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Inproceedings Reference Early dispersal for quadrupedal cetaceans: an amphibious whale from the middle Eocene of the southeastern Pacific
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Inproceedings Reference Early Eocene cambaytheres from Indo-Pakistan are the sister group of Perissodactyls
Cambaytherium, Nakusia, and Kalitherium are closely related early Eocene mammals from the Indo-Pakistan region that have been assigned to Perissodactyla (Laurasiatheria)or Anthracobunidae. The latter have been variously considered artiodactyls or perissodactyls, but more recently are usually placed at the base of the order Proboscidea or of the more inclusive Tethytheria (Afrotheria). We present new evidence from the dentition, skull, and postcranial skeleton of Cambaytherium, from Gujarat, India (ca. 54.5 Ma), that cambaytheres occupy a pivotal position as the sister taxon of Perissodactyla. Cambaytherium was more robust than basal perissodactyls such as ″Hyracotherium″ and Homogalax, and had a body mass of ~25-27 kg based on humeral, radial, and dental regressions. Perissodactyl synapomorphies include a transverse nasal-frontal suture, twinned molar metaconids, and an astragalus with deeply grooved trochlea and a saddleshaped navicular facet. Like perissodactyls, cambaytheres are mesaxonic and have hooflike unguals and a cursorially-adapted skeleton. Plesiomorphic traits compared to basal perissodactyls include bunodont molars with large conules and almost no hint of bilophodonty, unmolarized premolars, sacrum with four vertebrae, humerus with distally extensive pectoral crest and distal articulation lacking a capitular tail, distal radius without discrete scaphoid and lunate fossae, femur with low greater trochanter, calcaneus robust and wide with rounded ectal facet, astragalus wide with moderately long neck and vestigial astragalar foramen, navicular and cuboid short and wide, metapodials short and robust, and Mc I and Mt V present. In most or all of these traits cambaytheres are intermediate between phenacodontid condylarths and perissodactyls but closer to the latter. Our phylogenetic analyses place cambaytheres just outside perissodactyls, and place anthracobunids among primitive perissodactyls. However, similarities between cambaytheres and anthracobunids suggest that they are closely related, and future discovery of skeletal material of anthracobunids will provide a test of this hypothesis. Our results indicate that Anthracobunidae are not Proboscidea or tethytheres, and suggest that the origin of Perissodactyla may have taken place on the drifting Indian plate. How the progenitors of perissodactyls reached India is more problematic but might have involved land connections with Afro-Arabia during the Paleocene. Field work and research supported by the National Geographic Society.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference Early Eocene climate changes in the North Sea Basin: a Belgian perspective
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2016
Inproceedings Reference Early European Foodways: examples from the plant and animal realms from selected Early Neolithic sites across Europe.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2017
Inproceedings Reference Early Evolution and Paleobiogeographic Distribution of Pipimorphs Reflects the Opening of the South Atlantic
Pipimorpha and its crown-group Pipidae possess one of the most extensive fossil records among anurans, which extends into the Early Cretaceous in both Laurasia and Gondwana. This is probably linked to the highly aquatic lifestyle of pipids, which is probably also characteristic of early pipimorphs. In South America, pipids are currently represented only by Pipa, but the fossil record documents an evolutionary radiation of Shelaniinae (a taxon endemic to South America) in the Cretaceous; shelaniines seem to have become extinct in the Eocene. Fewer pipimorph fossils are known from Africa. Our recent redescription of the mid-Late Cretaceous (Coniacian–Santonian) taxon Pachycentrata taqueti from In Becetèn (Niger) partly fills this gap. Our new phylogenetic analysis of Cretaceous and Paleogene pipimorphs shows that this taxon diversified in a West Gondwanan block until about the mid-Cretaceous, but after that, pipimorphs show two distinct evolutionary radiations, one in South America (Pipinae), and the other (Xenopodinae) in Africa. This pattern appears to reflect the breakup of West Gondwana simultaneously with the opening of the South Atlantic during the Cretaceous. This probable vicariant pattern yields slightly different ages for the South Atlantic opening depending on the accepted topology. The tree constrained to reflect the topology of extant taxa supported by molecular data shows a last dispersal between both continents before the Cenomanian (more than 100 Ma), whereas the unconstrained topology that reflects only morphological data is compatible with a more recent last faunal dispersal among pipids. Under this unconstrained topology, the fossil record is too poor to give a reliable minimal age for this last dispersal, but molecular dating analyses suggest that this event harks back to the Mesozoic.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024 OA
Conference Reference Early life stages of flatfish: otolith microstructure reveals patterns of dispersal and juvenile dynamics
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Early Ypresian microfossil assemblages and stable isotopes during a distinct plankton peak in the Corbières (Aude, France) continental margin record
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference Echoes in the sediment: reconstructing the Senne through molluscs and caddisflies
The Senne River has shaped the landscape and development of Brussels for centuries. However, its course and environmental conditions have been continuously altered by human interventions. This study compares freshwater mollusc and caddisfly (Trichoptera) remains from two archaeological sites, one Gallo-Roman (1st-3rd century AD) and one medieval (10th-16th century AD), to reconstruct changes in river flow, sedimentation, and water quality over time. At the Gallo-Roman site, a previously unknown river meander of the Senne river was uncovered, initially characterized by fast-flowing water, as indicated by coarse sand and gravel deposits. Over time, sedimentation patterns show a shift to finer materials, such as silt and organic muds, suggesting a transition to slower-moving or stagnant water before the meander was ultimately cut off. The site is located within a rural environment. In contrast, the medieval site, located within the historic centre of Brussels, represents a heavily modified urban river environment. Mollusc remains indicate predominantly slow-moving water, with occasional stagnant conditions. The discovery of caddisfly larvae cases, including the confirmed presence of Brachycentrus subnubilus, suggests that despite extensive waste dumping, parts of the medieval Senne still maintained sufficient water quality for oxygen-dependent species. By combining data from these two sites, this study attempts to document the Senne’s hydrology, sedimentation, and aquatic ecosystems in a rural and urban environment. The findings describe the river’s natural environment alongside increasing human impact, from early riverbank modifications in Gallo-Roman times to the canalization and pollution of the medieval period.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Inproceedings Reference Echoes of evolution in Holocentridae: harmony between phylogeny, morphology and acoustics
Despite many fish species are known for their social acoustic communication abilities, few studies have investigated the evolutionary history of this trait. The aim of this study was to tackle this challenging topic by investigating a wide range of holocentrid species using a multidisciplinary approach. We first carried out a comparative analysis of 7662 sounds recorded in the same behavioural context, collected from 388 individuals across 73 populations (Guadeloupe, French Polynesia, Guam, Seychelles, Philippines) representing 33 species. This comparison conclusively demonstrated that sounds can be reliably used to determine taxonomic affiliation across different taxonomic levels. Our new phylogeny reveals that morphological and acoustic data strongly support the existence of two main clades within Holocentridae, corresponding to the subfamilies Myripristinae and Holocentrinae. Minor modifications within these subfamilies facilitated speciation. However, differences in sound features at lower taxonomic levels (such as genera, subgenera, and species) do not always align with morphological differences. This suggests that species may exploit similar mechanisms in distinct neuro-physiological ways. Overall, the interplay between morphology and acoustics highlights the diversification within Holocentridae, showing how subtle modifications in sound production mechanisms reflect phylogenetic divisions and contribute to speciation.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Inproceedings Reference Echolocating toothed whales (Cetacea, Odontoceti) from the Neogene of Belgium: historical studies, recent contributions and perspectives
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021