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Dried aquatic macrophytes are floating egg banks and potential dispersal vectors of ostracods (Crustacea) from pleuston communities.
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In aquatic ecosystems, such as Neotropical floodplains, it is common to find dried aquatic macrophytes along the margins of various environments (e.g. lakes and rivers) during the dry season. Here, we evaluate the potential of dried Eichhornia crassipes as a dispersal vector of ostracod resting eggs by assessing the abundance, richness and beta diversity of the dormant associated fauna. We test two hypotheses: (1) that the roots of E. crassipes shelter and disperse ostracod resting eggs and (2) that the abundance, richness and beta diversity of dormant assemblages will increase over the incubation time after re-hydration. Dried E. crassipes from floodplain lakes were hydrated with distilled water. The microcosms were kept in germinating chambers with controlled temperature and photoperiod during 147 days. A total of 397 ostracods representing seven species hatched from the resting eggs attached to dried macrophyte roots. An increase in richness and a decrease in abundance were observed over the weeks, although these trends were not significant. However, the beta diversity increased significantly over the incubation time. Our results show that the complex root systems of E. crassipes have the potential for storage and dispersal of ostracod resting eggs.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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A (very) brief vademecum on biological nomenclature
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This editorial is aimed at explaining why the editors of Hydrobiologia are so concerned with biological nomenclature and why we ask our authors the utmost precision when referring to species in their papers. In particular, the Instructions for Authors of the journal specify that “When a species name is used for the first time in an article, it should be stated in full, and the name of its describer should also be given” (https://www.springer.com/journal/10750/submission-guidelines?IFA#Instructions%20for%20Authors_Scientific%20style). In the next lines, we want to show that this is not just an old fashion formalism, but a necessity to correctly and univocally identify the biological subjects that are the basis of the research published in this journal. Moreover, Hydrobiologia is a generalist journal giving voice to research embedded in a wide ecological and evolutionary context, carried out in any kind of aquatic ecosystem, and considering all their biological entities from small viruses onwards to large whales! Thus, the work of a, for example, fish biologist, should be readable for a botanist and vice versa. This achievement can be reached by avoiding as much as possible the jargon typical of each discipline (as the so called “common names” can be considered) and allowing the unequivocal identification of the targeted biological entities.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the late Pleistocene of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux, Namur, Belgium): Systematics, paleobiogeography, and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions
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Archeological sites usually provide important information about the past distribution ofsmall vertebrate fauna, and by extension about past terrestrial environments and climatein which human activities took place. In this context, Belgium has an interesting location innorthwestern Europe between the fully studied zooarcheological records of Germany andEngland. We present here the revision of the late Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 2)collection of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux, Namur), studied by Jean-ClaudeRage in the 1970s and the revision of the whole “indeterminate” small vertebrate materialsfrom the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” stored in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences(RBINS) Quaternary collections in search of more herpetofaunal remains. It is now by farthe largest late Pleistocene collection at RBINS with more than 20,500 recognized bonesof amphibians and reptiles and covering the last 60,000 years. The faunal list comprisestwo urodeles (Lissotriton gr. L. vulgaris and Salamandra salamandra), four anurans (Bufo gr.B. bufo-spinosus, Epidalea calamita, Rana temporaria and Rana cf. R. arvalis), three lizards(Lacerta cf. L. agilis, Zootoca vivipara and Anguis gr. A. fragilis), and three snakes (Natrix gr.N. natrix, Coronella austriaca, and Vipera berus). This study represents the first fossil record in Belgium for L. gr. L. vulgaris, R. arvalis, Z. vivipara, N. gr. N. natrix and C. austriaca. As awhole, this assemblage suggests a patchy humid landscape under colder and dryer climaticconditions in comparison with present ones. This study also underlines the necessity of aprimary separation in larger taxonomical categories by the specialist itself.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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The new stick insect genus Pterulina gen. nov., a second winged Clitumninae genus from Vietnam with a new combination and a new species (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Clitumnini)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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La villa des Trois Haies à Heure-le-Tixhe (Diets-Heur, Tongeren). Les sondages de Xavier Debras.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The lithostratigraphy of the Lower Devonian formations of the Eisleck (Northern Luxembourg). Comparison with their Belgian lateral equivalents.
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The Eisleck region forms the northern third of the territory of the Grand-Duchy of Luxembourg and also represents the southeastern part of the Ardennes. The underground is made up of detrital rocks (shales and sandstones) of lower Devonian age folded during the Variscan orogeny. They have undergone strong diagenesis reaching up to weak metamorphism. In order to allow modern geological mapping of this area, a lithostratigraphical framework is proposed. Seven formations are considered and their lithological characteristics, thicknesses and paleogeographical settings are described. References to their paleontological content are also mentioned. Comparisons with their Belgian lateral equivalents are drawn in order to facilitate the cross-border comprehension of geological maps.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Roman stone ointment palettes in the northern part of Gallia Belgica and Germania Inferior: provenance, trade and use.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Life and After-life of Roman Ornamental Stones within the civitas Tungrorum (Germania inferior).
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Introduction
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Recherches sur des meules romaines dans un paysage dépourvu de ressources lithiques : premier bilan d’une analyse multidisciplinaire dans la Civitas Menapiorum (Belgique).
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
