A consortium of mammal collections in West Africa

Abstract

Abstract Natural history collections provide crucial research infrastructure, valued for the physical voucher, biomaterial, and associated data, yet few growing research collections exist in Africa, especially in West Africa. ‘Private’ collections are present in West African universities or scientific institutions that are held as research materials but uncatalogued and without standard management plans. Without formalization, these collections remain inaccessible to the research community. The expertise required to grow, manage, and develop these collections for research and other biodiversity-related work is largely lacking because of limited investment, isolation of scientists, and insufficient capacity development. We report a consortium of mammal collections in the West Africa Mammal Partnership, a growing network of biodiversity practitioners. By forming a consortium, each collection is better positioned to grow through collective fundraising, training, and deployment of standard collection management practices. We present information on mammal collections based in four countries (Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Cote d’Ivoire, and Nigeria), including taxonomic coverage, number of specimens, duration, geographical focus, and contributions. Collections in the consortium are focused primarily on bats and have contributed to new species descriptions and >30 new country records, with two maintaining tissue samples (muscle, liver, fur, skin biopsies, and faecal material). We anticipate that with increased attention and integration of collecting goals during ecological surveys, species monitoring, and disease surveillance efforts, each collection will work towards formalization, improving access to specimens and data, while raising the capacity of in-country scientists for biodiversity science that informs decision-making and, ultimately, species conservation.