Molluscan Research at the Department of Invertebrate Zoology
Molluscan research at the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences and the Swedish Museum of Natural History has long traditions.The first practitioner in the field was Carl von Linné (1707-1778) who was oneof the founders of the Academy and much involved with the 18th century natural history cabinets in Sweden. At that time there were beside Linné's own collection, two large private museums in Sweden, that of the King, Museum Adolphi Friderici with mainly vertebrates and the collection of the Queen, Museum Lovisa Ulrika mainly molluscs and corals.Most of Linné's own collection ended up at the Linnean Society in London; Museum Adolphi Friderici is now mainly housed at the Department of Vertebrate Zoology at the
Swedish Museum of Natural History. Museum Lovisa Ulrika was given to Uppsala University, where the collections still, with about as many types as in London, are kept at the Zoological Museum.
Sven Lovén (1809-1892) Head of the Department of Invertebrate Zoology 1841-1892
Sven Lovén - a great explorer
After Linné, it was not until Sven Lovén was appointed head of zoology in 1841 that any further molluscan research of importance was done. Lovén made several important contributions to mollusc ontogeny, classification and faunistics before he switched his interest to other invertebrate groups, around 1850. He continued as a driving force in the biological exploration of the Arctic, in echinoderm biology, and as head of zoology until his retirement three years before his death, 1895.During the later half of the 19th century the staff of the zoological collections was involved in a very active exchange program and generous economic support from the Academy made it possible to increase the collections with much type material mainly from the museums in Berlin, Paris, and London, Washington, Philadelphia, Sydney, as well as from natural history dealers, e.g. Mus. Goddefroy, T.A. Verkrüzen, the Sowerbys and others. Types of most Arctic species were received from their authors, R. Bergh, H. Friele, H.P.C. Møller, O.A.L. Mørch, H.J. Posselt, G.O. Sars and M. Sars.The arctic explorations resulted in large collections of invertebrates being brought back to the museum and the molluscs were described by Otto Torell, Wilhelm Leche, Carl Aurivillius and Richard Hägg. At the same time Carl A. Westerlund and Adolf d'Ailly worked on terrestrial and freshwater molluscs from the palaearctic area and Africa. A large part of Westerlund's collections is now deposited in the Natural History Museum in Göteborg. All his collections are very rich in type material from many late 19th century collectors.
Large collections were also worked on by Ferdinand Krauss (South Africa) and Hermann Strebel (southern South America and the Swedish South Polar Expedition).
Molluscan researchers during the last century
In the early 1900s, Nils Odhner started a lifelong career working on molluscs from all over the world and all environments. During his later years (1950), Bengt Hubendick joined the staff, until he took up a position as Director of the Natural History Museum in Göteborg (1959). At this time Odhner was still active and publishing until shortly before his death (1973).After Odhner there was an interlude in molluscan research, until Anders Warén was employed as curator in 1984.
Conchology has never been a very common amateur hobby in Scandinavia, and few collections of importance have been donated. Most important of these is probably that of Hans Schlesh (1891-1962), a Danish amateur, who also contributed a nice mollusc library with about 5000 titles and complete sets of most malacological journals.
Text: Anders Warén
Contact person:
Anders Warén
External links:
Museum of Evolution, Uppsala
Natural History Museum in Göteborg
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