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Inproceedings Reference Molecular identification of an invasive Sarotherodon species from the Atchakpa freshwater reservoir (Ouémé River Basin, Benin) and comparison with S. melanotheron using COI markers
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Inproceedings Reference CEBioS capacity building programma in the Congo Basin
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023 OA
Inproceedings Reference Holy mackerel! Medieval harbour cats from Iran and Oman had differential access to marine fish
Being opportunistic animals, cats have adjusted to anthropogenic environments and enriched their food repertoire with meat from large terrestrial animals and fish. Although cats are skilled hunters, anthropogenic food comprises an important part of their diet when living in an urban centre, and, thus, their dietary reconstruction can provide information on regional food availabilities as well as their interactions with humans. With the aim to reconstruct the diet of cats from two medieval harbours in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman (Siraf in Iran and Qalhât in Oman), we conducted carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratio analysis on 28 cats and more than 100 associated faunal samples. Tens of cat remains have been discovered at both sites, which have historical and archaeological evidence for a long tradition in seafaring and sea fishing. The isotopic results reveal a high marine protein-based diet for the cats from Qalhât and a mixed marine-terrestrial (C4) diet for the cats from Siraf. Cats at both sites were most likely scavenging on both human food scraps and refuse related to fishing activities, with differences in the two areas most likely associated with the local availability of marine resources. By shedding light on the dietary habits of cats from two medieval harbours in the Arabian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman, our study illustrates the potential of stable isotope analysis in reconstructing human-cat interactions in the past. Keywords: carbon; nitrogen; cat; diet; Qalhât; Siraf.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Sheep and goat birth seasonality at Early Byzantine Sagalassos
The seasonality of birth, a key parameter when addressing past domestic livestock management, can be investigated through serial stable oxygen isotope analysis in tooth enamel. The assessment of the season of births requires furthermore the availability of modern reference data set, existing for cattle, sheep, pigs or llamas. The ancient site of Sagalassos, in the Taurus Mountains (SW Turkey), has delivered a large assemblage of sheep and goat remains. The osteological analysis revealed a predominance of goat over sheep, with a ratio varying between 65 and 90% over time. Goats and sheep were kept at an old age for the production of milk, wool/hair, as well as for horn-working and hide exploitation. A stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) analysis focussing on mandibular M2s was undertaken to investigate goat and sheep livestock demographic management during the Early Byzantine period (450-680 CE). ZooMS was used to confirm specific attribution of selected specimens (ten goats, eight sheep). Ten modern hair goats collected in the late 1990s in the context of a research project on small ruminant herd management in the Eastern Mediterranean were also sampled to provide a modern comparative for the assessment of birth season. The modern goat δ18O sequences were modelled according to Balasse et al. (2012) and compared with the existing sheep reference data set. The comparison suggests a different timing in the isotope record between sheep and goats and argues for the use of species-specific comparative for the assessment of birth season in archaeological herds. The comparison of the modern and archaeological goat δ18O sequences indicate a quite restricted season of births in spring for the latter. On the contrary, sheep births were spread out over roughly six months, from late winter/early spring to early-/mid-summer. More modern goat comparatives are needed to enrich this dataset. Keywords: Stable oxygen isotope, tooth enamel, birth seasonality, goat, Sagalassos.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Locomotor behavior of Paleocene mammals: Insights from the semicircular canals of the inner ear
The end-Cretaceous mass extinction triggered the collapse of ecosystems and a drastic turnover in mammalian communities leading to the demise of many ecologically specialized species. While Mesozoic mammals were ecomorphologically diverse, recognizable ecological richness was only truly established in the Eocene. Questions remain about the ecology of the first wave of mammals radiating after the extinction. Here, we use the semicircular canals of the inner ear as a proxy for locomotor behavior. Thirty new inner ear virtual endocasts were generated using high-resolution computed tomography scanning. This sample was supplemented by data from the literature to construct a dataset of 79 fossils spanning the Jurassic to the Eocene alongside 262 extant mammals. Vestibular sensitivity was measured using the radius of curvature against body mass and the residuals of this relationship were analyzed. The petrosal lobule size relative to body mass were compared with the inner ear data as they have a role in maintaining gaze stabilization during motion. Paleocene mammals exhibited smaller canal radius of curvature, compared to Mesozoic, Eocene, and extant taxa. In the early Paleocene, canal radius and associated petrosal lobules were relatively smaller on average compared to other temporal groups, suggesting less ability for fast movements. Our results support previous work on tarsal morphology and locomotor behavioral ancestral state reconstructions suggesting that ground dwelling mammalian species were more common than arboreal taxa during the Paleocene. Ultimately, this may indicate that the collapse of forested environments immediately after extinction led to the preferential survivorship of more terrestrially adapted mammals.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference New specimens and CT data of the longirostrine crocodylian Thoracosaurus isorhynchus from the Maastrichtian of Mont-Aimé (Paris Basin, France)
Thoracosaurs are a polyphyletic group of Cretaceous–Paleogene longisrostrine crocodylians from Europe and North America. Traditionally perceived as gavialoids, phylogenetically closer to Gavialinae than to Tomistominae, they play a key role in the gharial problem: their old age and seemingly close relationship to Gavialinae is inconsistent with molecular clock estimates indicating a far younger origin of Gavialoidea. Moreover, the phylogenetic position of thoracosaurs is debated, as recent studies suggested thoracosaurs are non-crocodylian eusuchians instead. Here we describe thoracosaur material from Mont-Aimé, France, rediscovered in the collections of the Musée d’Histoire Naturelle de Lille. The Mont-Aimé is famous for its richness in fossil vertebrates, among which the longirostrine species Thoracosaurus isorhynchus (formerly T. macrorhynchus). Confusion about the age of the vertebrate layers has recently been solved, indicating that they are Maastrichtian in age instead of Danian. The new material most likely belongs to T. isorhynchus based on a flexure in the ectopterygoid–pterygoid suture, a distinctive character found in adults of this taxon. Our study reveals new characters not visible on previously known material. An example is the short posterior non-dentigerous process of the maxilla, a character shared with early Paleogene longirostrines and tomistomines but not with gavialines. Furthermore, microCT data of the skull reveal for the first time endocranial characters of this taxon, such as the presence of an internal recess in the parietal. Together with redescribed T. isorhynchus material from the Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris, this leads to an updated phylogenetic position of this taxon.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference From field to models: Creating a geological framework for groundwater
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2023
Inproceedings Reference Overview of the European phosphate deposits and occurrences: A project dedicated to phosphate mineralizations and associated critical raw materials
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Inproceedings Reference An isotopic study of VMS deposit systems from the Troodos ophiolite, Cyprus
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Inproceedings Reference From white to black: maillard reaction products and endogenous porphyrins stain fossil hard tissues.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2016