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Article Reference Assessing Histotaphonomy: A Pilot Study Using Image Analysis for Quantitative Scoring of Bone Diagenesis
ABSTRACT This pilot study focusses on improving the methodological approach of histotaphonomy by integrating image analysis software for assessing bone diagenesis in both bone histological sections and microcomputed tomography (μ-CT) scans of the same bone slice. Femurs and ribs from six individuals buried at the churchyard of St. Anne in Koekelberg (Belgium, 1833–1916) were analyzed with μ-CT and histology (light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy). Bone diagenesis was scored visually by the assessor, as well as quantitatively by image analysis. The results suggest that image analysis is an effective quantitative scoring method, eliminating subjectivity bias, specifically regarding the precision in percentage calculation of preserved areas which aids in assigning the right category of the Oxford Histological Index. However, algorithm limitations can affect the accuracy and reliability of the results, hence specialized expertise is advised. The taphonomic results show that bacterial degradation was similar within and between rib and femur of the same individual but varied between individuals depending on burial treatment (wooden versus zinc-lined coffins). Other inter-skeletal differences were caused by biological parameters such as the amount of primary lamellar bone. This study demonstrates the accuracy of quantitative scoring by advancements in technology such as image analysis, creating a basis for the incorporation of machine learning algorithms in future histotaphonomy studies. It also stresses the importance of using both histology and μ-CT as complementary methods.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Integrating terrestrial and canopy laser scanning for comprehensive analysis of large old trees: Implications for single tree and biodiversity research
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Ant Diversity and Stratification in an Amazonian Rainforest
This study focuses on species occupying the three strata of an Amazonian rainforest: the ground and leaf litter, the understorey and the canopy. We employed only two sampling techniques: Winkler extraction for ground-dwelling ants and direct observations for understorey and canopy species on large branches cut off by a climber. We identified 494 ant species from 10 subfamilies and 77 genera over approximately 3.0 ha (Chao1 = 607 species; 95% CI: 566-670 species). Although we found fewer arboreal ants compared to approaches using insecticide fogging, this study confirms similarities between the ant diversity in Amazonian and Mesoamerican rainforests. The functional traits of these ants (i.e., diet, nest-site preference, population size of the colony) allowed us to identify seven clusters. Cluster 1 is a "hodgepodge" grouping arboreal or ground-dwelling species with different-sized colonies (76 species). Cluster 2 primarily includes small colonies of ground-nesting generalist feeders (142 species). Cluster 3 comprises all arboreal species from the understorey inhabiting myrmecophyte domatia or palm trees plus arboreal species with medium-sized colonies (37 species). Cluster 4 includes all territorially dominant arboreal ants plus one ground-dwelling species (21 species). All fungus-growing species belong to Cluster 5, which also contains ground-nesting generalist feeders and generalist predators (148 species). All doryline army ants are grouped in Cluster 6 along with one ponerine known for its nomadic behavior (15 species). Almost all specialized predators belong to Cluster 7 (55 species); however, Cluster 5 includes two ponerine species that prey exclusively on termites. Based on a nonmetric multidimensional scaling (NMDS), we confirmed that the position of these clusters corresponded fairly well to the three forest strata. Thus, analyzing functional traits enables the trophic position of most ants and their place in the vertical strata of Neotropical rainforests to be determined.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Ant–plant relationships in an Amazonian rainforest understory: A network approach
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Scolytine beetle diversity along an altitudinal gradient in Papua New Guinea
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Phytoliths in dicotyledons occurring in Northwest Europe: establishing a baseline
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Evaluation of the use of different taxonomic resolutions as surrogates for ant diversity in urban green spaces
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Shallow benthic invertebrate communities in relation to substrate types in coastal environments of the sub-Antarctic Crozet archipelago.
