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Exploring co-invasion dynamics: parasitic interactions in the wake of Nile perch invasion in Lake Victoria and its impact on the parasite fauna of haplochromine cichlids
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Biological invasions represent a significant threat to global biodiversity, impacting ecosystems and altering ecological dynamics. The introduction of the Nile perch (Lates niloticus) into Lake Victoria (East Africa), has led to ecological transformations, influencing the native fish communities. While much attention has been devoted to studying the ecological impacts of the Nile perch invasion on the native fish fauna and socio-economic consequences, little is known about the co-introduction dynamics of its potentially co-invasive parasites, as well as the impact on the gill macroparasite fauna of the native fishes impacted by the invasion (e.g. haplochromine cichlids). To investigate the co-introduction dynamics, we assessed the genetic and morphological diversity of Dolicirroplectanum lacustre, the only flatworm (Monogenea) parasite that infects lates perches across Africa. We found that D. lacustre was co-introduced with L. niloticus. In Lake Victoria, we found a reduction in the genetic and morphological diversity of D. lacustre compared with its native range, indicating a founder effect. To examine the broader ecological consequences of Nile perch invasion and human-induced eutrophication, we compared gill macroparasite communities of 13 native haplochromine cichlid species before and after these perturbations. We observed a reconfiguration of the host-parasite network that buffers the impacts of perturbations, indicating resilience. However, we observe a decrease in parasite-host range and infection parameters, highlighting the vulnerability of parasite communities to ongoing environmental changes associated with biological invasions. These findings underscore the importance of understanding the intricate dynamics of host-parasite interactions in the context of biological invasions and environmental change. By integrating insights from the invasive species dynamics and ecological perturbations, we provide valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities for conservation efforts to preserve ecosystem health and resilience in the face of global change.
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infraFADA: Upgrading the taxonomic backbone of global freshwater animal biodiversity research infrastructures
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The current Freshwater Animal Diversity Assessment (FADA) comprises an extensive set of global taxa lists for freshwater animal groups. At present, more than 125 thousand described freshwater animal species in more than 11 thousand genera have been documented. However, taxonomy is a living scientific discipline, where new taxa are continuously being described, and existing taxa are being placed in new taxonomic positions. Therefore, after a period of relative inactivity, the BELSPO (Belgian Science Policy) project “infraFADA” (2023-2026) re-establishes the global FADA consortium of taxonomic experts, so that all taxa lists will be brought up to date, both technically and in terms of content. infraFADA will develop a living, updated, and global FADA database, fully in open access and according to the FAIR principles. The infraFADA database is intended for use and consultation by the scientific freshwater community, as well as for interested stakeholders, for example, freshwater ecosystem managers, biodiversity conservationists, and others. Most importantly, FADA will also serve as a taxonomic backbone for other global biodiversity data infrastructures, such as the Catalogue of Life (CoL), the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), the Freshwater Information Platform (FIP), and others. As such, FADA will provide a digital and living heritage of freshwater data, building bridges between science and society and helping to sustainably maintain freshwater resources.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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New lizard from the Early Eocene Vastan Lignite mine of India
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The lower Eocene (Ypresian) Cambay Formation at Vastan Lignite Mine in Gujarat, western India, has yielded a rich vertebrate assemblage including the earliest modern mammals and oldest birds of the Indian subcontinent. Among the herpetological faunas, snakes, lizards and amphibians are abundant, but, strangely, lizards are only represented by agamids. Here we describe the agamid assemblage based on numerous, diverse and well-preserved dentaries, premaxillaries, and maxillaries. At least four taxa are present at Vastan. Vastanagama susanae is characterized by dentaries with a large symphyseal facet, three anterior pleurodont teeth followed by acrodont teeth presenting a main cusp bordered by two lateral crests; the teeth increase in size posteriorly toward the coronoid process. Tinosaurus indicus exhibits a subdental ridge between the tooth row and the Meckelian canal, pleurodont symphyseal teeth including one that can be caniniform, and acrodont and tricuspid posterior teeth with poorly differentiated lateral cusps. Two other taxa represent two new genera and species. The first taxon presents multicuspid acrodont teeth with the main cusp surrounded by two or three progressively smaller lateral cusps. The second taxon presents pleurodont anterior teeth followed by a few acrodont teeth and ending with three or four subacrodont teeth near the coronoid process. Our results confirm that Agamidae (assigned to the Acrodonta) is the only lizard group present at Vastan, whereas many other groups are already present in the Early Eocene on the other continents. Agamidae is considered to have had a Gondwanan origin, with 52 genera and 420 species of extant agamids known from Asia, Australia, Africa and a few from Southern Europe. The oldest occurrence of formally recognized Acrodonta is found in the Jurassic of India. Other fossil agamids are known in the Upper Paleocene of Kazakhstan, Paleocene and Eocene of China, Early Eocene of Europe, Eocene of North America, and Middle Eocene of Pakistan. The diversity of the agamids in India and the absence of other lizard groups at Vastan tentatively support the Out-of-India hypothesis for agamids.
