Dr Romala Govender was appointed Chief Curator: Natural History in the Research and Exhibition Department at Iziko Museums of South Africa, effective 1 April 2025.
She has been a valued member of the Iziko team for 14 years, excelling in her previous role as Curator: Cenozoic Palaeontology.
Dr Govender’s research interests include vertebrate anatomy — particularly functional anatomy — as well as palaeoecological and palaeoenvironmental reconstructions, taphonomy, and taxonomy. Her work explores faunal turnover across various South African sites over time, with a focus on the West Coast.
Her current research centres on the five-million-year-old marine mammal fauna at Langebaanweg. Looking ahead, she plans to focus on the study of small carnivores from the same site.