"The European weatherfish Misgurnus fossilis, once widespread across Eurasia, is now critically endangered in Flanders (Belgium), prompting the establishment of a captive breeding programme as part of conservation efforts. During rearing, juvenile weatherfish suffered heavy infections from the ectoparasitic flatworm Gyrodactylus fossilis, leading to mortality events. Although G. fossilis is a natural parasite of M. fossilis, high host densities in hatchery conditions facilitated pathological infection intensities, while adult fish maintained at lower densities showed no visible pathology. This suggests that husbandry practices strongly modulate dynamics of this host–parasite system in captivity. To place these observations in a historical context, we screened both captive-bred fish and archival material (1881–1973, i.e. prior to the anthropogenic introduction of Asian congeners in Misgurnus) for ectoparasites. Morphological and molecular characterisation revealed infections of three monopisthocotylan flatworms: G. fossilis, Gyrodactylus misgurni (Gyrodactylidae), and Actinocleidus cruciatus (Dactylogyridae). All represent new records for Belgium, with G. misgurni and A. cruciatus considered native due to their occurrence in historical material. Notably, these parasites’ abundance has declined compared to historical collections, raising concerns about their own conservation status. Since parasites contribute substantially to species-richness, ecosystem functioning, and even the health of their host individuals and populations (e.g., their immunological development and resilience) their co-decline alongside endangered hosts represents a hidden and meaningful dimension of biodiversity loss. Our findings highlight both risks and opportunities associated with parasite conservation in ex situ programmes focused on fishes or other vertebrate hosts. High juvenile stocking densities increased parasite burdens and mortality, while improved husbandry practices allowed stable co-existence of host and parasite populations. This indicates that carefully managed captive breeding facilities may act as refugia not only for M. fossilis but also for its specialist parasites, maintaining ecological interactions and genetic diversity that would otherwise be lost. While parasites are often overlooked or actively eliminated in wildlife management, they play essential roles in ecosystems and represent species of conservation concern in their own right. These results emphasise the possibility of including parasites in conservation planning. For the weatherfish and its parasites, ex situ conservation thus provides an experimental framework for developing integrated strategies that safeguard both host and parasite persistence. Future reintroduction initiatives should therefore consider whether to also re-establish native parasite populations, a decision that requires informed discussion among conservation stakeholders. By demonstrating the feasibility of host–parasite co-conservation, this study advances the idea that conservation programmes can optimise resource allocation while preserving the evolutionary and ecological relationships of multiple species simultaneously.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Systematics and phylogeny of Chalcinotrematinae (Digenea: Haploporidae): Erection of a new genus and description of two new species from South America through integrated analyses
The subfamily Chalcinotrematinae (Haploporidae) comprises an understudied group of digenean parasites infecting freshwater and brackish water fishes across the Americas, Africa, and Asia. Its systematics have rarely been investigated using molecular data, with DNA sequences available for only a few species representing two of the six recognised genera. We collected chalcinotrematine trematodes from freshwater fishes in the Jari River, Amazon Basin, Brazil, and in Misiones, Argentina. Specimens from Brazil were characterised through an integrative approach combining morphological examination with molecular data (partial 28S and ITS2 rDNA sequences), whereas those from Argentina were analysed morphologically. As a result, we describe two new species from Brazil: Chalcinotrema arleneae sp. nov. from Leporinus friderici and Laemolyta proxima, and Unicoelium gerardoi sp. nov. from Hypostomus plecostomus. This study provides the first molecular data for both Chalcinotrema and Unicoelium, expanding the phylogenetic framework of Chalcinotrematinae. Paralecithobotrys brasiliensis is recorded from Argentina in Megaleporinus obtusidens, extending its geographical range. We reassessed the generic limits of Saccocoelioides, the most species-rich genus within the subfamily. Based on combined morphological, molecular, host, and distributional evidence, we propose taxonomic revisions, establishing Neosaccocoelioides gen. nov. for several South American species formerly assigned to Saccocoelioides: N. antonioi comb. nov., N. bacilliformis comb. nov., N. elongatus comb. nov., N. magnus comb. nov., N. miguelmontesi comb. nov. (type species), and N. szidati comb. nov. Additionally, N. platense comb. nov., previously placed in Chalcinotrema, is transferred to the new genus. Saccocoelioides chilkaensis and S. lizae are considered species inquirendae; and S. guaporense is considered incertae sedis. These findings refine Chalcinotrematinae relationships and highlight the need for expanded molecular datasets to resolve systematic and biogeographical uncertainties.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Monomyxum ligophori n. sp. in a ParasiteBlitz: a monopisthocotylan as a myxozoan host in South Carolina and monophyly of a cosmopolitan hyperparasitic clade
A ParasiteBlitz event offers a brief, intense opportunity to discover diverse parasite species and to reveal life cycles of heteroxenous parasite taxa. In this study, we describe Monomyxum ligophori n. sp., a hyperparasitic myxozoan (Monomyxidae) proliferating in a dactylogyrid monopisthocotylan flatworm (Ligophorus mugilinus) infecting mugilid fishes (Mugil cephalus, Mugil curema) on the Atlantic coast of North America. Furthermore, we used DNA barcoding, to infer the parasite’s complex life cycle, matching its hyperparasitic myxospore stages with actinospore stages infecting the polychaete Streblospio benedicti found in the same locality during the ParasiteBlitz and also reported previously from the same region. Thus we provide evidence inferring the first life cycle of a myxozoan that does not require a vertebrate host. Hyperparasitic myxozoans are rare with only five species reported worldwide to infect flatworms. This study provides more evidence of the previously debated high-host specificity towards monopisthocotylan hosts of these monomyxid myxozoan hyperaparasites. Notably, Monomyxum ligophori n. sp. was detected only in L. mugilinus, and not in the other species of monopisthocotylan parasitic flatworms (Ligophorus cf. uruguayense and Metamicrocotyla macracantha) found infecting the same fish individuals during the ParasiteBlitz. Our molecular data and phylogenetic analysis support the previously suggested common origin of Monomyxum species infecting monopisthocotylan flatworms, and contribute to understanding the life cycle and host interactions of this unique hyperparasitic myxozoan lineage.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025