Museum of Comparative Zoology

@mczharvard.bsky.social

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The Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard University (MCZ) is a private center for research and education focused on the comparative relationships of animal life. We house millions of animal specimens and host hundreds of visiting researchers each year.

A hand carefully holds a petri dish under a microscope. The dish contains several small, round baby cephalopods. The lighting is focused on the dish, highlighting its contents.
A person is seated at a laboratory desk holding a large turtle skull and smiling. The room is filled with various scientific equipment and shelves stocked with jars and containers.
A person in a lab uses tweezers to remove a lizard from a jar near a microscope. In the background, more jars and lab equipment are visible.
A person is seated at a desk in a laboratory, examining biological samples in clear bags. There are various lab equipment and containers on the desk. On the wall, posters display scientific diagrams, and a small box labeled "INVERTEBRATE" is visible. The person is writing in a notebook, with a laptop open nearby.
Shelf-lined room filled with preserved specimens in jars, including reptiles and a large tortoise. A promotional text on the image reads: "Biodiversity Postdoctoral Fellowship 2026. Applications due September 30.
A scenic landscape with lush green hills and a misty horizon. The image promotes Half-Earth Day on October 12, 2026, at Sanders Theatre, Harvard University. The event's theme is "A Legacy of Hope," highlighting biodiversity and global conservation efforts. Logos at the bottom include the EO Wilson Biodiversity Foundation, Museum of Comparative Zooloy, Harvard University Herbaria, the Harvard University Native American Program and the Salata Institute for Climate and Sustainability.
A small frog with a dark brown and light tan speckled body sits on a mossy log in a dark forest environment. A bubble-like vocal sac is visible under its mouth, indicating it is in the process of calling. The surrounding area is dimly lit, with blurred foliage in the background.
Two people stand in a storage room with archives in open drawers. One person holds a clapperboard. The other person makes a peace sign.
A person stands in a narrow aisle between shelves filled with jars containing various specimens. The shelves are white with yellow bins, and the background features a brick wall. The person is casually dressed and looking at the camera.
A group of people standing on the deck of a large boat, smiling at the camera. They are outdoors, near water and a dock. The weather is clear and sunny.
A group of individuals observing nature in a desert setting with tall cacti and distant hills. One person is using binoculars, and another has a camera phone. They appear focused on the surrounding landscape.
six people smiling at the camera, in different settings
Two preserved prairie dog specimens are placed on an open ledger with handwritten entries. A small skull with jawbones are positioned below the specimens. Identification tags are attached to the specimens.
A well-organized storage room with rows of shelves filled with jars, containers, and other items. The shelves contain scientific specimens, neatly arranged in a brightly lit environment.
Woman with dark hair and a tan blouse standing behind a table with a map laid out in front of her.
People working together to install an exhibit display case containing a large Dimetrodon skeleton against a wooden wall. They are using a dolly for assistance.
A group of people smiling and posing for a selfie in front of a large rock formation, possibly in Arches National Park. They are wearing various hats and sunglasses. The sun is setting behind the rock arch in the background.
Boxes filled with various shells are shown above a banner. The banner displays the logo of the Museum of Comparative Zoology at Harvard, featuring a skeletal image. Below, text reads: "WE'RE HIRING! Malacology Curatorial Assistant."
A person smiling near a desk with several open drawers containing organized insect specimens. A lamp is on the desk alongside a notepad and pencil.
Three individuals stand smiling in a storage area lined with metal shelves containing various natural specimens, in a museum storage facility. The lighting is bright and the atmosphere is clean and orderly.
A marine nudibranch with translucent, feathery appendages on its back is shown against a black background.
Four stages of early embryonic development: a single cell, two cells, four cells, and six cells, shown against a black background.
A person wearing a white protective suit and purple gloves is interacting with a mounted bobcat in a museum exhibit. The scene is set against a backdrop depicting a natural woodland environment.
A long hallway lined with white storage cabinets. A taxidermy bear head is visible inside an open cabinet drawer on the right. The cabinets have numbered labels and metal handles. The ceiling is equipped with fluorescent lights.
