Group of people studying a collection of animal skulls

Collections

KU research collections of over 10 million plant, fungi, animal and fossil specimens, plus 2 million archaeological artifacts are used by students and researchers at KU and across the world.

Collections

10M
Specimens of plants, animals, and fossils collected worldwide
12
Online specimen databases
2M
Archaeological Artifacts
Two people looking at a jarred specimen surrounded by tall shelves with many other jarred specimens

Collections Access

Collections at the Biodiversity Institute are available for study by researchers from academic institutions, museums and other organizations. Please visit individual research divisions for specific collection loan information.

Collections Resources

Data about KU Biodiversity Institute specimens are available online via Specify, GBIF, VertNet and other platforms. Please visit individual research division pages for detailed information on databases, loan policies, scholarly access and more.

When citing our data, please follow the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute data publication and use norms. By adopting them, you help build a vibrant community around the data and support future efforts to unlock biodiversity data.

We offer Behind-the-Scenes-Tours of the University of Kansas Biodiversity Institute collections for KU and other university and college classes, as well as for a limited number of public groups. Learn more about our Collection Tours. Note: Please request tours at least two weeks in advance.