MVZ -- History -- The Grinnell Method

As the first director of the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology, Joseph Grinnell brought an unusual clarity of vision to the study of the vertebrate fauna of California and western North America. In 1910 he wrote,

"It will be observed, then, that our efforts are not merely to accumulate as great a mass of animal remains as possible. On the contrary, we are expending even more time than would be required for the collection of the specimens alone, in rendering what we do obtain as permanently valuable as we know how, to the ecologist as well as to the systematist. It is quite probable that the facts of distribution, life history, and economic status may finally prove to be of more far-reaching value, than whatever information is obtainable exclusively from the specimens themselves."

In pursuit of that objective, Grinnell developed and implemented a detailed protocol for recording field observations. In conjunction with a catalogue of captured specimens, a journal was kept, detailed accounts of individual species behaviors were recorded, topographic maps were annotated to show specific localities, and photographs were often taken of collecting sites and animals captured. These ancillary, but integral, materials documented such important biotic and abiotic parameters as weather conditions, vegetation types, vocalizations, and other evidence of animal presence in a given locale. With astounding foresight, Grinnell noted in 1908:

"Our field-records will be perhaps the most valuable of all our results. ...any and all (as many as you have time to record) items are liable to be just what will provide the information wanted. You can't tell in advance which observations will prove valuable. Do record them all!"

Listen to Ward Russell's narrative of doing field work with Grinnell
(From an interview with Ward Russell, the MVZ's preparator for 40 years; conducted at his home in Berkeley, California, March 4, 1992 by Oliver P. Pearson, Professor Emeritus and former MVZ Director)

The "Grinnell" Method