Skip to content. | Skip to navigation

Personal tools

You are here: Home

Search results

RSS Subscribe to an always-updated RSS feed.

3415 items matching your search terms.
Filter the results.
Item type



































New items since



Sort by relevance · date (newest first) · alphabetically
Article Reference DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections
Natural History institutes hold an immense number of specimens and artefacts. For years these collections were not accessible online, remaining inaccessible to researchers from far away and hidden from the general public. Large digitisation projects and cross-institutional agreements aim to bring their collections into the digital era, such as the SYNTHESYS+ project and the Distributed System of Scientific Collections (DiSSCo) Research Infrastructure. As specimens are 3D physical objects with different characteristics many techniques are available to 3D digitise them. For inexperienced users this can be quite overwhelming. Which techniques are already well tested in other institutions and are suitable for a specific specimen or collection? To investigate this, we have set up a dichotomous identification key for digitisation techniques: DIGIT-KEY, (https://digit.naturalheritage.be/digit-key). For each technique, examples used in SYNTHESYS+ Institutions are visualised and training manuals provided. All information can be easily updated and representatives can be contacted if necessary to request more information about a certain technique. This key can be helpful to achieve comparable results across institutions when digitising collections on demand in future DiSSCo research initiatives coordinated through the European Loans and Visits System (ELViS) for Virtual and Transnational Access. A correction has been published: Brecko J., Mathys A., Chatzinikolaou E., Keklikoglou K., Blettery J., Green L., Musson A., Paton A., Phillips S., Bastir M., Wiltschke K., Rainer H., Kroh A., Haston E. & Semal P. 2025. DIGIT-KEY: an aid towards uniform 2D+ and 3D digitisation techniques within natural history collections — Corrigendum. European Journal of Taxonomy 981: 306–307. https://doi.org/10.5852/ejt.2025.981.2841
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Gekko (Gekko) dam, a new dark-colored tokay gecko from the Thai-Malay border (Squamata, Gekkonidae)
We describe Gekko dam sp. nov. based on type specimens from a limestone hill in Palian District, Trang Province, southern peninsular Thailand. The new species is also found in Satun Province, southern peninsular Thailand, and in Perlis State, northwestern Peninsular Malaysia. A member of the subgenus Gekko, it differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 149.1 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 21–24 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 72–83 scale rows around midbody, 12–14 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 26–28 ventral scale rows at midbody, 22 precloacal pores in males, two postcloacal tubercles on each side of the base of the tail, 14–17 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 19–21 on 4th toe, a Y-shaped mark on head, white spots on head, dark grey to black dorsal background with four regular bands of contrasting white spots on dorsum between limb insertions, throat and venter white with orange patches, and a copper iris.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Gekko (Gekko) emshiva, a new limestone-dwelling gecko from Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand (Squamata, Gekkonidae)
We describe Gekko shiva sp. nov. from limestone cave and hills in Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The new species, a member of the subgenus Gekko, differs from all currently recognized Gekko species by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 131.9 mm, lack of contact between nostrils and rostral, 28 or 29 interorbital scales between supraciliaries, 80–86 scale rows around midbody, 18 dorsal tubercle rows at midbody, 35–37 ventral scale rows at midbody, 9–12 precloacal pores in males, one or two postcloacal tubercles on each side of the base of the tail, 13–15 subdigital lamellae on 1st toe and 18 or 19 on 4th toe, no Y-shaped mark on head, white spots on head, brown dorsal background with irregular bands of white spots on dorsum, yellow venter, and greenish golden iris.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Oligodon cicadophagus, a new kukri snake from southern peninsular Thailand (Squamata: Colubridae)
We describe a new kukri snake, Oligodon cicadophagus sp. nov., from the limestone reliefs of the Phuket Mountain Range in Krabi and Phang-Nga provinces in southern peninsular Thailand. A member of the Oligodon cinereus group, it can be distinguished from all other congeneric species by the combination of its maximal known snout-vent length of 537 mm; 11 maxillary teeth; eight supralabials; one preocular and one presubocular; 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; 159–168 ventrals, and 50 subcaudals in males; a single anal scale; hemipenes bilobed with large broad lobes, no distinct flounced calyces and unforked sulcus spermaticus; dorsal surface of head, body and tail uniformly olive-gray, without nuchal chevron, dorsal stripes, crossbands, blotches or reticulations; and a venter cream anteriorly turning to dark gray posteriorly.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference A new limestone-dwelling Four-clawed Gecko from Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand (Squamata, Gekkonidae: Gehyra)
We describe Gehyra shiva sp. nov. from limestone cave and hills in Khlong Hat District, Sa Kaeo Province, eastern Thailand, near the border with Cambodia. The new species differs from all currently recognized Southeast Asian Gehyra by the following combination of morphological characters and dorsal color pattern: maximal known snout–vent length of 53.8 mm, 8–10 supralabials, 54–67 dorsal and 46–56 ventral scale rows around midbody, absence of skin folds on limbs, 34–37 preanofemoral pores in males in a continuous series extending along the whole length of the femur (pores absent in females), tail not to moderately widened behind vent in adults, a single row of widened subcaudals, digits and toes unwebbed, 7 or 8 divided subdigital lamellae on 4th toe, and a dorsal pattern with five regular dark brown bands between limb insertions, separated or not by pairs of large, white round paravertebral spots.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference A new sandstone-dwelling leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius hinchangsi) from Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand
