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M. Scapohapoda (J Van Gothem)

Belgian Taxonomic Facility (BE-TAF)

BE-TAF consists of three institutions in Belgium

BE-TAF Partner Institutions

The Belgian Zoological collection is split in two; RBINS covers Europe and the tropics, including Central Africa with notably very important collections from the National Parks in Congo and from Lake Tanganyika, extensive collections from Papua New Guinea, Gulf of Mexico, and South East Asia. RMCA focuses on the tropical world (with special emphasis on Africa), and NBG is in charge of conserving the national botanical collection. .

Collections & expertise
RBINS houses a diverse and exceptionally rich zoological collection, palaeoanthropological and mineralogical collections, as well as a large number of prehistoric items involving about 37,000,000 specimens with around 100,000 primary types. Much of the research performed at RBINS covers non-Belgian ecosystems;

Many collections have a huge scientific value due to the quality of the work that has been done when collecting specimens and information in the field. For example, the Dautzenberg shell collection comprises about 8,000 antiquarian books on molluscs and an estimated 4,5 million specimens representing some 40,000 species. The collection of marine sediments, benthos and fish of the southern North Sea resulting from G. Gilson’s sampling programme (years 1900s) is unique. Its size and structure allows advanced studies in the field of marine historical ecology, including long-term monitoring of marine biodiversity.

In Entomology, the Selys Longchamps collection is notable and the Fauvel collection of Staphylinidae including 10,000 primary types.

RBINS is the sole natural history museum in the world storing 29 complete skeletons of Iguanodon (excavated at Bernissart), and many other famous palaeontological collections, among which are the Late Cretaceous mosasaur, the Neogene fossil wale and the diverse invertebrate collection, containing over 35,000 types.

Zoology: the RBINS is a reference centre for natural history research in Europe on a broad range of zoological domains of all groups Research fields include: taxonomy, systematics, evolution, biogeography, phylogeny, population genetics, palaeontology, ecology, population dynamics, ethology, fresh water biology and marine biology.. In addition, RBINS researchers are involved in projects on stratigraphy and sedimentology relevant to climate change research (with emphasis on bioindicators and biorecorders). The palaeoanthropology section is managing the worldwide catalogue of hominid remains.

The Mineralogy Department stores an international systematic collection of 25,000 samples, 20,000 of which illustrate the variety of natural facies and the geographic distribution of sorts. The RBINS collection covers 82% of all known minerals.

Geology: The biggest geology collection of the RBINS is the one of the litho-samples: almost 35,000 samples are collected all over Belgium in outcrops or drillholes. Another 2,000 high quality core samples of bore-holes represent a second collection. The 1,500 litho-samples of the Dumont collection form an excellent lithostratigraphical reference. A collection of building stones is also available

Library: The scientific library of the RBINS offers a vast range of books and specialised, scientific magazines (together totaling nearly 650,000 volumes or 300,000 titles). For several years, the RBINS has catalogued more than 179,000 title descriptions (about 60% of the collection) which allows a multicriteria search via an online catalogue on the website of the RBINS..

Supporting analytical facilities
The Molecular Systematics Laboratory (MSL): The MSL has a 'horizontal' research environment in which users of different departments of the RBINS, as well as visiting researchers from Belgian and foreign institutions, work together on project basis. The MSL provides a working environment for experienced "molecular" researchers and organizes individually-based practical training courses in molecular techniques and data treatment for novices in the field of molecular systematics. This training in molecular techniques is provided to users whose research proposals fit into the ongoing research programmes and activities at the MSL. Training sessions should therefore be negotiated in advance, and should form part of joint collaborative research projects with one or more of the senior staff members of the MSL.

Scanning electron microscope: SEM research started in the institute in 1978. In 1998 the institute acquired a new, environmental scanning electron microscope, FEI XL 30 ESEM. The new apparatus has a number of advantages, such as the possibility to work in wet mode and to record digitised images on diskettes or CD ROM. The SEM is also a ‘horizontal’ facility used in research projects from different researchers within and outside the RBINS

The Transmission Electron Microscopy Preparation Facility (TEM-PREP): Since January 2004, this facility, equipped with a Leica Ultracut Ultramicrotome and a Leica EM-KMR-2 Knifemaker, allows users of different departments of the RBINS, as well as visiting researchers to prepare tissues to be observed in transmission electron microscopy in other collaborating institutions. Foreign and Belgian researchers can access the facility as long as their research fits in a planned joint collaborative project with staff members of the RBINS. A trained technician is in charge of the facility. In 2006 the facility will be equipped with a Leica EM CPC and a Leica EM AFS2 for cryofixation, cryopreparation and freeze substitution of samples for TEM.

List of facilities (Excel)

Some particular strengths of RBINS collections.

staff in charge are indicated so they can be contacted by users before writing their Application Form.

Some examples of unique / rare expertise represented by RBINS staff

RMCA is a leading research institute and knowledge centre on Sub-Saharan Africa, like the biodiversity of living species in the context of their natural environments in Africa, particularly Central Africa, and aims to develop interest and understanding in the scientific communities for African fauna.