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New bats (Chiroptera) from the Earliest Oligocene Boutersem-TGV locality in Belgium document the earliest occurence of Myotis
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Early Oligocene mammals from Europe are not well known. In Belgium this interval (reference level MP 21) is represented by four coeval localities, Boutersem, Boutersem-TGV, Hoogbutsel and Hoeleden. Included in a vertebrate assemblage of 20+ mammalian genera, one bat, Quinetia misonnei, has been previously described from Hoogbutsel, based on four lower dentitions. Twenty new specimens of Quinetia were recently recovered from Boutersem-TGV including six upper molars, a humerus, and thirteen lower dentitions. These new specimens confirm that Quinetia is a plecotine vespertilionid and consequently represents the earliest known occurrence of this tribe. Additionally, twenty five other dental specimens document the presence of a larger vespertilionid from Boutersem-TGV. These specimens are assigned to Myotis based on the primitive 3.1.3.3 dental formula, the presence of a single-rooted p3, myotodont lower molars, a relatively high crowned lower canine with well-developed mesial and distolingual shelves, M1 and M2 lacking both paraconules and metalophs, protofossa of M1 and M2 open posteriorly, and M3 being relatively short. The Boutersem-TGV Myotis specimens represent the earliest known record of this extant genus. Only some isolated potential myotine teeth from Le Batut (MP 19) in France are older but these teeth differ from Myotis in having upper molars with a paraloph and a protofossa closed posteriorly, both features more typical of the enigmatic “Leuconoe”. Myotodont species, such as “L”. salodorensis from Oensingen (MP 25) in Switzerland and “L”. lavocati from Le Garouillas (MP 25-28) in France, both share features of upper teeth that distinguish them from Myotis. Younger still are three Myotis species from Herrlingen 8-9 (MP 29) in Germany. Compared to the Boutersem-TGV Myotis, M. minor is much smaller with a relatively smaller, shorter and more delicate p4, M. intermedius is somewhat smaller in molar dimensions but with a substantially smaller and shorter p4, while M. major has larger m1-2, similar sized m3, smaller p4, more robust M1 and a more constricted P4 lingual shelf. The origin of Myotis appears to be at least as old as the earliest Oligocene.
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Diversity of archaeonycterid bats in the Early Eocene of Europe
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Chiroptera is one of the few modern mammal orders for which no fossil record has been associated with the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum. Despite intensive collecting efforts, the earliest remains of bats are still elusive. Archaeonycteris trigonodon from the early Middle Eocene of Messel Formation (MP11) in Germany along with Icaronycteris index and Onychonycteris finneyi, both from the late Early Eocene Green River Formation (Wa7) in Wyoming, have been recognized as representing the most primitive bats based on skeleton morphology. Very few dental features of any of these taxa have been studied in detail because upper and lower dentitions are in occlusion. Nearly one century after its initial description it has become possible to digitally reconstruct the teeth of A. trigonodon using micro-CT scanning technology. This permits characterization of the complete dentition of A. trigonodon and for the first time enables dental comparisons with A. brailloni from the middle Early Eocene of Avenay (MP8+9) in France. The early Early Eocene French locality of Meudon (?MP8+9) has also yielded a few isolated bat teeth that have never been formally described. M1 is distinctly smaller than M2, both have a deep ectoflexus but M1 is more asymmetric than M2. The centrocrista does not extend far toward the labial border and both have a complete lingual cingulum and no paraconule. Lower molars are relatively wide, especially the trigonid of m2. The entoconid of m1 is distinct and individualized whereas it is more reduced and in line with the hypoconulid on m2 and m3. The new taxon from Meudon is similar in size to Archaeonycteris? praecursor from the early Early Eocene of Silveiriha (MP7) in Portugal but differs from that taxon in having lower molars with a relatively longer trigonid and shorter postcristid. These results indicate that the diversity of archaeonycterid bats is higher than previously recognized and that diversification of this lineage began early in the Eocene.
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Geological record and sedimentology of the Palaeozoic oolitic ironstone deposits in Western Europe. Spatial relationships with the Linienbandkeramik settlements (LBK) in Belgium.
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Geochemistry and XRD to differentiate oolitic ironstone geological levels from Germany, Belgium and France and application to the archaeological artefacts.
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Human impact on avulsion and fan development in a semi-arid region: examples from SW Iran
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Guide Field book of the international workshop: “About Haematite. Procurement and transformation during recent prehistory.”
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Historic production of alum from Lower Namurian pyrite-rich shales between Huy and Flémalle (Province of Liège, Belgium).
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