Marine Molluscs
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The vast majority of South African molluscs are marine, and these have been the focus of much of our scientists' research endeavour. Our collection provides a rich resource for taxonomic and biogeographic studies, and in recent decades has enabled us to publish revisionary papers in scientific journals on many previously neglected groups of South African molluscs, such as the Epitoniidae, Fissurellidae, Scissurellidae, Trochidae, Turridae, and Ungulinidae. To take advantage of co-operative ventures with the global scientific community, representative material is continually sent to overseas specialists for inclusion in their research, and few comprehensive papers on the taxonomy of South African / Indo-Pacific molluscs do not refer to Natal Museum material.
Current research projects:
The pheasant shell fauna of southern Africa - a morphological and molecular study of the genera Tricolia, Phasianella and Gabrielona in southern Africa, with special emphasis on the origins and relationships of the endemic Tricolia radiation (Ph.D. project of Tshifhiwa Nangammbi).
Terrestrial Molluscs
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Responding to a dearth of local expertise relating to terrestrial molluscs, we have embarked upon a major new thrust in terrestrial malacological research. In the first instance this has focused on the preparation of a field guide to the land snails and slugs of eastern South Africa which was published in 2004, the museum's centenary year. This interpretative, capacity building project, combines information hidden away in rarefied scientific works and unpublished observations, into a form more accessible to other biologists and the general public. This will enable a wide range of potential users - university students, field ecologists, conservation officers, farmers, horticulturalists, naturalists and hobbyists, to identify the approximately 280 species that occur in the region.
Our terrestrial mollusc research is also very much targeted at conservation issues and the databasing of our collection has helped enormously in this regard. We are now engaged in studies aimed at analysing distribution patterns, and identifying diversity foci and endemicity hot-spots, so that this information can be integrated into conservation planning (M.Sc. project Vanashrie Govender). Rare and endemic species are also being assessed in terms of the IUCN red-listing criteria, so that we can draw attention to their conservation needs.
Current research projects include:
- The phylogeny of the endemic hunter slugs, family Chlamydephoridae, combining molecular and morphological data (Dai Herbert and collaborator Dr Andrew Mitchell).
- The phylogenetic relationships of the Gondwanan relict genus Prestonella (Dai Herbert and collaborator Dr Andrew Mitchell).
- The family Streptaxidae, particularly the diverse and taxonomically intractable genus Gulella (Dai Herbert and Adnan Moussalli)
- Phylogenetic relationships of southern African Urocyclidae and Rhytididae, including more detailed phylogeographic study of selected genera (Dai Herbert and Adnan Moussalli).
- Diversity patterns within forest mollusc communities in KwaZulu-Natal (Dai Herbert with collaborators Drs Mary Seddon and Peter Tattersfield, National Museum of Wales).
- Variation in invertebrate diversity patterns in relation to vegetation communities (Earthwatch project South Africa's Hidden Species' -http://www.earthwatch.org/expeditions/hamer.html) (Dai Herbert with collaborator Dr Michelle Hamer, UKZN).
- The endemic molluscan fauna of Transkei (Dai Herbert with collaborator Mary Bursey, East London Museum).
Research opportunities
Due to high levels of endemicity, southern African terrestrial molluscs are ideal subjects for studies on phylogeny, biogeography and conservation, and offer exciting opportunities for field research. Students interested in such research are encouraged to contact Dr Dai Herbert.
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