The Age of Reptiles,
Detail from mural by Rudolph F. Zallinger.
Copyright © 1966, 1975, 1985, 1989,
Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University,
New Haven, Connecticut, USA. All rights reserved.
Peabody Museum of Natural History
Understanding the Earth's history, life and cultures
The Peabody is one of the premier natural history museums in the world. Its preeminence rests on a succession of great Yale students and scientists, and the world-class collections - numbering more than 12,000,000 specimens - that they have assembled over the past 200 years. These collections provide the material basis for scholarship across a wide range of disciplines, from the study of fossil and modern plants and animals, to meteorites and minerals, anthropology, and the history of science. The greatness of the Peabody rests also on its striking exhibitions and vibrant public programs, which vividly bring to life our understanding of nature and cultural diversity. Perhaps more than any other part of Yale, the Peabody links Yale with New Haven and the surrounding communities.
As the world and Yale undergo dramatic change in the coming decades, we see new key roles emerging for the Peabody. The Museum, properly re-conceived, will serve as a powerful connector of the sciences at Yale, from the environmental sciences to genomics and nanotechnology. We will become a meeting place for the sciences and the arts, and play an even more powerful role in the community at large and in K-12 education. And, in pursuing these goals we will become an integral part of the educational experience of Yale students at all levels, both on campus and in our programs around the globe.
With your generous support we can realize this vision for the future and together take full advantage of one of Yale's unique and most extraordinary assets.
Michael J. Donoghue
Director, Peabody Museum of Natural History
G. Evelyn Hutchinson Professor, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology
