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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 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 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 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 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 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 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 New archaeozoological analysis of baboons buried at Hierakonpolis (Upper Egypt) shows two species were imported in the Predynastic period
Excavations, on-going since 1979, in the elite Predynastic cemetery HK6 at Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt, have revealed the burials of more than 150 domestic and wild animals. These animals, buried whole, were interred in subsidiary graves surrounding the elaborate tombs of the highest elite, who were local or possibly regional rulers in the Naqada IC-IIB period (c. 3700-3500 BC). Among the wild fauna are elephants and baboons, species that were not part of Egypt’s native fauna during the Holocene and must have been obtained from elsewhere. Here we discuss all the finds of baboons made so far. These include 20 individuals, constituting the earliest evidence for the occurrence of these primates in Egypt. Conflicting species identification in previous publications (first as Papio hamadryas and later as Papio anubis) led us to re-evaluate the diagnostic features described to differentiate them by examining a large series of modern skulls from natural history collections. Using the criteria that we found to be valid, we show that both P. hamadryas and P. anubis were present at Hierakonpolis. At least six graves contained baboons, which were buried either in groups of up to 8 individuals or as single interments. These graves can be associated with five of the mortuary complexes identified so far, covering a time span of several generations. Rachitis, observed in one very young animal is the only evidence so far for metabolic disorders that might be related to local breeding. This suggests that the baboons were not routinely bred on site and may have been imported on several occasions into Hierakonpolis, indicating more complex trade interactions with the lands to the far south than previously assumed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2026
Article Reference Description of some Middle Devonian rugose corals from the Ma’der (eastern Anti-Atlas, Morocco).
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Designation of a Brazilian topotypic neotype for Dardanus pectinatus (Ortmann, 1892) and establishment of D. ctenodon sp. nov. for the East Atlantic hermit crab previously misidentified with it (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Diogenidae)
The type locality of the hermit crab, Pagurus striatus var. pectinata Ortmann, 1892, as given in its original description, is Brazil. After its original brief taxonomic account, the species was first treated as amphi-Atlantic and later the name Dardanus pectinatus (Ortmann, 1892) was systematically applied to an African Atlantic species. No explicit reason has ever been given for this application. However, it transpires from the literature that carcinologists believed that the gastropod shell, Tonna galea (Linnaeus, 1758), occupied by the holotype of Pagurus striatus var. pectinata Ortmann, 1892 was endemic to the Mediterranean and Eastern Atlantic, and that the specimen had therefore been mislabelled. In fact, Tonna galea is amphi-Atlantic and the shell occupied by the hermit crab cannot be used to argue that it has been mislabelled. The holotype of Pagurus striatus var. pectinata Ortmann, 1892 is lost and its original description and illustration are insufficient to establish its true identity. Two steps are taken to stabilise the nomenclature in accepting the hypothesis by far most likely, i.e. that the holotype of Pagurus striatus var. pectinata did indeed come from Brazil. First action: a Brazilian neotype is designated for Pagurus striatus var. pectinata, with a specimen of a species compatible with its original description, namely Dardanus insignis (de Saussure, 1857). As a result of this action, Dardanus pectinatus (Ortmann, 1892) becomes a junior synonym of Dardanus insignis (de Saussure, 1857). Second action: the African Atlantic species is described as a new species, Dardanus ctenodon sp. nov., with a holotype from Senegal. The three similar Atlantic species Dardanus arrosor (Herbst, 1796), Dardanus ctenodon sp. nov. and Dardanus insignis (de Saussure, 1857) are the subject of an illustrated taxonomic account and an identification key is given for all the Atlantic species of Dardanus.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025