Archbold Expeditions of the American Museum of Natural History (active 1933-1964)

This was a series of seven expeditions that went to various areas of New Guinea between 1933 and 1964, on behalf of the Mammals department of American Museum of Natural History (AMNH). The expeditions were primarily funded Richard Archbold (1907-76). The stated mission of the expeditions was to: “to study the geographical and ecological relationships of the animal and plant life of New Guinea, Malaysia as a whole, and Australia, and to shed further light on the question of previous land connections between these now insular areas.” The first expedition (1933-1934) went to Papua, primarily Yule Island, Mt Albert Edward, and near Daru Island. The second expedition (1936-1937) went to Papua and collected in the vicinity of the Fly River, Wassi Kussa Rivers, and Palmer River. The third went to Netherlands New Guinea (1938-1939) and collected primarily near the Idenburg River, Lake Habbema, Baliem Valley, and Mt. Wilhelmina [Mt Trikora]. The fourth expedition left in 1953 and collected in Papua primarily in the vicinity of Collingwood Bay, Mt Dayman, and Goodenough Island. The fifth expedition in 1956 went to Papua focusing on collecting on the islands of Normanby, Fergusson, Misima, Sudest (Tagula), Woodlark, the Trobriands. The sixth expedition in 1959 went to New Guinea and collected primarily in the vicinity of Mt Wilhelm, Mt Otto, Mt Michael, Mt Elandora and Mt Kaindi, Lae-Edie Creek, and upper Markham Valley. The seventh expedition in 1964 went to New Guinea, collecting primarily in the vicinity of Pindiu, Cromwell Mountains, the Saruwaged plateau and Finschhafen.