The first true perissodactyls (the group that includes extant horses, rhinoceroses and tapirs) appear almost simultaneously in the fossil record from the very beginning of the Eocene (56 million years ago) in Western Europe, Asia and North America. However, they already seem to belong to distinct families. This apparent diversity raises questions about the palaeobiogeographical and phylogenetic origins of these groups, which are still the subject of much debate. Indeed, the closest relative of perissodactyls is still uncertain, although two potential sister-groups now seem to be widely accepted: perissodactyls could either be closer to certain North American Phenacodontidae (Halliday et al. 2017), or rather a sister-group of Anthracobunia from the Indian subcontinent (Rose et al. 2019). The first results of the Belspo project PerissOrigin presented here is to gain a better understanding of the first dichotomies of ancient perissodactyls and their palaeobiogeographical origins. Thanks to a revision of the oldest known fossil perissodactyls, a new phylogeny has been carried out. This new phylogeny enables to define some synapomorphies of the major groups of perissodactyls and to propose a palaeobiogeographical scenario. It also shows that the earliest known perissodactyls were much more cosmopolitan than previously thought, and that some genera that were thought to be endemic from Europe were actually also found in North America and Asia. Finally, we discuss the unresolved problems in the phylogeny of Perissodactyla, notably the uncertain position of Palaeotheriidae (a group endemic to Europe) and the absence of postcranial characters in our analysis.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
The INTERCEPT project maps the current situation of monitoring (exotic) animal product imports from third countries into Belgium, highlighting both the legal and illegal aspects of the trade and its implications for public and animal health. Recommendations are being drafted to move towards a more robust framework for long-term monitoring including a centralized database that integrates data from various federal services and agencies to gain a better overview of the trade and to promote the dissemination of crucial information among federal services, agencies, and stakeholders. The project also aims to introduce a secure and efficient sampling method for officials, along with a molecular species identification pipeline for researchers, which will enable rapid DNA-based identification of illegally imported meat. During this project, over 600 specimens have been sampled from intercepted meat from passenger’s luggage at Brussels Airport, of which more than 500 samples have so far been identified using DNA barcoding and screened for orthopoxviruses. Metagenomic DNA and RNA sequencing is ongoing for a selection of samples pooled per DNA-confirmed species, preparation method (raw vs. cooked), and, when possible, region of origin. By fostering collaboration among scientific institutions and federal agencies, this initiative aims to inform border control measures and will support future research into pathogens carried by both domestic and exotic meat, allowing better characterisation of the health risks associated with the illegal import of meat from third countries.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
