , 3000 SCHOOL TEACHERS TRAINED YEARLY

COLLECTIONS: 68 MILLION SPECIMENS IN THE NATURAL HISTORY COLLECTIONS, 106 COLLECTIONS , 800,000 TYPE SPECIMENS , 2 .2 MILLION DOCUMENTS IN THE LIBRARIES

VISITOR AT TENDANCE: 2 MILLION VISITORS AT PAYING FACILIT IES, CLOSE TO 10 MILLION VISITORS IN ALL AT 12 SITES IN FRANCE (3 IN PARIS)

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Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle57, rue Cuvier — 75005 Paris+33 (0)1 40 79 30 00

mnhn.fr

COVER PHOTO: LAMBIS TRUNCATA © RADIOGRAPHY © AST-RX/MNHN