A close-up image of a preserved scorpion specimen, featuring a detailed view of its segmented body and legs. Inset A shows the dorsal view, Inset B displays a handwritten label noting "Buthus barbatus Werner Agadir Sous. S. Morocco Type Specimen Werner leg." Inset C provides a ventral view of the scorpion. Measurements are visible in parts of the image.
A sunset view from the deck of a ship at sea. The sky is painted with hues of orange, purple, and blue, with wispy clouds scattered across. The deck is equipped with machinery and containers.
A person is walking on a dirt road in a rural landscape with sparse trees and dry grass on either side. Mountains are visible in the distance under a clear blue sky.
Individuals are excavating in a rocky, desert-like area. The landscape is filled with layers of shale rock and distant hills under a clear sky.
Photographer using a camera on a tripod to capture an image of a small, suspended object above a white tray. A map is displayed on the wall behind the setup.
The image shows a handwritten note on aged paper. The note reads: "I am not satisfied with a number of varieties that Mr. Lea has made of Malacopis upper and euchelus. He had them only seven years to make up his mind about them. Pray what is your opinion respecting those varieties." The text is signed at the bottom.
A cluttered workspace shows scientific and preservation tools and materials. Notable items include a specimen slide collection, various brushes, scissors, cotton swabs, bottled liquid, and paper sheets. The background is filled with storage boxes and equipment.
three people in front of rows of jars in a natural history collection space
A person stands in a storage room, holding a large fossil in front of shelves filled with various fossils and geological specimens.
a collage of people working in a natural history collection with specimens and slides
Two individuals smiling at a desk with two computer screens and office equipment in the background.
A person stands next to shelves of shell specimens.
A person is sitting at a desk using a laptop, surrounded by computer keyboards and microscopic slides.
Person walking through a scrubland with a backpack, with text overlay stating "Applications for GUR funding are due January 26."
Person smiling next to a large, basket star specimen.
A gray tree frog perched on a leaf, with a vibrant green background.
Specimen of a Papilio phorcas butterfly, featuring vibrant green and black wings, displayed with an identifying label.
Close-up of a museum label from the Museum of Comparative Zoology attached to a specimen with fur and claws, displaying identification text and Japanese characters.
A collection of various bird skeletons displayed on stands against a black background.
Collage with four photos. Top left photo shows multiple people participating in a tour listening to the tour guide in the VP collection storage room. Top right photo shows 10 Harvard students, including two HMSC student board members, a HMSC educator, and the Curatorial Associate of VP posed together facing the camera within the VP workspace. Bottom left image is of intern James Z. photographing a fossil with a camera on a tripod. Intern is adjusting the camera to image the fossil on a black background below it. Bottom right photo shows five people, VP intern, staff, and a researcher, standing together in front of a museum exhibit with a table in front of them with various fossils laid out.
Individual standing between rows of shelving filled with jars in a storage room, holding a jar of specimens.
A photography setup featuring a DSLR camera pointed at a iguana specimen, surrounded by a ring light on a stand, on a carpeted floor.
Close-up image of a bee, showing detailed features such as its fuzzy body, wings, and legs, against a grey background. Scale markers are provided for size reference.
Three individuals standing in a greenhouse surrounded by various plants, smiling at the camera.
Display of various vintage glass slides featuring images and descriptions of insects and biological specimens, with labeled details and prices, on a mustard yellow background.
Collage of five diverse academics smiling, framed by decorative borders, with various backgrounds including an office and a library.
A person smiles at the camera in a laboratory, with a microscope and a computer monitor in the background. There are books on a shelf above the computer.
A tray containing five preserved specimens of large salamanders, arranged side by side, displayed for scientific study.
Group of students posing on the steps outside a brick building, some sitting and others standing, exhibiting diverse expressions of happiness and camaraderie.
Researchers examining turtle specimens in a storage drawer, viewed from above.
Close-up image of a bright orange harvestman (a type of arachnid) against a black background, with a measurement scale indicating a size of 1 mm.
A laboratory workstation featuring a tray with several preserved snake specimens arranged in a circular pattern, positioned next to a laptop displaying data, various lab tools, and jars filled with specimens.