The Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research (RMBR, Chinese: 莱佛生物多样性研究博物馆) is a small private museum located in the Department of Biological Sciences of the National University of Singapore (NUS). Despite its small size, it showcases over 500,000 samples of flora and fauna, charting the rich biodiversity in Singapore for the past century and beyond. A museum is typically a non-profit, permanent institution in the service of society and of its development, open to the public, which acquires, conserves, researches, communicates and exhibits, for purposes of study, education enjoyment, the tangible and intangible evidence of people and their environment. ... The National University of Singapores (Abbreviated NUS; Chinese: 新加坡国立大学; Abbreviated 国大) flagship Kent Ridge campus is located in the southwest of the Republic of Singapore at Kent Ridge, bounded by the Ayer Rajah Expressway (AYE), Clementi Road, Buona Vista Road and Kent Ridge Park, with an area of approximately 1. ... The term flora has several meanings in English: Flora is a collective term for plant life; as distinct from Fauna (animals). ... Fauna is a collective term for animal life, as distinct from Flora (plant life) Fauna is an ancient Roman goddess. ...

History

The RMBR's history begins with the setting up of the Raffles Museum in 1849, which had a natural history collection. The zoological collection, known as the "Raffles Collection", was so named as it was born out of an idea mooted by Singapore's founder Sir Stamford Raffles, himself a keen biologist. The Herbarium collection was founded in 1955 by Prof. H. B. Gilliland, when he was the head of the Department of Botany at NUS. 1849 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles (6 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was the founder of the city (now country) of Singapore, and is one of the best-known of the many Britons who created the largest empire the world has ever seen. ... A biologist is a scientist devoted to and producing results in biology through the study of organisms. ... 1955 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

The Department of Botany and Department of Zoology merged into the Department of Biological Sciences in 1996, combining the resources of both departments into one. The RMBR was thus formed on 1 October 1998, incorporating the collections and research materials of both institutions. 1996 is a leap year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year for the Eradication of Poverty. ... October 1 is the 274th day of the year (275th in Leap years). ... 1998 is a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International Year of the Ocean. ...

External links

• Raffles Museum of Biodiversity Research