Natural History Museum Vienna
Wien | Website
Short Description
The 3. Zoological Department encompasses the invertebrate collections with the exception of insects in the broadest sense (Hexapoda). It is divided into five collections: Arachnoidea (arachnids), Crustacea (crustaceans), Evertebrata Varia (diverse invertebrates), Mollusca (molluscs) and Myriapoda (millipedes). Every collection holds a comprehensive library and several microscopes, imaging facilities and standard preparation equipment.
The following equipment is particularly important:
- Stereo microscope Nikon SMZ25 + Camera Unit DS-Ri2
- Compund microscope Nikon Eclipse Ni + Camera Unit DS-Ri2
Contact Person
Mag. Christoph Hörweg
Research Services
Taxonomic identification possible upon request
Tissue samples for DNA analyses available for research projects with cooperation partners
Creation of digital copies (photos or literature scans) possible for cooperation partners.
Assistance with inquiries on historical material or specific literature
Extensive collection libraries useable on site (after registration)
Methods & Expertise for Research Infrastructure
Staff members at NHM Vienna, 3. Zoological Department have ample expertise in description (taxonomy), naming (nomenclature), occurrence analyses (biogeography) and ecology (habitat requirements, reproduction etc.) of the groups of animals represented in the department. Molecular genetic methods are used to address questions of ancestry (phylogeny) and population genetics (genetic diversity and composition of a stand). This is based on the comprehensive holdings and own field collections. Methods for gaining molecular genetic data (such as DNA sequences) are applied and advanced while the data are analysed and interpreted using state-of-the-art algorithms. In addition those methods are used to test for provenance and identity of unknown samples.