-
Crustacean biodiversity in ancient lakes: a review. In: Danielopol, D. & Martens, K. (eds.) Crustacean Biodiversity in Subterranean, Ancient/Deep Lakes and Deep-Sea Habitats
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Through the jungle of phylogenetic trees
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Exploitation des ressources végétales et pratiques alimentaires dans le nord de la France entre les Xe et XIIe siècles : études carpologiques de la motte castrale de Boves (Amiens, Somme) et des sites environnants
-
Les analyses carpologiques d’un ensemble de six sites situés, pour la plupart, en région Picardie, nous permettent d’appréhender l’exploitation des ressources végétales et les pratiques alimentaires de la France septentrionale entre le Xe et le XIIe siècle. En dépit de biais taphonomiques importants, dus à un matériel conservé par minéralisation et carbonisation, très érodé, une grande variété d’espèces a pu être identifiée. Les assemblages carpologiques montrent que les Blés nus et le Seigle sont les céréales dominantes. De nombreuses légumineuses sont mentionnées mais le Pois et la Vesce cultivée sont les plus abondants, accompagnés de la Féverole. La grande quantité des restes de fruitiers retrouvés, souligne une fructiculture en plein essor de telle sorte que la question sur la mise en culture des « petits fruits des bois » ou l’exploitation des milieux forestiers pour ces denrées est posée. La Vigne semble très bien implantée dans la région. Des restes récurrents de figue nous questionnent sur le statut importé de méditerranée des fruits ou cultivé localement de l’arbre. Sur les six sites étudiés, quatre sont de milieux aisés. Les indices carpologiques caractéristiques du niveau socio-économique d’un site sont principalement discutés à la lumière des pratiques alimentaires. Enfin, le processus de minéralisation est abordé et son induction par des pratiques d’assainissement au sein des latrines/fosses dépotoirs est suggérée. Archaeobotanical investigations of six medieval sites in Northern France (Picardy) have provided charred and mineralised plant remains (seeds and fruits). Despite some taphonomical constraints of the different preservation of these plant assemblages, archaeobotanical analysis revealed valuable information on the diet, the agriculture and the horticultural production of the medieval population in Northern France between 10th and 12th Century AD. The archaeobotanical results were influenced by the different types of features from which macro-remains were retrieved and by the reliability of the samples. The main crops plants were naked wheat and rye. The pulses, pea and common vetch are the major common crops with field bean. Fruits are very abundant and attest a wide-spread fructiculture. The number of recorded remains from the “wild forest fruits” raises the question of their probable cultivation or of their exploitation in forest. The Vineyard seems very well implanted in the region. Recurring macrorests of fig question about the status imported of Mediterranean fruits or cultivated locally by the tree. The social context of 4 archaeological sites is high. The potential of archaeobotanical data helping to identify social differences by defining archaeobotanical indicators of social level is to be discussed from the food practices and the diet. Finally, the mineralization process is approached and its induction by practices of purification within latrines / pits garbage dumps is suggested.
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
New insights into the marine contribution to ancient Easter Islanders' diet.
-
Easter Island (or Rapa Nui), internationally renowned for its megalithic statues, is the most isolated inhabited island of the Pacific. Archaeological surveys undertaken fromthe end of the 19th century led to the discovery of the remains of several hundred human individuals. The majority were buried in monuments (funerary stone platform called ahu) or in caves. This paper presents a study of the ancient Easter Islanders' diet through carbon and nitrogen stable isotope analysis of human tooth and bone collagen and, more particularly, evaluates the impact of gender, age, social status and location of burials. The 125 studied individuals are from 16 sites, which date mainly fromthe 17th to the 19th centuries. This anthropological material is housed at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural sciences and the Father Sebastián Englert Anthropological Museum of Easter Island. One hundred and seven individuals showed well-preserved collagen. The stable isotope data provide new information on ancient Easter Islander dietary habits. They demonstrate gender disparity in access to food resources and show that children were breastfed until 3 years of age. Furthermore, the isotopic signatures cluster according to the place of burial (ahu) indicating family dietary specificities. Finally, our study reveals influences of social status on food intake: individuals from Ahu Nau Nau, which is said to be the royal ahu, display the highest nitrogen and carbon isotope values. A greater consumption of marine products may explain this distinction.
