Researchers creating database of bones from every known arctic bird, mammal, fish

FAIRBANKS — Fitting that it should end in Fairbanks, since that’s where it all began for Herb Maschner.

For the past five years, he and a team of researchers have been on a mission to create an online database of bones from every known arctic bird, mammal and fish.

Maschner grew up in Fairbanks. He was a member of West Valley High School’s first graduating class in 1977. He returned later to earn his master’s degree from University of Alaska Fairbanks, and he is returning once more to the UA Museum of the North to gather the last bit of information for the database.

Known as the Virtual Zooarchaeology of the Arctic Project, or VZAP, the database pulls together data from universities and museums around the world. The Burke Museum, Smithsonian Institution and Canadian Museum of Civilization have partnered with Maschner to offer their considerable collections.

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