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A (very) brief vademecum on biological nomenclature
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This editorial is aimed at explaining why the editors of Hydrobiologia are so concerned with biological nomenclature and why we ask our authors the utmost precision when referring to species in their papers. In particular, the Instructions for Authors of the journal specify that “When a species name is used for the first time in an article, it should be stated in full, and the name of its describer should also be given” (https://www.springer.com/journal/10750/submission-guidelines?IFA#Instructions%20for%20Authors_Scientific%20style). In the next lines, we want to show that this is not just an old fashion formalism, but a necessity to correctly and univocally identify the biological subjects that are the basis of the research published in this journal. Moreover, Hydrobiologia is a generalist journal giving voice to research embedded in a wide ecological and evolutionary context, carried out in any kind of aquatic ecosystem, and considering all their biological entities from small viruses onwards to large whales! Thus, the work of a, for example, fish biologist, should be readable for a botanist and vice versa. This achievement can be reached by avoiding as much as possible the jargon typical of each discipline (as the so called “common names” can be considered) and allowing the unequivocal identification of the targeted biological entities.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2022
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Amphibians and squamate reptiles from the late Pleistocene of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux, Namur, Belgium): Systematics, paleobiogeography, and paleoclimatic and paleoenvironmental reconstructions
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Archeological sites usually provide important information about the past distribution ofsmall vertebrate fauna, and by extension about past terrestrial environments and climatein which human activities took place. In this context, Belgium has an interesting location innorthwestern Europe between the fully studied zooarcheological records of Germany andEngland. We present here the revision of the late Pleistocene (Marine Isotope Stages 3 and 2)collection of the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” (Hastière-Lavaux, Namur), studied by Jean-ClaudeRage in the 1970s and the revision of the whole “indeterminate” small vertebrate materialsfrom the “Caverne Marie-Jeanne” stored in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences(RBINS) Quaternary collections in search of more herpetofaunal remains. It is now by farthe largest late Pleistocene collection at RBINS with more than 20,500 recognized bonesof amphibians and reptiles and covering the last 60,000 years. The faunal list comprisestwo urodeles (Lissotriton gr. L. vulgaris and Salamandra salamandra), four anurans (Bufo gr.B. bufo-spinosus, Epidalea calamita, Rana temporaria and Rana cf. R. arvalis), three lizards(Lacerta cf. L. agilis, Zootoca vivipara and Anguis gr. A. fragilis), and three snakes (Natrix gr.N. natrix, Coronella austriaca, and Vipera berus). This study represents the first fossil record in Belgium for L. gr. L. vulgaris, R. arvalis, Z. vivipara, N. gr. N. natrix and C. austriaca. As awhole, this assemblage suggests a patchy humid landscape under colder and dryer climaticconditions in comparison with present ones. This study also underlines the necessity of aprimary separation in larger taxonomical categories by the specialist itself.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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Annual (2024) taxonomic update of RNA-directed RNA polymerase-encoding negative-sense RNA viruses (realm Riboviria: kingdom Orthornavirae: phylum Negarnaviricota)
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In April 2024, following the annual International Committee on Taxonomy of Viruses (ICTV) ratification vote on newly proposed taxa, the phylum Negarnaviricota was expanded by 1 new order, 1 new family, 6 new subfamilies, 34 new genera and 270 new species. One class, two orders and six species were renamed. Seven families and 12 genera were moved; ten species were renamed and moved; and nine species were abolished. This article presents the updated taxonomy of Negarnaviricota as currently accepted by the ICTV, providing an essential annual update on the classification of members of this phylum that deepen understandings of their evolution, and supports critical public health measures for virus identification and tracking.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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The new stick insect genus Pterulina gen. nov., a second winged Clitumninae genus from Vietnam with a new combination and a new species (Phasmida, Phasmatidae, Clitumninae, Clitumnini)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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Assessing the Impact of Wear on the Recordability of Linear Enamel Hypoplasia: A Quantitative Approach
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Objectives: This study proposes a standardized, empirically grounded framework for assessing the recordability of linear enamel hypoplasia (LEH) in archeological dental samples. Despite the frequent use of LEH as a skeletal stress indicator, there is no consensus on whether and how to account for dental wear in recording protocols. Materials and methods: We analyzed the permanent right teeth of 497 medieval and early modern individuals to assess how dental wear affects the visibility and diagnostic utility of hypoplastic defects across different crown regions. For a given tooth, we assessed if there is a region that tends to be (1) less (or more) recordable than others, (2) less (or more) frequently affected by LEH than others, and (3) less (or more) informative with respect to the presence or absence of LEH than others. Results: The occlusal third was significantly less recordable and rarely provides additional data beyond the middle and cervical thirds. Excluding the occlusal third has minimal effect on overall LEH prevalence, while omitting the middle or cervical thirds leads to marked underestimation. Discussion: These results highlight the importance of incorporating wear-based inclusion criteria into LEH recording protocols. We recommend including only teeth with dental wear affecting less than half of the crown. These findings support the development of standardized inclusion criteria based on crown wear to enhance the consistency and comparability of data on enamel hypoplastic defects across studies and populations.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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BASE – BAsicranial Sex Estimation: An R package for sexing adult western European individuals from the cranial base morphometry in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology
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Sexing an adult human skeleton from its fragmented remains is a tremendous challenge in both archaeological and forensic contexts. Although reliable sex estimation methods using the os coxae do exist, as well as the possibility of performing a secondary sexual diagnosis within a funerary assemblage, it is essential in the case of fragmented individuals to set up an alternative sex estimation method based on a skeletal element that is both sexually dimorphic and has a high taphonomic survival rate. This study investigated the sexual dimorphism of the cranial base (occipital and temporal bones), through an exclusively metric approach, in 537 identified western European adults. Using logistic regressions, thirteen predictive models were built up, which yielded up to 86.8% accuracy after cross-validation and with a decision threshold of 0.70. BASE is an R package with a graphic user interface that can be used to apply these predictive models to a target adult individual (https://archive.softwareheritage.org/browse/directory/5e3e3753e1f9c360b0ddbebaa2d2b42e5d7686d9). This paper provides measurement definitions, practical details and user recommendations. BASE is a new sex estimation tool which is free of charge, fast and easy to use, and allows anthropologists to collect biological data from larger numbers of individuals, even when their skeletons are highly fragmented and damaged. This new method can certainly contribute to a better understanding of past populations and will be of considerable value to forensic investigations in today’s context of steadily rising numbers of missing persons. BOUCHERIE A. , POLET C. , MARTINE V., LEFÈVRE P., SANTOS F., 2025. BASE – BAsicranial Sex Estimation: An R package for sexing adult western European individuals from the cranial base morphometry in bioarchaeology and forensic anthropology. , (2) :
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Le nain et l’estropié de naissance, deux individus « hors normes » inhumés dans le cimetière médiéval de l’abbaye des Dunes de Coxyde.
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Depending on the form it can take, disability is perceived differently by societies. Adequate care tailored to the severity of impairments sometimes determines the survival of disabled individuals. Some of these pathologies leave traces on the skeleton which can be detected by palaeopathologists. We present two “non-conforming” medieval individuals who must have stood out among their contemporaries. They were buried in the cistercian abbey of the Dunes at Coxyde (West Flanders), active mainly from the 12th to the 15th century. The first individual, suffering from disproportionate dwarfism with a normal-sized trunk and short limbs, lived for about forty years before being buried north of the abbey church. The second had a congenital bilateral calcaneus varus foot deformity, along with other serious pathologies indicating a persistence of mobility conditioned by the use of crutches. He passed away after 50 years and was buried in the cloister. If they had not been members of a monastic community or benefactors, would these subjects have had the same quality of life? Beyond the absence of difference in their funerary treatment, the care provided to these particular individuals testifies to their inclusion in medieval society and redefines our perception of their position in past communities. Selon les formes qu’il peut prendre, le handicap est perçu de manière variable par les sociétés. Une prise en charge adaptée à la sévérité des atteintes conditionne parfois la survie de sujets infirmes. Certaines de ces pathologies laissent des traces sur le squelette et peuvent ainsi être détectées par les paléopathologistes. Nous présentons deux individus médiévaux « hors normes » qui ont dû marquer leurs contemporains. Ils ont été inhumés au sein de l’abbaye cistercienne des Dunes de Coxyde (Flandre occidentale), en activité principalement du xiie au xve siècle. Le premier individu, qui souffrait de nanisme disproportionnel avec un tronc de taille normale et des membres courts, a vécu une quarantaine d’années avant d’être enterré au nord de l’église abbatiale. Le second était atteint d’un pied calcaneus varus congénital bilatéral ainsi que d’autres pathologies lourdes qui indiquent une persistance de sa mobilité conditionnée par l’utilisation de béquilles. Il est décédé après 50 ans et fut inhumé dans le cloître. S’ils n’avaient pas été membres d’une communauté monastique ou issus de classes sociales favorisées, ces sujets auraient-ils eu le même parcours de vie ? Au-delà de l’absence de différence de traitement funéraire, la prise en charge de ces individus particuliers témoigne de leur inclusion dans la société médiévale et redéfinit notre vision de leur place dans les communautés du passé.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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New insights into the Spanish Levantine rock art pigments combining pXRF and stylistic approach: the Coco de la Gralla site (mas de Barberans, Tarragona, Spain) as a case study.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Ein besonderer Dekorstein der civitas Treverorum und seine Verwendung für Grabdenkmäler und als Baustein im Theater von Dalheim.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
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Geology, landscapes and natural ornamental stones of the civitas Treverorum.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2025
