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Article Reference Ten new species of Terebridae (Gastropoda: Conoidea) from the South and West Pacific
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference Made you look...again. The description of nine new cryptic species of Terebridae
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference The Muricidae (Gastropoda) described from Mauritius by Tapparone Canefri in 1881
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Diversity among fossil micrometeorites in the late Devonian.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025
Article Reference Evolutionary history of the calcareous sponge Clathrina aurea: genetic connectivity in the Western Atlantic and intriguing occurrence in the Eastern Pacific
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Phylogenomics of African radiation of Praomyini (Muridae: Murinae) rodents: first fully resolved phylogeny, evolutionary history and delimitation of extant genera
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Catlog of the Neotropical Trichoptera (Caddisflies)
Located in Library / RBINS collections by external author(s)
Article Reference chemical/x-molconn-Z Regional differences in vertebral shape along the axial skeleton in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Abstract Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, as far as is known, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that elongate limbless vertebrates show little morphological differentiation throughout the postcranial skeleton. However, relatively few studies have explored the axial skeleton in limbless tetrapods. In this study, we used ?CT data and three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to explore regional differences in vertebral shape across a broad range of caecilian species. Our results highlight substantial differences in vertebral shape along the axial skeleton, with anterior vertebrae being short and bulky, whereas posterior vertebrae are more elongated. This study shows that despite being limbless, elongate tetrapods such as caecilians still show regional heterogeneity in the shape of individual vertebrae along the vertebral column. Further studies are needed, however, to understand the possible causes and functional consequences of the observed variation in vertebral shape in caecilians.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2022
Article Reference The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions, all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Echoes of Evolution in Holocentridae: Harmony Between Phylogeny, Morphology and Acoustics
ABSTRACT Holocentridae are nocturnal reef fishes that rely on acoustic communication in various behavioral contexts. Using a multidisciplinary approach combining phylogenetics, morphology, and acoustic data from 53 species, we reconstructed the evolutionary history of this communication system within the family. Our results reveal two main clades corresponding to the subfamilies Myripristinae and Holocentrinae, with congruent differences in both the morphology of the sound-producing apparatus and acoustic features. Interestingly, at finer taxonomic scales, closely related species often share similar sound-producing structures but can produce distinct sounds. This suggests that the evolution of acoustic communication in Holocentridae follows a three-step diversification pattern: (1) the emergence of structures enabling sound production; (2) differentiation of sound-producing mechanisms within each subfamily, likely constrained by internal factors such as the swim bladder morphology; and (3) further diversification through differentiated use of conserved mechanisms, consistent with a role of neurophysiological modulation. This scenario mirrors patterns observed in other functional traits, where morphological innovations open new functional pathways, followed by fine-scale diversification based on the flexible exploitation of similar structures. It provides one of the first evolutionary reconstructions of sound production mechanisms in fishes, expanding our understanding of the evolution of complex signaling systems.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2026