CZ-TAF

CZ-TAF comprises of Narodni Museum Prague (NMP). Here there are approximately 15 million specimens including 140,000 type specimens representing 200 years of collecting and research.

CZ-TAF collections represent a diverse selection of organisms, fossils, minerals, wet collections, frozen tissues, DNA samples and slides. They are focused particularly on Central European nature and geology. CZ-TAF collections cover also tropical regions, particularly South America and Australasia. The collections are organised into seven core collections reflecting the primary scientific disciplines (anthropology, botany, entomology, mineralogy and petrology, mycology, palaeontology and zoology). Several special collections are unique globally (e.g. Sternberg’s Fossil Plant Collection, Barrande’s Palaeontological Collection).

CZ TAF Research highlights

CZ-TAF staff published more than 200 IF papers during the last three years. Many CZ-TAF scientists teach at universities, which provide excellent outreach platforms. Currently, c. 30 PhD students are supervised by NMP staff.

NMP research highlights include:

• DNA studies, which revealed several new species of amphibians of Amazonian region
• Mitochondrial DNA studies, which provided an insight into evolution of some European fish species
• Fossil evidence of angiosperm leaf vein evolution reflecting a climate change in the Cretaceous
• The publication of a complex atlas of fungi of the Czech Republic 
• Analysis of mortal remains of the famous astronomer Tycho Brahe showed that he had not been mercury poisoned (as traditionally believed)
• Genetic studies, which revealed significant diversity of Indian Curcuma
• The description of several new mineral species from various localities in the Czech Republic

CZ-TAF Member Institutions

National Museum Prague