English name: Royal Museum for Central Africa
MRG keywords (6) : Biodiversity; Ecosystem functioning; Molecular biology; Morphology; Phylogeny; Taxonomy
Address:
Leuvensesteenweg 13
3080 Tervuren
Belgium
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Tel.: +32-(0)2-769 52 11
Fax: +32-(0)2-769 52 42
E-mail: 
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Type: Scientific
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| Abstract: |
The origin of the Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) dates back to the Brussels International Exposition of 1897. At King Leopold II's behest, the 'Colonial Section' of the exhibition was moved to the Africa Palace (formerly known as the 'Colonial Palace') in Tervuren. The exhibition halls were home to naturalised animals, geological samples, commodities, Congolese ethnographic and artistic objects and art objects created in Belgium. The name of the museum has changed several times in the course of its history: from 'Museum of the Congo', over the 'Museum of the Belgian Congo' (when the Congo Free State became the Belgian Congo) and the 'Royal Museum of the Belgian Congo' (established by Royal Decree in 1952), to the Royal 'Museum for Central Africa' (at the time of Congo's independence). Since the renovation, the museum is more commonly known as the 'Africa Museum'.
Africa is home to an enormous variety of species and ecosystems of global importance. To further knowledge of African biodiversity, research at this museum concerns the study the taxonomy and phylogeny of different groups of vertebrates and invertebrates using morphological and genetic approaches. Next, the structure and function of wood is studied, as well as the role of trees and fauna in various African ecosystems. The researchers assess the impact of human activities on these ecosystems and their research combines fieldwork and the study of collections, which contain 10 million specimens. There are two services, JEMU (Joint Experimental Molecular Unit) and BopCo (barcoding facility for organisms and tissues of policy concern), which focus on certain molecular biology techniques. Its objective is to improve and disseminate our knowledge of African biodiversity through publications, online databases and training courses.
The marine research involves the biodiversity of tropical African vertebrates with a main focus on fresh and brackish water fishes: systematics (taxonomy, phylogeny, biogeography), ecology, evolutionary history. Morphometrics, and osteological and molecular techniques are most commonly used. In this way, the Royal Museum for Central Africa tries to get a better insight into the diversity of fishes in Africa and, as such, also contributes to its conservation and sustainable fisheries and aquaculture. |
| Publications (3) |
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( 3 peer reviewed ) split up filter
 Van Neer, W.; Wouters, W.; Ervynck, A.; Maes, J. (2005). New evidence from a Roman context in Belgium for fish sauce locally produced in northern Gaul. Archaeofauna (Madr.) 14: 171-182, more- Gillikin, D.P.; Steenmans, D.; DeHairs, F.; Baeyens, W.; Navez, J.; André, L.; Keppens, E.; CALMARs group (2004). Calibration and validation of the mussel Mytilus edulis as an environmental archive. Geophys. Res. Abstr. 6: 04054, more
- Pieters, M.; Ervynck, A.; Van Neer, W.; Verhaeghe, F.; Cooremans, B. (1995). Raversijde: een 15de-eeuwse kuil, een lens met platvisresten, en de betekenis voor de studie van de site en haar bewoners. Archeol. Vlaan. 4: 253-277, more
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- TIMOTHY: Tracing and Integrated Modeling of Natural and Antropogenic Effects on Hydrosystems, more
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