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Sic transit gloria mundi. Does it really? Wasting seventh century AD Sagalassos (SW Turkey)
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RBINS Staff Publications
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SIDbase : a database built for the management of Social Insects Diversity inventories
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Siedlungen der späten Bronze- und fru¨hen Eisenzeit in Südwestbulgarien.Vorbericht zu den deutsch-bulgarischen Forschungen 2012 im Struma- und Mestatal
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After long-term surveys 2012 a German-Bulgarian team started excavations in the valleys of the rivers Struma and Mesta in south-western Bulgaria. The goal of our research is get a better understanding of the execution of power by the population of these mountain valleys as well as to reveal the processes of transfer and exchange of objects and technologies between the Aegean and the Danube regions. For this reason the excavations were conducted on the Late Bronze/Early Iron Age hillfort Kresna in the Mesta valley near Sandanski and on the Early Iron Age settlement Bresto near Raslog located close to the upper course of the Mesta river. Similar to the hillforts in the valley of Struma near Blagoevgrad, possible large-sized grain storages were exposed in Kresna. Bresto stands out for its massive fortified walls dated to the Early Iron Age as well as for the thousands secondary burnt daub fragments often supplied with plastic decorations. The comparison of various parts of the valleys of the rivers Struma and Mesta demonstrates the difference of interest for foreign objects and the acquisition of technologies on the micro-region level.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Significant loss of mitochondrial diversity within the last century due to extinction of peripheral populations in eastern gorillas
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Species and populations are disappearing at an alarming rate as a direct result of human activities. Loss of genetic diversity associated with population decline directly impacts species’ long-term survival. Therefore, preserving genetic diversity is of considerable conservation importance. However, to assist in conservation efforts, it is important to understand how genetic diversity is spatially distributed and how it changes due to anthropogenic pressures. In this study, we use historical museum and modern faecal samples of two critically endangered eastern gorilla taxa, Grauer’s (Gorilla beringei graueri) and mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei), to directly infer temporal changes in genetic diversity within the last century. Using over 100 complete mitochondrial genomes, we observe a significant decline in haplotype and nucleotide diversity in Grauer’s gorillas. By including historical samples from now extinct populations we show that this decline can be attributed to the loss of peripheral populations rather than a decrease in genetic diversity within the core range of the species. By directly quantifying genetic changes in the recent past, our study shows that human activities have severely impacted eastern gorilla genetic diversity within only four to five generations. This rapid loss calls for dedicated conservation actions, which should include preservation of the remaining peripheral populations.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2018
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Similar ecology, different morphology: Three new species of oral-mollusc shellers from Lake Edward
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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SIMilarity Environment Correction (SIMEC) applied to MERIS data over inland and coastal waters
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Sinopaninae and Arfianinae (Hyaenodontida, Mammalia) from the Early Eocene of Europe and Asia; evidence for dispersal in Laurasia around the Paleocene/ Eocene boundary and for an unnoticed faunal turnover in Europe
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Hyaenodontida are represented in Europe by three subfamilies: Proviverrinae, Arfianinae and Sinopaninae. Here, we review all the specimens of Arfianinae and Sinopaninae known to date in Europe and Asia. A new Galecyon species is erected: Galecyon gallus nov. sp. We discuss the taxonomic position of the two Asian hyaenodontidans Anthracoxyaena palustris and Arfia langebadreae; the genus Anthracoxyaena is synonymized with Arfia. The analysis of the European and Asian arfianines and sinopanines provides new data concerning the dispersals and faunal events that occurred during the Early Eocene in Laurasia. The Arfianinae and Sinopaninae appeared in Europe around the Paleocene/Eocene boundary (reference-level MP7). The sinopanines are widespread in Europe; they are known in Dormaal (Belgium, reference-locality of the level MP7), Rians, Soissons, Pourcy, Try, Le Quesnoy (France), and Abbey Wood (England). The analysis of the paleogeographic distribution of all Oxyaenodonta and Hyaenodontida at and after the MP7 supports the existence of two European provinces: the North Province and Mesogean Province. We show that the Arfianinae and Sinopaninae rapidly disappeared from Europe; they are unknown in Avenay (reference-locality of the level MP8+9) and younger localities. Their disappearance from Europe is synchronous with that of the Oxyaenodonta. These observations support the existence of a faunal turnover, which occurred between the reference-levels MP7 (Dormaal) and MP8+9 (Avenay). The hypothesis of a dispersal from Europe to North America during the Paleocene-Eocene transition for the Arfianinae and Sinopaninae is supported. Moreover, the study of Arfianinae supports a dispersal from Europe to Asia around the P/E boundary, followed by a short period of endemic evolution. However, our study does not support a close relationship between Arfia and the ‘‘Arfia-like South Asian Proviverrinae’’ (Kyawdawia, Indohyaenodon, Paratritemnodon and Yarshea).
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Siphonochelus japonicus (A. Adams, 1863) and Siphonochelus nipponensis Keen & Campbell, 1964, and Their Intricate History with the Description of a New Siphonochelus Species from Mozambique (Gastropoda: Muricidae)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Site Saint-Lambert, à Liège : Datations Carbone 14 par A.M.S. des occupations mésolithiques et néolithiques (secteur DDD et SDT)
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Site-Specific Nutrient Data Reveal the Importance of Soils in Driving the Mycorrhizal Make-Up of Woody Vegetation Worldwide
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ABSTRACT Aim Arbuscular mycorrhizas (AM) and ectomycorrhizas (ECM) have different impacts on nutrient cycling, carbon storage, community dynamics and enhancement of photosynthesis by rising CO2. Recent global analyses have concluded that patterns of AM/ECM dominance in forests worldwide are shaped by climate, with soil nutrients contributing negligible additional explanatory power. However, their reliance on nutrient data from GIS surfaces masks important local influences of parent material, topography and soil age on soil nutrient status. We asked if use of site-specific nutrient data reveals a more important role for nutrients. Time Period Present day. Location Global dataset comprising 703 sites, encompassing forests, savanna/woodlands, shrublands and deserts on all continents except Antarctica. Taxa Studied Arborescent plants, including angiosperms, gymnosperms and tree ferns. Methods Generalised Additive Models for Location, Scale and Shape (GAMLSS) to determine the effects of climate variables, soil nitrogen and soil phosphorus on the proportional representation of ECM and of non-mycorrhizal species (NM) in woody vegetation. Results GAMLSS showed a strong negative relationship of ECM representation with mean annual temperature (MAT), and a strong negative relationship with soil total nitrogen. NM representation was highest on dry sites and phosphorus-poor sites. Reanalysis showed that GIS-derived soil nutrient data had less explanatory power than site-specific nutrient data, and resulted in poorer model fits. Conclusions Our results support the long-held belief that soil nutrients as well as climate influence the relative fitness of different mycorrhizal syndromes worldwide, and demonstrate the value of using site-specific nutrient data. Soil nutrients should be considered when predicting the impact of climate change on the mycorrhizal composition of vegetation and resulting shifts in ecosystem processes.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024