Collections, expertise and facilities
RMCA facilities offered under BE-TAF are:

• African zoology

• Geological collections

• Xylological collections

It holds the largest biodiversity collection of Central Africa (see Table below), offering a complete cross-section of reference material from many central Africa of the region's taxa. Furthermore, the majority of the specimens originate from the relatively poorly studied megadiversity belt in the equatorial region of Africa, and from West Africa.

African zoology: The Zoological Collections hold specimens from nearly 125,000 species: 7-8 million invertebrates of 117,000 species and 1.5 million vertebrates of 6,115 species and hold the holotype material for 26,615 insect, 543 fishes, 240 birds, 104 reptiles, 81 amphibians and 36 mammals. Including paratypes; the collections hold a total of nearly 250,000 types. RMCA has nearly half of the 3,000 type specimens in the world for African freshwater fishes Overall, this means that virtually any zoologist making taxonomic revisions of animal groups also occurring in Africa will need to use the facility.

RMCA is the prime reference facility for multidisciplinary and comparative studies of African biodiversity. It also curates original historical information pertaining to the collectors, and the logbooks of the expeditions during which zoological material was obtained. This background information is important for the confirmation of the locality of specimens, and for the compilation of the gazetteer databank. Important ecological information about the environment (or conditions in which specimens where obtained) can also be derived from the description of the itinerary.

Staff at the facility are prominent scientists in taxonomy and biodiversity research; they maintain the collections in proper order, and guide visitors to required material. They are fully acquainted with the peripheral background information of the collections, and most have extensive field experience in Africa. This makes staff an essential and immeasurable source of information to visiting scientists.

Digitisation of the specimen inventories is ongoing, and for many groups, visitors can search the databases systematically or geographically, to obtain geo-referenced biodiversity information. Special attention has been given to the preparation of an extensive, annotated gazetteer.

The museum is part of the FishBase consortium; the ichthyological team manages the information for African fresh- and brackish water fishes and is involved in various other database-related initiatives.

Geological collections: The mineral collection consists of 10,255 ordinary minerals (in 988 species), 1,077 radioactive minerals and 170 asbestos samples (accessible under European safety regulations).

There are 20,000 well-documented (micro)fossils including both fauna and flora species of Phanerozoic deposits of the Central African region.

The collection covers marine Atlantic Ocean deposits (including drilling cores for hydrocarbon potential) as well as predominantly continental deposits of the Central African basin ('Cuvette congolaise') and of the Western Rift basins. In addition Neoproterozoic Stromatolites of various regions of the Precambrian of Central Africa are present. Among all these specimens, several holotypes are kept.

Xylarium collection: The RMCA keeps one of the largest collections of wood samples in the world (60,000 samples from nearly 14,000 botanical species). The domain is worldwide. Focuses are on tropical species. All growth forms of lignified plants are represented.

The Library: The RMCA maintains an extensive library on African biodiversity, including the top scientific journals, but also a unique collection of rare, old colonial publications. Scientific staff master ten languages; consequently, the library and reprint documentation is unusually multilingual (http://www.metafro.be/services).

List of facilities (Excel)

Some particular strengths of RMCA collections.

Important equipment available at RMCA.

Collections, expertise and facilities
Herbarium: NBG contains ca. three million specimens, including all plant groups (incl. cryptogams) and fungi and aims at worldwide coverage. Focus areas are domestic (about 230,000 specimens from Belgium), the New World (historical material such as the Mexican collections made by Galeotti, the collection assembled in Venezuela by Funck and Schlim, and the famous herbarium Martii), and tropical Africa (inter alia ca. 90% of all the botanical material collected in Central Africa (R.D. Congo, Rwanda and Burundi)). The historical herbarium AWH (with the Van Heurck diatom collection and 300,000 vascular plant specimens, many from the tropics) is planned to be on permanent loan from mid-2006 onwards.

Living collections: comprise 18,000 taxa (ca. 7% of all vascular plants on Earth) grown in open air or greenhouses. Material is used for education and research or grown for conservation purposes. Special research collections are devoted to groups such as Rubiaceae, cacti & succulents, bromeliads, and  orchids. NBG also hosts the base collection of wild Phaseoleae-Phaseolinae. http://www.br.fgov.be/RESEARCH/COLLECTIONS/livingplantcollections.html

List of facilities (Excel)

Some particular strengths of NBG collections.

Library: Assembled from 1825 onwards. It keeps 65,000 books and 3,300 periodicals of which 1,300 are still running. About 80% of the book collection (incl. all accessions since 1994) is entered in the VUBIS database system. http://www.br.fgov.be/RESEARCH/LIBRARY/index.html

Molecular systematic botany: A molecular lab is equipped to perform PCR-based analyses, from DNA extraction to sequencing, cloning, and electrophoresis (both horizontal agarose gel and vertical polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis).

L and E microscopy: NBG has standard equipment for microtomy and light microscopy. It has a Jeol SEM 5800 with low vacuum equipment, working in a digital environment.