Australian Museum Mammalogy Collection

The Australian Museum Mammalogy collection is one of the most comprehensive collections of Australasian mammals in the world. While it contains specimens from all over the world the largest collections are from Australia, Papua New Guinea, Indonesia and the Solomon Islands.

Among the most important specimens in the collection are the more than 500 type specimens (types are the original specimens on which the first description of a particular species or subspecies is based). Most types in the collection are from Australia, although there are also many from other parts of the Pacific region including many from Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands and Indonesia. Other important specimens include extinct species about which little is known, such as the Pig-footed Bandicoot, Eastern Hare-wallaby, and Thylacine. The types and specimens of extinct species are stored separate from the main collection so they can be readily accessed for research and curation purposes.