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Harnessing the power of machine and deep learning for transferring joint species distribution models considering the structure of biotic interactions
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The transferability of single or joint species distribution models ((j)SDMs) depends on their ability to predict beyond the observed environmental range and to remain consistent despite shifts in biotic interactions. Transfer accuracy may be improved by recent advances in the application of deep learning that provide greater flexibility and potentially superior predictive accu- racy than traditional approaches. We implemented jSDMs with deep and machine learning algorithms and measured the transfer accuracy from continental to regional areas in communities with different species composition. We ran jSDMs with deep neural networks (DNN), elastic net (EN), and stacked SDMs (sSDM) with random forests (RF). We used 134 689 occurrence records representing 1776 species of six taxonomic groups (beetles, birds, bryophytes, fungi, lichens and plants) from 2387 forest plots in Europe. We employed an agnostic modelling approach that covered most of the environmental con- ditions by including more than 100 satellite-derived variables and 98 climatic variables. The predictive power of the models within the training continental area was evaluated using AUC, whereas the transfer accuracy in the regional area was evalu- ated with the Boyce index calculated with independent presence records. We found that the DNN–jSDMs outperformed other models at continental scale, but model transfer from continental to regional extent was less accurate. We found that the accuracy of regional predictions was higher for taxonomic groups with better representation in the continental data, such as birds, bryophytes and plants. Depending on the algorithm and the taxonomic group, we achieved acceptable (Boyce > 0) to accurate (Boyce > 0.5) transferability for 32–78% of the species. Our findings underscored the need of considering trade-offs among hyperparameter tuning, spatial scales and model complexity. Our findings also suggest that the varying biotic interac- tion structures and, particularly, the different species compositions of the transfer areas, may affect model transferability more than previously considered.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2026 OA
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Harpacticoid copepod colonization of coral fragments in a tropical reef lagoon (Zanzibar, Tanzania)
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Colonization experiments were conducted in a tropical lagoon (Zanzibar Island, off the coast of Tanzania) to investigate the temporal dynamics and mode of colonization of the harpacticoid copepods community on dead coral fragments. There was fast colonization of the coral fragments attaining a substantial diversity after only two days. The ability to colonize dead coral fragments is thought to be related to the morphology and life style of different harpacticoid species. Phytal taxa (e.g. Tisbidae) were fast colonizers, reaching high abundances during the initial colonization phase. Sediment-associated and eurytopic taxa (e.g. Ameiridae, Miraciidae and Ectinosomatidae) showed lower colonization rates and became the dominant group during the later colonization phase. Most species are able to colonize the coral fragments through the water column. However, colonization along the substrate surface is also considered to be an important colonization mode, especially for sediment-associated taxa, which showed lower colonization rates when migration through the sediment was hindered.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Harvesting pike at Tlokowo
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RBINS Staff Publications
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Hastula jejuensis sp. nov, a new species of Hastula (Conoidea: Terebridae) from South Korea
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Hastula strigilata revisited: Part IV. Description of a cryptic new species from Sulawesi (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Terebridae)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2023
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Hastula strigilata revisited: Part II. Tropical Indo-Pacific, first preliminary results, evaluation of types and synonymy, with the description of nine new species (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Terebridae)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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Hastula strigilata revisited: Part III. Description of two new species from Australia and the Hawaiian Islands (Gastropoda: Conoidea: Terebridae)
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Two morphospecies that remained undescribed in a previous study are described as new from Australia and the Hawaiian Islands, respectively and facilitated by the availability of recently acquired additional material.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2024
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Have birds ever mattered? An evaluation of the contribution of avian species to the archaeozoological record of Belgium (Iron Age to recent times)
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This preliminary study aims to document general trends in the representation of bird remains in anthropogenic contexts from Belgian archaeological sites. A large dataset is analysed, consisting of 186 faunal assemblages from 79 different sites. The contexts included vary in terms of their taphonomic nature (refuse layers, latrines, pits, etc.) and date, ranging from the Iron Age to the modern period. The characteristics of the study area and the dataset as a whole are described, with a focus on identification rates, past and present avian taxonomic diversity, and relative abundance of bird remains compared with domestic mammal remains. The impact of recovery methods (sieving or hand collecting) on these various aspects is also evaluated. A taxonomic analysis describes the diversity and abundance of the different groups of species that are encountered and shows which habitats were preferentially exploited for the hunting of wild birds. The study shows that there is significant taxonomic diversity across the dataset. However, this diversity is not necessarily present in each separate archaeological context, as the number of remains identified by taxon is generally low. Some species or groups of species are ubiquitous and dominant, in particular domestic fowl. Although this analysis is broad and exploratory, it is believed that it will serve as a sound methodological basis for future, more detailed studies focusing on the role that birds played in past human societies during specific chronological periods
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RBINS Staff Publications 2017
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Have we so far only seen the tip of the iceberg? Exploring species diversity and distribution of the giant amphipod Eurythenes
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Additional material of the iconic giant amphipod Eurythenes was investigated. Recently, the species E. gryllus has been separated into 12 distinct species-level lineages of which several have been described as distinct species, based on both morphology and genetics. This study revealed three additional species-level lineages from unique sampling localities, showing that with minimal sampling effort, species diversity within Eurythenes can still increase. One species-level lineage was found in the Indian Ocean and another one in the Pacific, which was subsequently identified as E. thurstoni. In addition to the three species already reported from the Southern Ocean (E. maldoror, E. gryllus s.s. and E. andhakarae), a supplementary bathyal species was found in the Weddell Sea. E. gryllus was confirmed to be amphitropical including newly sampled localities around the Kerguelen Islands and additional samples from the Svalbard Archipelago. Building on new and earlier data, geographic and bathymetric distributions of the different species that have been discovered so far are presented here and several factors are evaluated for their likelihood of having triggered past speciation events in this scavenger. Topographic and hydrographical features are discussed but rejected as sufficient reasons for the distributional patterns observed. Bathymetric segregation is interpreted with regard to what is known about the ecology of the species. The previously reported genetic break around 3000 m persists in this new data-set for all species but one. This study underlines the need of processing all individuals sampled, since two or more sympatric species are found in different proportions, and that conclusions regarding diversity and distribution may drastically change when increasing sampling intensity and coverage. Finally, I suggest here that only a mere fraction of all Eurythenes species has yet been discovered and that a more complete knowledge of the ecology of the species is of paramount importance for interpreting their evolution.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2016
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Healed mid-shaft fracture of an Early Roman bovine femur
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We evaluated a healed fracture that was observed in the shaft of a bovine femur from an Early Roman settlement context at the site of Wange, Belgium. Using external observation and X-ray images, the specimen is described, paying particular attention to displacement of the bone ends, shortening of the bone, and callus formation. Similar fractures seen in femora of a modern Derby’s antelope (Taurotragus derbianus) and of a modern eastern lowland gorilla (Gorilla gorilla graueri) are described, and we discuss why the incidence of healed femur fractures is so limited in large mammals.
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RBINS Staff Publications
