Berthe Rakotosamimanana

In 1993, the palaeontology service became a full Department, mostly due to her initiatives, and was head of it from 1995-8. She created also created three new departments: Physical Anthropology, Nutritional Anthropology, Primatology and Evolutionary Biology. She was active in the department until 2003 and supervised doctoral students until her death.

In 1993, researchers named an extinct species of silk cuckoo, Coua berthae or Madame Berthe's Coua, after Rakotosamimanana.

Microcebus berthae is the world's smallest true primate and was discovered in 1992 in the forests of Menabe.

After the financial crisis in Madagascar in the 1980s, Rakotosamimanana was one of the architects to negotiate for foreign conservation NGOs to instigate programmes, which were to be truly beneficial to the development of the country. As Secretary-General of the 17th Congress of the International Primatological Society, Rakotosamimanana persuaded the government to provide significant funding for the university as preparation for the 1998 conference, which was hosted in Antananarivo. From 1977-83 she was Director of Scientific Research at the Malagasy Ministry for Education and Scientific Research. From 1986-92 she was a technical adviser to the same ministry. She was an active agent in the creation of Madagascar's National Environmental Action Plan.

In 1977 she was awarded a doctorate from University of Paris VII, entitled "La diversité anthropologique des isolats des hautes terres de l'Imerina (Madagascar). Confrontation du biologique et du social". This research examined diversity of people and species and their interactions in the Imerina Highlands.

Rakotosamimanana's work in the Department of Geology, from the first included supervising and teaching practical aspects of the subject. After seven years, she and her colleague Professor Henri Rakotoarivelo, set up the university's first palaeontology service in 1974.

Berthe Rakotosamimanana (born Berthe Rasoamialinivo, 18 January 1938, Andasibe; died on 29 November 2005, Antananarivo) was a primatologist and palaeontologist from Madagascar.

Rakotosamimanana was born in Andasibe in Moramanga District on 18 January 1938. She studied at the University of Paris VII, Faculty of Sciences, for a degree in animal biology and anthropology. On her return in 1967 she was employed in the Geology Department at the University of Madagascar. She was married to the primatologist Philibert Rakotosamimanana.