CETAF - Consortium of European Taxonomic Facilities

09/09/2026

19 new mollusc species shed light on the final days of the dinosaurs

A new study published in European Journal of Taxonomy has revealed a remarkable fossil mollusc fauna from the Paris Basin, France.

Even more remarkably, deposits long thought to be Danian have been shown to date to the Maastrichtian, the final stage of the Cretaceous.

The fossils reveal a shallow marine ecosystem near the coast, including species previously unknown from the region and, in some cases, from northwestern Europe.

The findings also establish a new geological unit: the Vertus-Mont Aimé-Esmans Formation.

Source: European Journal of Taxonomy
https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2026.1083.3313

07/09/2026

Edinburgh will be the meeting point for the 3rd CETAF Directors’ Summit and CETAF60!

It will take place on 1-2 December 2026 and it will bring members together to discuss the strategic role of integrative taxonomy and look ahead to the future of biodiversity research.

The event will also feature CETAF60, celebrating six decades of collaboration and commitment to advancing biodiversity knowledge.

Read all the information about the event here: https://cetaf.org/3rd-cetaf-directors-summit-cetaf60-edinburgh/

04/09/2026

Science starts with participation 🌱

How can citizen science contribute to better biodiversity monitoring across Europe?

THRIVE, a new Horizon Europe project, aims to strengthen the role of citizen science in biodiversity and ecosystem monitoring by connecting people, data, tools and initiatives across Europe.

🔎 Learn more about the project here: https://cetaf.org/thrive-new-cetaf-project/

03/09/2026

📣 TETTRIX is looking for an Administrator for its Cascade Funding Programme!

CETAF is launching a Request for Tenders to select an experienced external service provider to support the implementation of the TETTRIX cascade funding mechanism.

Through this mechanism, up to €2.4 million will be made available to external organisations through Satellite Projects, supporting initiatives that strengthen taxonomic capacity and innovation across Europe.

The selected Administrator will support CETAF throughout the funding process, including:

- Preparation and launch of the Calls

- Proposal submission and evaluation

- Contracting of selected projects

- Project monitoring and reporting

- Consolidation of results

- Dissemination and exploitation

We are looking for an organisation with the experience, expertise and technical capacity to support the effective implementation of this funding process.

📄 Request for Tenders now open

📅 Deadline: 4 October 2026

🕕 18:00 CET/CEST

👉 Read the full Request for Tenders and find the submission details on the CETAF website: https://cetaf.org/tettrix-launches-a-call-for-tenders-for-the-administration-of-its-fstp-mechanism/

02/09/2026

🌿 Faces of Taxonomy: Pete Hollingsworth

What are the biggest challenges facing natural history museums and research institutions in ? How can science build stronger connections with society? And what role can collaboration play in addressing global challenges such as biodiversity loss?

In the latest edition of Faces of Taxonomy, we speak with Pete Hollingsworth, Director of Science and Deputy Keeper at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh , about the challenges facing our institutions, the importance of connecting science and society, and the role of collaboration in protecting biodiversity.

From scientific research and collections to public engagement and international cooperation, Pete shares his perspective on how taxonomic institutions can contribute to understanding and responding to the environmental challenges ahead.

🔗 Read the full interview: https://cetaf.org/faces-of-taxonomy-pete-hollingsworth-royal-botanic-garden-edinburgh/

02/09/2026

🎉 15th Anniversary Symposium of the European Journal Of Taxonomy

Join us for a special symposium celebrating 15 years of the European Journal of Taxonomy.

🔬 The programme focuses on an essential question for modern taxonomy:
How to liberate, find and reuse taxonomic data from scientific publications?

📍 Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, Madrid
📅 October 8, 2026
🕘 9:00 AM–12:00 PM

👉 Registration is open — scan the QR code to register!

More information: https://cetaf.org/ejt-15th-anniversary-symposium-madrid/

01/09/2026

🏁Today, TETTRIX officially begins.
A new chapter for European taxonomy starts today.

Building on the foundations of TETTRIs, TETTRIX will strengthen Europe’s taxonomic capacity by connecting knowledge, expertise, infrastructures and communities to generate reliable, actionable biodiversity knowledge for science, policy and society.

Structured around four complementary pillars (Integrate, Transform, Upskill and Demonstrate), TETTRIX will help position taxonomy as a cornerstone of science and .

👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/eM4AT-GP

11/08/2026

🧬 Last days to submit your abstract for CGUE 2026!

The Comparative Genomics of Unicellular Eukaryotes (CGUE 2026) meeting will bring together researchers working on protist diversity, comparative genomics, phylogenomics, transcriptomics, environmental genomics, eukaryogenesis, host–microbe interactions and non-model unicellular eukaryotic systems.

📍 Sant Feliu de Guíxols, Spain
📅 5–10 October 2026

⏰ Final Flash Abstract submissions close on 15 August — don’t miss the opportunity to present your research at hashtag .

The meeting may be particularly relevant to the CETAF community working on taxonomy, systematic biology, natural science collections, biodiversity informatics and collection-based research across Europe.

🎟️ Registration is open until 31 August.

🔬 Explore the scientific programme:
https://lnkd.in/eeP2_A-M

🎤 Meet the invited speakers:
https://lnkd.in/eTh-XQut

🔗 More information:
https://lnkd.in/ewVUcpvJ

05/08/2026

Europe is entering a new era for biodiversity conservation.

DNA technologies are transforming the way we study, monitor and protect nature. By combining DNA barcoding, genome sequencing and taxonomic expertise, researchers can identify species faster, monitor ecosystem health more effectively and better understand how biodiversity responds to environmental change.

To make this possible at scale, ERGA, iBOL Europe and CETAF have joined forces through Biodiversity Genomics Europe plus (BGE+), building a coordinated European infrastructure that will connect expertise, data and resources across the continent.

Because protecting biodiversity starts with understanding it.

Read more about how biodiversity genomics is shaping Europe's future:
🔗 https://cetaf.org/using-dna-save-nature-europe-next-biodiversity-frontier-bge/

This means the start of an unprecedented effort to build a continent-wide system that applies genomics for protecting European biodiversity.

28/05/2026

Katja Kaiser, from Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, explored how museums can engage with colonial objects in natural history collections, offering practical recommendations for research, institutional reflection, and responsible museum practice.

She highlighted the importance of recognising the ongoing impact of colonial histories on collections and the ways these legacies continue to shape research, exhibitions, digitisation, and other museum activities.

🗣️ “The colonial past can be found everywhere. Recognising this is important, as colonial collections continue to form the basis of our research, exhibitions, digitisation, and many other areas of museum practice to this day.”

🔗 For those interested in learning more, the guidelines discussed during the presentation are available here: https://books.ub.uni-heidelberg.de/arthistoricum/catalog/view/1756/3146/134514?utm_source=chatgpt.com