Osteology The osteology collection, developed by Curator Emeritus Judith Harris, contains approximately 3,000 catalogued specimens from 22 states and 21 countries. Its focus is on mammals of the Rocky Mountain and Plains Region but includes mammals, birds, reptiles, and fishes from North America and Africa. Included are important historical collections and suites of populations of large Carnivora and Artiodactyla. For example, approximately 20% of the collection consists of specimens collected from the late 19th century until the 1930s. The Osteology Collection has been used extensively by vertebrate paleontology and zooarchaeology professionals as comparative material for identification, for evaluating quantitative and qualitative changes in species, and for wide-ranging systematic and evolutionary studies of major groups. It has also been invaluable for students studying osteological diversity and population variation in mammals and, most especially, as a general comparative collection for identification of Holocene material.