Science news
-
The natural comeback of tropical rainforests in the savanna region
April 2019
Artificial savanna naturally turns into tropical rainforest when annual burning regimes are discontinued. A boost to carbon storage and biodiversity.
-
Artificial lakes, a paradise for parasites?
March 2019
A tiny North American freshwater snail, found in large numbers in Lake Kariba (Zimbabwe), can fuel the spread of infectious diseases. Artificial lakes are especially vulnerable to invasive species, which travel the world thanks to globalization.
-
European Journal of Taxonomy volume 500 is now online!
February 2019
Since its launch in 2011, EJT has published 1791 new taxa (1602 new species). Taxonomic research enables biologists to better understand and study biodiversity and evolution.
-
A small tree is not always a young tree
January 2019
Forest giants have long been considered the oldest trees in tropical forests. Research now shows that small trees can grow older than the big ones, and therefore hold on to longer-term carbon. This finding has important consequences for forest policy in the tropics.
-
Sardines of Lake Tanganyika Prove One And Indivisible
January 2019
The sardines from Lake Tanganyika (Africa) form one homogeneous group, according to a genetic study. This implies that the four countries around the lake will have to team up to maintain the overfished sardines.
-
Board game teaches Goma residents about geological hazards
January 2019
The board game ‘Hazagora’ was designed to give players knowledge and strategies to cope with geological hazards. RMCA geographer Caroline Michellier puts it to the test by organizing courses for secondary school teachers in the city of Goma, Nord Kivu.
-
Rock specimen in RMCA collection is earliest evidence of modern plate tectonics
December 2018
Plate tectonics played an important role in the evolution of our planet. A study conducted by an international team of researchers, including geologist Daniel Baudet of the RMCA, has now found the earliest evidence known for the modern-style plate tectonics at 2.2-2.1 billion years ago (2.2-2.1 Ga).
-
November 2018
Archaeological research traces 1000 years of copper production in Congo-Brazzaville.
-
First summer course for history professors from Flanders organized in RMCA
October 2018
RMCA historians and archaeologists joined forces for the first summer course for Flemish history professors, with a focus on Belgian colonization in Congo.
-
Three awards 'Digital for Development' 2018
October 2018
An online video platform with training videos for farmers, mobile healthcare campaigns through gaming and an app for mobile money. These are the three winners of the Prize 'Digital for Development (D4D)' 2018.
-
DNA of exotic mosquitoes under scrutiny
September 2018
Summer is mosquito (bite) season, and it is important to know which mosquitoes are doing the biting. Globalization and climate change have made it necessary to monitor the arrival of exotic mosquito species. With the help of DNA research, RMCA biologists can identify mosquitoes quickly and reliably.
-
Algae and echinoderms off the coast of Mozambique
August 2018
In April and May of 2018, a team of researchers from Belgium and Mozambique studied algae and echinoderms from different sites in Mozambique. This mission was the first phase of a project whose objective is to study the taxonomy of these two groups in a region neglected by research. This project also aims to train young scientists in the collection, preservation, and study of algae and echinoderm specimens.
-
Tropical wood under our barbecue grills?
July 2018
At WWF Belgium’s request, the RMCA Wood Biology service analysed charcoal sold in different stores around the country. Half of the examined bags contained tropical wood – and sustainable forest management certificates or mentions of origin were often missing.
-
Digitising African musical heritage
July 2018
PRIMA, an international network of Belgian and African museums from the Republic of the Congo, Burkina Faso, and Kenya, are working together to digitise their African musical instrument collections. Several of these are already online.
-
A pioneer in the museum: Olga Boone
May 2018
Who was the first female scientist working in the RMCA? Historian Eline Sciot has put ethnographer Olga Boone in the spotlights for the first time and traced her career and scientific work.
-
Landslides in tropical Africa: dangerous but often overlooked
March 2018
In 2017, hundreds of people perished in landslides in tropical Africa. Alas, we still know very little about the phenomenon in this part of the world. Liesbet Jacobs has just completed her doctoral thesis investigating the processes leading to landslides in wet tropical areas, with hopes that this will help predict when and where these hazards are going to hit.
-
Parasite genetics may hold key to schistosomiasis treatment
February 2018
Researchers from AfricaMuseum, the Institute of Tropical Medicine (ITM), and KU Leuven have found that some of the parasites causing schistosomiasis produce more offspring than others. This discovery opens up possibilities for finding new drugs and vaccines against the tropical disease.
-
Improving wood product inspections
September 2017
On 22 September 2017, the Wood Biology service trained a group of inspectors from the federal Environment service in wood identification, giving them the skills to identify and seize illegal wood shipped to Belgium.
