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Article Reference Shaking the wings and preening feathers with the beak help a bird to recover its ruffled feather vane
The feather of a bird consists of barbs which again comprise numerous barbules with micro-hooklets. This hierarchically organized feather structure provides a smooth vane to bear the load from the airflow; however, the feather vane is vulnerable to disruption by external pulling forces during collision with the branches of a tree and hitting some small obstacles in flight or strong turbulence. The feather is unable to carry the weight of the bird's body if the vane could not be recovered immediately. Here we discovered that the feather vane can be re-established easily by birds themselves. A bird can always recover its feather vane from ruffled state by shaking its wings and preening its feathers with its beak because of the cascaded geometries of barbs and barbules. This biophysical mechanism of self-healing suggests that the hierarchical vane structure can be used to design artificial feathers for a flapping robot.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Article Reference Shell chemistry of the Boreal Campanian bivalve Rastellum diluvianum (Linnaeus, 1767) reveals temperature seasonality, growth rates and life cycle of an extinct Cretaceous oyster.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2020
Inproceedings Reference Shell repurposing is an important consideration for the future sustainability of mollusc aquaculture
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2016
Article Reference Shell thickness of Nucella lapillus in the North Sea increased over the last 130 years despite ocean acidification
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference Short-term changes in the structure of ant assemblages in a Guinean savanna under differing fire regimes at Lamto Scientific Reserve, Côte d’Ivoire
To maintain savanna vegetation, mid-seasonal fire has been applied since 1961 in the Lamto Savanna (Côte d’Ivoire). However, this prescribed fire has not impeded tree encroachment during recent years, nor have its effects on insect assemblages been documented. Also the impact of tree intrusion on insect assemblages is poorly studied in savanna. To prevent tree density increasing, a change in fire regime might be a solution. In this study, we examined the effect of different fire regimes (early, mid-seasonal and late fires) on leaf-litter ant assemblages in order to suggest appropriate measures for preventing tree invasion without having an effect on insect communities. Sampling was implemented by combining pitfall trapping and leaf-litter sampling before and after three different fire regimes, early, mid-seasonal and late fires. While the ant species richness declined after the passage of early and mid-seasonal fires, significantly more species were found in the burnt savanna after the late fire. However, the losses or gains of species due to different fire regimes did not cause severe changes in the ant species composition. Of the functional groups identified, only the generalists and specialist predators were respectively strongly affected by the early and mid-seasonal fires, certainly due to micro-habitat modification. Based on the trends observed in the present study, we suggest sampling other invertebrate fauna in similar savanna plots to find out if other insect groups have similar reactions to the applied fire regimes.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2018
Webpublished Reference Should local communities be encouraged to develop their own sustainable solutions, such as geothermal energy, to power generation?
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Shrews (Soricidae) of the lowland forests around Kisangani (DR Congo)
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Article Reference Significant loss of mitochondrial diversity within the last century due to extinction of peripheral populations in eastern gorillas
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.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2018
Article Reference Silpha tyrolensis Laicharting, 1781 (Coleoptera: Silphidae), an unexpected addition to the Belgian fauna
In the course of the Belgian Silphidae Project, four specimens of Silpha tyrolensis Laicharting, 1781 were encountered when studying the unidentified Silphidae in the entomological collection of the Haute École Provinciale de Hainaut-Condorcet in Ath. These are the first records of this species for Belgium and are from the period 1990–2010. Subsequent recent trapping in the region where the specimens were found revealed no additional specimens. In this paper the records are presented and the distribution of the species in Belgium and Europe is mapped and discussed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2020
Inproceedings Reference Simulation of boulder transport in a flume comparing cuboid and complex-shaped boulder models
Coasts around the world are affected by high-energy wave events like storm surges or tsunamis depending on their regional climatological and geological settings. Coarse clasts (boulders to fine blocks) deposited on the shore can provide evidence for hazard-prone areas and physical characteristics of the flooding event. In order to better understand the process of boulder transport by tsunamis and to calibrate numerical hydrodynamic models, we conducted physical boulder transport experiments in a Froude-Scale of 1:50 utilizing idealized boulder shapes (cuboids) as well as realistic, complex boulder shapes based on real-world data. Comparing the behaviour of natural shaped with idealized boulders, allows identifying how the boulder shape influences the transport process in terms of transport mode (sliding, shifting, saltation), path and distance. Experiments are conducted in a 33 m long and 1 m wide flat wave flume ending on an ascending coastal profile. The gradient angle of the ramp changes from 11◦ to 4◦ ending on a flat elevated platform resulting in a total length of 4.5 m. The complex shaped boulder model (17.4x9.6x7.6 cm3) is constructed from photogrammetric data of a coastal boulder on Bonaire in the Dutch Caribbean (BOL2 in Engel and May, 2012), which is assumed to be transported by a tsunami. A cuboid boulder model of equivalent volume and weight (14x8x6 cm3) is created for comparison. The tsunami is modelled as a broken bore generated by two computer-controlled pumps. Each experimental run set-up was repeated for at least three times. The results show a significant influence of the boulder shape, in particular regarding the area of the contact surface when the bore approaches the boulder. With increasing contact surface higher transport distances occur. Due to the shape of the complex boulder tends slightly towards a rough ovoid, which is more streamlined than the idealized shape, the effectively acting drag force decreases and leads to reduced transport distances. The predominant transport mode during the experiments was sliding combined with gentle rotating around the vertical axis. However, in several experimental cases the complex boulder significantly rotates while the idealized does not. Recognizing that the transport distance, presumably due to decreasing ground contact and therefore less friction, increases during rotational transport, it is remarkable that the complex boulder still does not reach the transport distances of the idealized one. Experiments for boulder-boulder interactions generally show reduced transport distances. The bore-facing boulder generates a “flow shield” preserving the latter boulder from movement. In consequence, the bore-facing boulder hits its neighbour and stops moving. Within the range of our experiments, this boulder-boulder impact does not exceed a necessary energy-threshold for dislocating the second boulder. Beside further results regarding the influence of the initial water level, increased bottom friction and exper- iment sensitivity, insights into a numerical model based on these experiments will be presented. Engel, M.; May, S.M.: Bonaire’s boulder fields revisited: evidence for Holocene tsunami impact on the Leeward, Antilles. Quaternary Science Reviews 54, 126–141, 2012.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2018