Historical archive

The oldest complete fossil of a primate

Historical archive

Published under: Stoltenberg's 2nd Government

Publisher: Ministry of Education and Research

An international research team organized by the University of Oslo has for the last two years, in secret, studied and documented the oldest complete fossil of a primate. The Norwegian government will contribute to the work undertaken by The natural history Museum in Oslo regarding this exceptional fossil by allocating 350 000 dollars to the museum.

Photo: Jørn HurumAn international research team organized by the University of Oslo has for the last two years, in  secret, studied and documented the oldest complete fossil of a primate. A milestone is now reached when the result of this research is being published.

- I am pleased to inform that the Norwegian government will contribute to the work undertaken by The natural history Museum in Oslo regarding this exceptional fossil by allocating 350 000 dollars to the museum, says the Norwegian Minister of Higher Education and Research Tora Aasland.

- By studying our relatives among primates we can learn more about ourselves. This skeleton at the University of Oslo and the research undertaken by the international research team gives us new insight about the ancestors of human beings. I will use this opportunity to congratulate the University of Oslo and the Natural History Museum for obtaining this fossil, and the international research team co-ordinated by associate professor Jørn Hurum for your achievements.  

This year it is 200 years since Darwin was born. This anniversary will be celebrated with various exhibitions in Natural history museums all over the world.

- As the Norwegian Minister of Higher Education and Research I am thrilled by the fact that the Natural History museum in the University of Oslo has decided to celebrate Darwin’s birth in a way that will give them attention both nationally and internationally. 

This project will give the world new knowledge of our ancestors. I also believe the project emphasizes that Norway can compete at the highest international level in this area of research. The latest statistics confirm that Norway is one of the countries in the world that has had the highest growth in the international publication of research findings and that our researchers are increasingly quoted by other researchers. I believe that this project will further contribute in strengthening Norway’s position in international research, says the Norwegian Minister of Higher Education and Research Tora Aasland.

Watch the video presenting the regards from the Norwegian Minister of Higher Education and Research Tora Aasland .