Ants represent a crucial component of terrestrial ecosystems owing to their roles in nutrient cycling, soil aeration and predation. However, myrmecological studies are relatively rare in the Afrotropics, including Rwanda. This study reveals high ant diversity within Akagera National Park in eastern Rwanda, an ecologically rich area comprising savannas, woodlands and wetlands. A nonsystematic sampling scheme was used across different habitats within the park, implementing various sampling techniques, namely pitfall traps, leaf litter sifting, Winkler leaf litter extraction, vegetation sweeping and hand collection from rocks, rotten wood and dead trees. The findings indicate a high diversity of ant species, with six subfamilies comprising 41 genera including 119 named species and 68 morphospecies. A minimum of 17 of these morphospecies represent undescribed species. Of the collected species, 149 were recorded for the first time in Rwanda. These findings highlight the status of Akagera National Park as a biodiversity hotspot. They also provide a baseline inventory for future entomological, ecological and conservation efforts in Akagera National Park. We recommend additional studies to formally describe the morphospecies currently confirmed as undescribed and to further investigate the status of the remaining unidentified morphospecies
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RBINS Staff Publications 2026
The Troisième caverne of Goyet has yielded the largest assemblage of Neandertal remains in Northern Europe with clear evidence of anthropogenic modifications. However, its skeletal fragmentation has long limited detailed morphological and behavioural study on the assemblage. In this study, we integrate palaeogenetic, isotopic, morphometric, and structural analyses of the long bones to assess the biological profiles of the Neandertals from Goyet and explore whether they present particularities that could shed light on the formation of this unique cannibalised assemblage. We identify a minimum of six individuals, including four adult or adolescent females. Compared to Homo sapiens and Neandertals—including regional specimens—the females from Goyet display short statures and reduced diaphyseal robusticity of their long bones. They lack skeletal markers associated with high mobility despite isotopic evidence for non-local origins. The overrepresentation of short, morphologically gracile, non-local females, alongside two immature individuals, suggests a strong selection bias in the individuals present at the site. Dated between 41,000 and 45,000 years ago, a period marked by Neandertal cultural diversity, biological decline and the arrival of Homo sapiens in Northern Europe, the cannibalised female and juvenile Neandertals from Goyet indicate exocannibalism, possibly linked to inter-group conflict, territoriality, and/or specific treatment of outsiders.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
