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Biodiversity of the freshwater crabs of Benin: a genetic approach
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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Bioerosional marks in the shells of two sea turtle taxa from the middle Eocene of Belgium
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This study analyses the diverse types of bioerosion marks on the shells of two sea turtle specimens from the Lutetian (middle Eocene) of Belgium. The objective is to understand the physical stressors affecting these organisms in ancient marine environments and to identify the potential factors responsible for these changes. The first specimen, the holotype of Eochelone brabantica, presents multiple erosive anomalies on its costal plates. The second individual, corresponding to Puppigerus camperi, exhibits different types of shell deviations, also of an erosive character. The combination of macroscopic and imaging techniques (i.e., CT scanning and 3D surface scanning) allow us the precise observation and identification of the different alterations. Comparative analyses suggest several external factors as potential causes of the anomalies of the two specimens (i.e., invertebrate feeding traces and trauma). This detailed examination provides specific insights into the types and causes of shell alterations in these Eocene turtles, offering a clearer understanding of their interactions in the marine ecosystem in which they lived.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
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Biofluorescence in Morelia, Malayopython and Python: first reports for the Pythonidae
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Ultraviolet (UV) induced biofluorescence in snakes has been underexplored compared to lizards. This study reports for the first time UV fluorescence in several Pythonidae species, including Morelia viridis, Malayopython reticulatus, and Python regius. Specimens were examined under both white and UV light, revealing that UV fluorescence in these snakes is likely skin-based, induced by chemical compounds rather than bone-based as seen in other reptiles. Notably, Morelia viridis and M. azurea exhibited a golden mustard yellow fluorescence, while Malayopython reticulatus displayed a complex pattern with intense yellow fluorescence. The study also found that UV fluorescence is absent in ethanol-preserved specimens, suggesting the degradation of fluorescent compounds during preservation. These findings contribute to the understanding of UV fluorescence in snakes and highlight the need for further research on its functional significance and the specific molecules involved.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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Biofluorescence of the Mottled shovel-nosed frog, Hemisus marmoratus: first report for Hemisotidae.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Biogeomorphological self-organization in sandy shelf seas. In: V. Van Lancker & T. Garlan (Eds.), MARID 2013, 4th International Conference on Marine and River Dune Dynamics. Bruges, Belgium. 15-17 April 2013 (pp. 53-57). Oostende, Belgium: VLIZ.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Biomonitoring of lakes using macroinvertebrates: recommended indices and metrics for use in West Africa and developing countries
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AbstraitLes systèmes lacustres subissent de fortes pressions qui ont un impact sur leur biodiversité et les services écosystémiques associés. Cela est particulièrement grave en Afrique de l’Ouest et dans les pays en développement, qui manquent de ressources et de capacités techniques pour l’élimination des déchets, la purification de l’eau, ainsi que de capacités scientifiques suffisantes pour la biosurveillance et la gestion intégrée. La préservation, la surveillance et l'amélioration de la qualité des lacs dans ces pays revêtent cependant une importance primordiale. Dans les pays développés, un ensemble d'indicateurs et d'indices multimétriques ont été intégrés à la biosurveillance et à l'évaluation des lacs. Nous évaluons ici les nombreuses procédures, mesures et indices utilisant les macroinvertébrés comme indicateurs de la qualité des lacs et évaluons leur applicabilité dans les lacs d’Afrique de l’Ouest et, plus généralement, dans les pays en développement. Nous proposons un cadre de suivi basé sur les macroinvertébrés adapté à ces pays, incluant des recommandations pour développer de nouveaux indices et adapter les scores de tolérance des taxons aux conditions locales. Ces travaux soulignent l’importance des macroinvertébrés pour la biosurveillance de la santé des lacs dans les lacs d’Afrique de l’Ouest et, plus généralement, dans les pays en développement.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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Biostratigraphy of the Upper Devonian trigonirhynchiid brachiopods (Rhynchonellida) from Armenia
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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BioTIME 2.0: Expanding and Improving a Database of Biodiversity Time Series
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Motivation: Here, we make available a second version of the BioTIME database, which compiles records of abundance estimates for species in sample events of ecological assemblages through time. The updated version expands version 1.0 of the database by doubling the number of studies and includes substantial additional curation to the taxonomic accuracy of the records, as well as the metadata. Moreover, we now provide an R package (BioTIMEr) to facilitate use of the database. Main Types of Variables Included: The database is composed of one main data table containing the abundance records and 11 metadata tables. The data are organised in a hierarchy of scales where 11,989,233 records are nested in 1,603,067 sample events, from 553,253 sampling locations, which are nested in 708 studies. A study is defined as a sampling methodology applied to an assemblage for a minimum of 2 years. Spatial Location and Grain: Sampling locations in BioTIME are distributed across the planet, including marine, terrestrial and freshwater realms. Spatial grain size and extent vary across studies depending on sampling methodology. We recommend gridding of sampling locations into areas of consistent size. Time Period and Grain: The earliest time series in BioTIME start in 1874, and the most recent records are from 2023. Temporal grain and duration vary across studies. We recommend doing sample-level rarefaction to ensure consistent sampling effort through time before calculating any diversity metric. Major Taxa and Level of Measurement: The database includes any eukaryotic taxa, with a combined total of 56,400 taxa. Software Format: csv and. SQL.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Bioturbation des alluvions modernes de la grotte de Han
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022 OA
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Bioturbation has a limited effect on phosphorus burial in salt marsh sediments
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It has been hypothesized that the evolution of animals during the Ediacaran–Cambrian transition stimulated the burial of phosphorus in marine sediments. This assumption is centrally based on data compilations from marine sediments deposited under oxic and anoxic bottom waters. Since anoxia excludes the presence of infauna and sediment reworking, the observed differences in P burial are assumed to be driven by the presence of bioturbators. This reasoning however ignores the potentially confounding impact of bottom-water oxygenation on phosphorus burial. Here, our goal is to test the idea that bioturbation increases the burial of organic and inorganic phosphorus (Porg and Pinorg, respectively) while accounting for bottom-water oxygenation. We present solid-phase phosphorus speciation data from salt marsh ponds with and without bioturbation (Blakeney salt marsh, Norfolk, UK). In both cases, the pond sediments are exposed to oxygenated bottom waters, and so the only difference is the presence or absence of bioturbating macrofauna. Our data reveal that the rate of Porg and Pinorg burial are indistinguishable between bioturbated and non-bioturbated sediments. A large terrestrial fraction of organic matter and higher sedimentation velocity than generally found in marine sediments (0.3 +/- 0.1 cm yr-1) may partially impact these results. However, the absence of a clear effect of bioturbation on total P burial puts into question the presumed importance of bioturbation for phosphorus burial.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2021