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Deciduous Molar Morphology from the Neolithic Caves of the Meuse River Basin, Belgium
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The karstic caves of the Meuse River Basin in Belgium preserve nearly 200 collective burials dating to the late Neolithic period. Among these, the cave burials of Hastière Caverne M, Sclaigneaux, Bois Madame and Maurenne Caverne de la Cave are represented by numerous individuals and radio-carbon dated to circa 4,635 to 3,830 years B.P. Dental casts from mandibular and maxillary deciduous molars are scored using multiple methods to provide a regional overview of the prevalence and expres-sion of deciduous molar crown traits, and to compare frequencies between cave burial sites with a focus on temporal differentiation. Carabelli’s trait varies from a small pit to a full cusp, the largest of which are found at Hastière Caverne M. The hypoconulid ranges from moderately large to very large. A meta-conulid is absent or small. Although the results are contingent on idiosyncratic preservation, differences in the frequencies of expression of Carabelli’s trait, a pronounced hypoconulid, and the presence of a metaconule and protostylid separate the earlier cave burial at Hastière Caverne M from the final/late Neolithic sites of Sclaigneaux and Bois Madame.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Deciphering mollusc shell production: the roles of genetic mechanisms through to ecology, aquaculture and biomimetics
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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Découverte d'anhydrite dans les formations anténamuriennes du sondage de Saint-Ghislain
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Découverte de nouveaux brachiopodes dans le Givetien (Dévonien) du Boulonnais (N. France).
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Deep geothermal energy extraction, a review on environmental hotspots with focus on geo-technical site conditions
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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Deep-water inflow event increases sedimentary phosphorus release on a multi-year scale
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Phosphorus fertilisation (eutrophication) is expanding oxygen depletion in coastal systems worldwide. Under low-oxygen bottom water conditions, phosphorus release from the sediment is elevated, which further stimulates primary production. It is commonly assumed that reoxygenation could break this “vicious cycle” by increasing the sedimentary phosphorus retention. Recently, a deepwater inflow into the Baltic Sea created a natural in situ experiment that allowed us to investigate if temporary reoxygenation stimulates sedimentary retention of dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP). Surprisingly, during this 3-year study, we observed a transient but considerable increase, rather than a decrease, in the sediment efflux of DIP and other dissolved biogenic compounds. This suggested that the oxygenated inflow elevated the organic matter degradation in the sediment, likely due to an increase in organic matter supply to the deeper basins, potentially combined with a transient stimulation of the mineralisation efficiency. As a result, the net sedimentary DIP release per m2 was 56 %–112% higher over the years following the re-oxygenation than before. In contrast to previous assumptions, our results show that inflows of oxygenated water to anoxic bottom waters can increase the sedimentary phosphorus release.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2021
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Deep-water parasite diversity in Lake Tanganyika: description of two new monogenean species from benthopelagic cichlid fishes
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Background: Lake Tanganyika is the world’s second deepest lake. Its diverse cichlid assemblage offers a unique opportunity for studying a deep-water host-parasite model in freshwater. Low host specificity and a broad host range including representatives of the Bathybatini tribe in the only monogenean parasite described from this habitat, Cichlidogyrus casuarinus Pariselle, Muterezi Bukinga & Vanhove, 2015 suggest a link between lower specificity and lower host density. Conversely, high host specificity and species richness are reported for monogeneans of the lake’s littoral cichlids. We further investigated whether the deep-water environment in Lake Tanganyika is really monogenean species-depauperate by investigating the monogenean fauna of Trematocara unimaculatum (a representative of the tribe Trematocarini, the sister lineage of the Bathybatini) and Benthochromis horii, a member of the tribe Benthochromini, found in the same deep-water habitat as the already known hosts of C. casuarinus. Methods: Sclerotised structures of the collected monogenean individuals were characterised morphologically using light microscopy and morphometrics. Results: Both examined cichlid species are infected by a single monogenean species each, which are new to science. They are described as Cichlidogyrus brunnensis n. sp., infecting T. unimaculatum, and Cichlidogyrus attenboroughi n. sp., parasitising on B. horii. Diagnostic characteristics include the distal bifurcation of the accessory piece in C. brunnensis n. sp. and the combination of long auricles and no heel in C. attenboroughi n. sp. In addition C. brunnensis n. sp. does not resemble C. casuarinus, the only species of Cichlidogyrus thus far reported from the Bathybatini. Also Cichlidogyrus attenboroughi n. sp. does not resemble any of the monogenean species documented from the pelagic zone of the lake and is among the few described species of Cichlidogyrus without heel. Conclusions: As two new and non-resembling Cichlidogyrus species are described from T. unimaculatum and B. horii, colonisation of the deep-water habitat by more than one morphotype of Cichlidogyrus is evident. Based on morphological comparisons with previously described monogenean species, parasite transfers with the littoral zone are possible. Therefore, parasites of pelagic cichlids in the lake do not seem to only mirror host phylogeny and the evolutionary history of this host-parasite system merits further attention.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Defense by Volatiles in Leaf-Mining Insect Larvae
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Abstract The defense strategy of an insect toward natural enemies can include a trait that appears at first sight to contradict its defensive function. We explored phylogeny, chemistry, and defense efficiency of a peculiar group of hymenopteran sawfly larvae where this contradiction is obvious. Pseudodineurini larvae live in leaf mines that protect them from some enemies. Disturbed larvae also emit a clearly perceptible lemon-like odor produced by ventral glands, although the mine hampers the evaporation of the secretion. The mine could also lead to autointoxication of a larva by its own emitted volatiles. Citral was the major component in all Pseudodineurini species, and it efficiently repels ants. We conclude that full-grown larvae that leave their mine to pupate in the soil benefit from citral by avoiding attacks from ground-dwelling arthropods such as ants. In some species, we also detected biosynthetically related compounds, two 8-oxocitral diastereomers (i.e., (2E,6E)- and (2E,6Z)-2,6-dimethylocta-2,6-dienedial). Synthetic 8-oxocitral proved to be a potent fungicide, but not an ant repellent. The discrete distribution of 8-oxocitral was unrelated to species grouping in the phylogenetic tree. In contrast, we discovered that its presence was associated with species from humid and cold zones but absent in species favoring warm and dry environments. The former should be protected by 8-oxocitral when faced with a fungal infestation while crawling into the soil. Our work shows the importance of integrating knowledge about behavior, morphology, and life history stages for understanding the complex evolution of insects and especially their defense strategies.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Delafossite structure of heterogenite polytypes (HCoO2) by Raman and infrared micro-spectroscopy
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Heterogenite is commonly referred in mineralogy literature as a cobalt oxy-hydroxide CoO(OH). However, detailed analysis of Raman and infrared spectra acquired on particularly well-crystallized natural samples of heterogenite suggests that the mineral can be characterized by a delafossite-type structure, with a general chemical formula ABO2. Indeed, the Raman spectrum of heterogenite, along the one with grimaldiite (HCrO2), lacks visible free OH-group vibrational modes, while the infrared spectrum shows strong hydrogen bond absorption bands. HCoO2 is thus a better formulation of heterogenite that describes more clearly its vibrational behavior and avoids the confusion in literature. Electronic backscattered diffraction (EBSD) is then used to distinguish and map the 2H and 3R heterogenite natural polytypes for the first time. The comparison of EBSD and Raman mappings clearly indicates that the 2H polytype is characterized by an additional peak at 1220 cm− 1. It's presence/absence is therefore an efficient tool to distinguish both polytypes.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Delineating large-scale migratory connectivity of reed warblers using integrated multistate models.
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