We describe Dixonius hinchangsi sp. nov. from a sandstone area near Hin Chang Si, Khon Kaen Province, northeastern Thailand. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 50.1 mm, 12 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 30 to 34 paravertebral tubercles; 23 to 27 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; six to eight precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; no canthal stripe; strongly barred lips; and a spotted to uniform dorsal pattern in males and females. We provide a cranial osteological description and a phylogenetic analysis of the new species. This discovery brings the number of recognized Dixonius species to 19, among them nine species endemic to Thailand.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Along the Mekong: a new leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius sambhupura) from northeastern Cambodia
We describe Dixonius sambhupura sp. nov. from the western bank and Koh Klap (island) of the lower Mekong River in Kratie Province, northeastern Cambodia. The new species differs from all currently recognized Dixonius by the following combination of morphological characters and pattern: maximal known snout-vent length of 49.0 mm, 14 or 16 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 34 to 37 paravertebral tubercles; 24 to 27 longitudinal rows of ventral scales across the abdomen; six precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; no marked canthal stripe; strongly barred lips; and a spotted to blotched dorsal pattern in adult males and females. We provide a cranial osteological description and a phylogenetic analysis of the new species. The discovery of this new species endemic to Cambodia brings the number of recognized Dixonius species to 20.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Host Traits Impact the Outcome of Metagenomic Library Preparation From Dental Calculus Samples Across Diverse Mammals
Dental calculus metagenomics has emerged as a valuable tool for studying the oral microbiomes of humans and a few select mammals. With increasing interest in wild animal microbiomes, it is important to understand how widely this material can be used across the mammalian tree of life, refine the related protocols and understand the expected outcomes and potential challenges of dental calculus sample processing. In this study, we significantly expand the breadth of studied host species, analysing laboratory and bioinformatics metadata of dental calculus samples from 32 ecologically and phylogenetically diverse mammals. Although we confirm the presence of an oral microbiome signature in the metagenomes of all studied mammals, the fraction recognised as oral varies between host species, possibly because of both biological differences and methodological biases. The overall success rate of dental calculus processing, from extractions to sequencing, was 74\%. Although input sample weight was positively associated with the number of produced library molecules, we identify a negative impact of enzymatic inhibition on the library preparation protocol. The inhibition was most prevalent in herbivores and frugivores and is likely diet-derived. In contrast, hosts with an animalivore diet posed fewer challenges during laboratory processing and yielded more DNA relative to sample weight. Our results translate into recommendations for future studies of dental calculus metagenomics from a variety of host species, identifying required sample amounts, and emphasising the utility of dental calculus in exploring the oral microbiome in relation to broader ecological and evolutionary questions.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference chemical/x-molconn-Z Complex effect of projected sea temperature and wind change on flatfish dispersal
Climate change not only alters ocean physics and chemistry but also affects the biota. Larval dispersal patterns from spawning to nursery grounds and larval survival are driven by hydrodynamic processes and shaped by (a)biotic environmental factors. Therefore, it is important to understand the impacts of increased temperature rise and changes in wind speed and direction on larval drift and survival. We apply a particle-tracking model coupled to a 3D-hydrodynamic model of the English Channel and the North Sea to study the dispersal dynamics of the exploited flatfish (common) sole (Solea solea). We first assess model robustness and interannual variability of larval transport over the period 1995-2011. Then, using a subset of representative years (2003-2011), we investigate the impact of climate change on larval dispersal, connectivity patterns and recruitment at the nursery grounds. The impacts of five scenarios inspired by the 2040 projections of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change are discussed and compared with interannual variability. The results suggest that 33% of the year-to-year recruitment variability is explained at a regional scale and that a 9-year period is sufficient to capture interannual variability in dispersal dynamics. In the scenario involving a temperature increase, early spawning and a wind change, the model predicts that (i) dispersal distance (+70%) and pelagic larval duration (+22%) will increase in response to the reduced temperature (–9%) experienced by early hatched larvae, (ii) larval recruitment at the nursery grounds will increase in some areas (36%) and decrease in others (-58%), and (iii) connectivity will show contrasting changes between areas. At the regional scale, our model predicts considerable changes in larval recruitment (+9%) and connectivity (retention -4% and seeding +37%) due to global change. All of these factors affect the distribution and productivity of sole and therefore the functioning of the demersal ecosystem and fisheries management.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2018
Article Reference Current status of deepwater oil spill modelling in the Faroe-Shetland Channel, Northeast Atlantic, and future challenges
Abstract As oil reserves in established basins become depleted, exploration and production moves towards relatively unexploited areas, such as deep waters off the continental shelf. The Faroe-Shetland Channel (FSC, NE Atlantic) and adjacent areas have been subject to increased focus by the oil industry. In addition to extreme depths, metocean conditions in this region characterise an environment with high waves and strong winds, strong currents, complex circulation patterns, sharp density gradients, and large small- and mesoscale variability. These conditions pose operational challenges to oil spill response and question the suitability of current oil spill modelling frameworks (oil spill models and their forcing data) to adequately simulate the behaviour of a potential oil spill in the area. This article reviews the state of knowledge relevant to deepwater oil spill modelling for the FSC area and identifies knowledge gaps and research priorities. Our analysis should be relevant to other areas of complex oceanography.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2018