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
De gezondheidstoestand in de middeleeuwse abdij Ten Duinen in Koksijde.
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Starvation and Cannibalism on Easter Island? The Contribution of the Analysis of Rapanui Human Remains.
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Active dispersal is differentially affected by inter- and intraspecific competition in closely related nematode species
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Temperature and salinity induce differential responses in life histories of cryptic nematode species
-
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Divergent ontogenies of trophic morphology in two closely related haplochromine cichlids
-
Fish develop morphological specializations in their trophic and locomotor systems as a result of varying functional demands in response to environmental pressures at different life stages. These specializations should maximize particular performances in specialists, adapting them to their trophic and habitat niches at each ontogenetic stage. Because differential growth rates of the structural components comprised in the head are likely to be linked to the diet of a fish throughout its development, we investigated the ontogenetic development of two haplochromine cichlid species belonging to different trophic guilds. We employed geometric morphometric techniques to evaluate whether starting from morphologically similar fry they diverge into phenotypes that characterize trophic guilds and locomotor types. Our examination of overall body shape shows that certain specialized morphological features are already present in fry, whereas other traits diverge through ontogeny due to differences in species-specific allometric variation. Allometric shape variation was found to be more relevant for the biter specialist than for the sucker morphotype. Our results confirm that phenotypic changes during ontogeny can be linked to dietary and habitat shifts in these fish. Furthermore, evidence for an integrated development of trophic and locomotor specializations in morphology was observed.
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
-
Phylogeography and evolutionary history of the Crocidura olivieri complex (Mammalia, Soricomorpha): from a forest-based origin to a broad expansion across Africa
-
Background: This study aims to reconstruct the evolutionary history of African shrews referred to the Crocidura olivieri complex. We tested the respective role of forest retraction/expansion during the Pleistocene, rivers (allopatric models), ecological gradients (parapatric model) and anthropogenic factors in explaining the distribution and diversification within this species complex. We sequenced three mitochondrial and four nuclear markers from 565 specimens encompassing the known distribution of the complex, i.e. from Morocco to Egypt and south to Mozambique. We used Bayesian phylogenetic inference, genetic structure analyses and divergence time estimates to assess the phylogenetic relationships and evolutionary history of these animals. Results: The C. olivieri complex (currently composed of C. olivieri, C. fulvastra, C. viaria and C. goliath) can be segregated into eight principal geographical clades, most exhibiting parapatric distributions. A decrease in genetic diversity was observed between central and western African clades and a marked signal of population expansion was detected for a broadly distributed clade occurring across central and eastern Africa and portions of Egypt (clade IV). The main cladogenesis events occurred within the complex between 1.37 and 0.48 Ma. Crocidura olivieri sensu stricto appears polyphyletic and C. viaria and C. fulvastra were not found to be monophyletic. Conclusions: Climatic oscillations over the Pleistocene probably played a major role in shaping the genetic diversity within this species complex. Different factors can explain their diversification, including Pleistocene forest refuges, riverine barriers and differentiation along environmental gradients. The earliest postulated members of the complex originated in central/eastern Africa and the first radiations took place in rain forests of the Congo Basin. A dramatic shift in the ecological requirements in early members of the complex, in association with changing environments, took place sometime after 1.13 Ma. Some lineages then colonized a substantial portion of the African continent, including a variety of savannah and forest habitats. The low genetic divergence of certain populations, some in isolated localities, can be explained by their synanthropic habits. This study underlines the need to revise the taxonomy of the C. olivieri complex.
Located in
Library
/
RBINS Staff Publications
