About the research at the University Museum

We study species diversity, evolution, taxonomy, systematics, phylogeny and biogeography across many different organism groups, both terrestrial and marine. Some of the groups where we have expertise are green algae, flowering plants, jellyfish, cnidarians, annelid worms, crustaceans, molluscs, insects, spiders, sharks and birds.

Our research groups:

Annelid Research – biodiversity, systematics and evolution of marine annelid worms

Manet team: Cnidaria and Ctenophora Research – taxonomy, diversity, distribution, systematics, evolution, ecology and general biology of cnidarians and comb jellies

Mollusca Research – morphology, diversity, systematics, phylogeny, ecology, biogeography and evolution of molluscs 

Threatened Species Conservation – conservation of threatened plant species, particularly within the heather and rose families

Together with the Department of Biological Sciences, the museum has a DNA lab at Marineholmen.

Within palaeobiology and palaeoecology, we study nature and environment in the past. To understand human impact on nature over time, we work closely with archaeology and other disciplines. The museum's osteological and palaeobotanical collections form the basis for much of this research.

Research group: Past Landscapes and Environments

Together with the Department of Biological Sciences, the museum has a palaeoecology laboratory at Marineholmen.

Within geology, we study structural geology and tectonics – understanding motions and deformation of the crust in response to tectonic processes. Key research themes are:

-Orogeny and orogenic collapse, with a primary focus on the Scandinavian Caledonides and later also the Brasiliano orogen in Brazil.
-Rifting, mostly related to the North Sea rift.
-Shear zones and their evolution from the microscale to crustal scale.
-Transpression/transtension in theory and application.
-Fault anatomy, geometry and evolution.
-Reactivation of shear zones during brittle faulting.
-Fluid reservoir deformation and fluid flow 
-Deformation bands and other subseismic structures, and their implications for fault nucleation and fluid flow in porous rocks and sediments.
-The Caledonian orogen and its extensional collapse
-Evolution of onshore-offshore S Norway since the Caledonian orogeny
-Landslides and mass transport complexes
-Geomorphology

Research groups: 

Research Group for Integrated Geo-Bio-Societal Dynamics

Geodynamics and Basin Studies

Archaeology is the department's largest research area, encompassing studies of people's lives, societies and interaction with the environment from the Stone Age to recent times. The research is often based on new archaeological investigations and the museum's collections. Key themes include settlement patterns, land use and resource exploitation, mobility and cultural encounters. Through research of high international quality, the department contributes new knowledge about the past and a better understanding of today's society and cultural heritage.

The department's archaeological research is closely linked to cultural heritage management. Read more about this here.

Within social anthropology, we study cultural heritage and Indigenous peoples. Current topics include, for example:

- Cultural heritage as a tool for asserting Indigenous sovereignty

- Appropriation of cultural heritage in elite constellations

- Pressure on ideas of shared ownership and common rights to cultural heritage

- The shift from state control of cultural heritage towards private management within non-governmental organisations

Within art and cultural history, we research the art and architecture of medieval churches and their treatment during the Reformation, particularly in Western Europe.

Key themes are:

• Medieval church buildings and their settings in rural and urban landscapes
• Church furnishings and iconography in the medieval and early modern periods
• The Reformation and its impact on art