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Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
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Division of Mammals

Destructive Analysis

The Division of Mammals considers requests from researchers wishing to destructively sample specimens. Activities classified as destructive include the dissection of fluid preserved specimens, the removal of subsamples from integument and bone (e.g. hair, skin, osteocrusts), the sectioning of teeth and bones, removal of parasites, embryos, stomach contents, etc. Due to historically low staffing levels in the Division of Mammals, after September 1, 2024, we will only be able to process a limited number of the many requests we receive in any given month. We regret that we will only be able to respond to successful applicants, so non-response within a month signifies non-acceptance. 

The NMNH grants destructive sampling requests with the understanding that they are loans, and as with all loans, they are made to institutions, not individuals. For this reason requests from students must be cosigned with or submitted by a faculty member (and preferably the advisor) accepting responsibility for the loan.

If you are requesting tissues from morphological specimens for sequence data, please check to see if frozen tissues are available first (see online catalog).

Please review details of our Tissue and Destructive Sampling Policy before submitting your request form.

To make a request, fill out a Destructive Sampling Application and email it to mammalloans@si.edu.

If you are having trouble downloading the Destructive Sampling Application using the Google Chrome web browser, try using an alternate web browser, such as Firefox or Microsoft Edge.

 

Decisions are made by a committee of Curators and Collections Managers, many of whom are often in the field and out of contact for short periods of time, so please submit your request well in advance of any personal deadlines.

Destructive sampling requests are given careful consideration, but they are not always approved. We must continually weigh the merits of the proposed research against our best estimate of future demands for the specimen. Please respect the final determination of our destructive sampling committee.

Like most museums, we do not loan specimens for the purpose of destructive sampling, and we do not offer specimen sampling services—you will be expected to come to the museum to take approved samples yourself under the supervision of one of our collections management staff.

The NMNH grants destructive sampling requests with the understanding that they are loans, and requires the return of any unused portions or products of the sample to the Division of Mammals.