In this article, we will explore the topic of Animal Diversity Web from different perspectives, examining its impact on modern society and its relevance in today's world. Along these lines, we will delve into the most relevant aspects related to Animal Diversity Web, analyzing its historical importance and its influence on the development of new concepts and trends. In addition, we will address various opinions from experts in the field, as well as personal experiences that will offer a more complete and enriching vision about Animal Diversity Web. Synthesizing up-to-date and rigorous information, this article seeks to provide a comprehensive view on Animal Diversity Web, in order to give the reader a deeper and more complete understanding of this important topic.
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The Animal Diversity Web (ADW) is a non-profit group that hosts an online database site that collects natural history, classification, species characteristics, conservation biology, and distribution information on species of animals. The website includes photographs, sound clips, and a virtual museum.
The local, relational database is written and maintained by staff and student contributors from the University of Michigan.[1] It can be accessed through the web and mobile apps.[2] It offers resources for schoolteachers ("K–12 instructors"),[3][4] and functions as a virtual museum containing mostly mammals and a collection of skulls that can be virtually handled.
The ADW was created in 1995 by Philip Myers, a former biology professor at the University of Michigan.[5] As of June 2022, the site contained records for approximately 2,150 animal species, represented by 11,500 images and 725 sounds.[6] The ADW has over 250 accounts of higher taxonomic groups.[4]
Most of the contributors to the website are undergraduate students. ADW has collaborated with 30 colleges and universities across the United States. The undergraduate students often submit reports on species as part of their course requirements.[7] Each account is edited by both the professors and the staff at the ADW.[7] As of November 2017, the Animal Diversity Web had 3,675 contributors.[4]
ADW has partnered with the Encyclopedia of Life (EOL).[8] The BioKIDS Critter Catalog, created by the University of Michigan, provides a simplified version of the animal accounts.[9] AmphibiaWeb is a partner that provides information on amphibian species.[10]
The current staff of the Animal Diversity Web is employed at the University of Michigan (as of 2017):