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Inproceedings Reference The biodiversity of the Eocene Messel vertebrates based on the Belgian Collections
The paleontological collections of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences include a beautiful collection of 393 vertebrate specimens from the Messel Pit: 58 fish, 18 amphibians, 79 reptiles, 108 birds and 130 mammals. This collection is the largest Messel collection outside Germany and belongs to the „big four” (Smith et al. 2024). It results from a fieldwork partnership with the Seckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt between 1982 and 1988, so a few years before the Messel pit was listed in 1995 as UNESCO World Heritage site. With a few exceptions, most of the specimens have been collected by the Belgians. However, most of the specimens have been prepared by German preparators. Here we show the Messel biodiversity based on the Brussels collection. The collection is relatively well diversified and contains 24 type and figured specimens. Among them are remarkable specimens such as the holotype of the hyaenodont carnivorous mammal Lesmesodon edingeri, the paratypes of the trogon bird Masillatrogon pumilio and embalonurid bat Tachypteron franzeni, the exquisitely 3-D prepared turtle lovers Allaeochelys crassesculpta and armored crocodylia Diplocynodon deponiae, and the only skeleton of the basal perissodactyl Hallensia matthesi housed in a public collection. The archives related to this collection are currently being digitized and several new studies are now based on micro-CT scan technology allowing to „discover” hidden characters.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
Inproceedings Reference Do diversification and dispersals of early Eocene perissodactyls differ from those of other modern mammals?
Perissodactyls make their first appearance in the fossil record during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), 56 Ma ago, at the same time as most modern placental mammal orders. However, their early diversification remains unclear since all main groups (Equidae, Isectolophidae, Ceratomorpha, Ancylopoda and Brontotheriidae) appear at the same time with numerous genera and are already diverse, contrary to other modern mammal orders, which have a much lower diversity. Moreover, several early perissodactyl genera seem endemic to each of the three Holarctic continents, rather than cosmopolitan as is the case for other mammal groups. We investigate the early evolution of perissodactyls by analyzing a new dataset focusing on early species to obtain a new expansive phylogeny. This large-scale phylogeny shows that the number of early perissodactyl genera was over-estimated and supports the synonymy of several genera. In addition, many species that were named as “Hyracotherium” in the past (or sometimes “Eohippus”, the “dawn-horse”) are not actually closely related to horses, including Hyracotherium itself, but can be considered as basal perissodactyls. Among the latter, at least Pliolophus and Cardiolophus experienced vast and fast dispersals between North America, Europe and Asia, during the PETM. This paleobiogeographic scenario much resembles the one of other earliest Eocene mammals, which comprise genera that are often found in at least two continents, such as in artiodactyls, primates, carnivorans, hyaenodontids, hyopsodontids, phenacodontids or rodents. Here, we show that the paleobiogeographic distribution of earliest perissodactyls does not differ from that of other modern mammals.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
Inproceedings Reference Tomography of three articulated perissodactyl skeletons from Messel
The perissodactyls from the UNESCO World Heritage site of Messel (MP11; around 47 Ma) are among the most well-known fossils from this site, and belong to at least five different genera: three equoids (Propalaeotherium, Eurohippus, and Hallensia) and two tapiromorphs (Lophiodon and Hyrachyus). Here, we investigated by X-ray microtomography at the DTHE (MateIS Laboratory, Lyon) the anatomy of three articulated skeletons from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences collection: two specimens of Eurohippus messelensis, as well as the only accessible skeleton of Hallensia matthesi. The segmented 3D models allow us to visualize for the first time some cranial, dental and postcranial features that were previously concealed. Surprisingly, the tooth rows of the two specimens of E. messelensis show two different morphologies. One is typical of E. messelensis whereas the other shows all the diagnostic characters of E. parvulus expressed by Franzen (2006). However, based on the monograph on equoids from Messel by Franzen (2007), E. messelensis was only recognized in Messel, whereas E. parvulus was known from several other localities, notably in the Geiseltal, but not in Messel. We thus suggest that E. parvulus may have also been present in Messel, which raises the question of their potential synonymy. Finally, the preservation of the skeleton of Hallensia matthesi does not permit to observe the fine anatomy of the skeleton, but still permits to discuss important characters such as the number of fingers.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
Article Reference Stratigraphy, paleontology, and depositional setting of the Late Eocene (Priabonian) lower Pagat Member, Tanjung Formation, in the Asem Asem Basin, South Kalimantan, Indonesia
Marine sedimentary rocks of the late Eocene Pagat Member of the Tanjung Formation in the Asem Asem Basin near Satui, Kalimantan, provide an important geological archive for understanding the paleontological evolution of southern Kalimantan (Indonesian Borneo) in the interval leading up the development of the Central Indo-Pacific marine biodiversity hotspot. In this paper, we describe amoderately diverse assemblage of marine invertebrates within a sedimentological and stratigraphical context. In the studied section, the Pagat Member of the Tanjung Formation records an interval of overall marine transgression and chronicles a transition from the marginal marine and continental siliciclastic succession in the underlying Tambak Member to the carbonate platform succession in the overlying Berai Formation. The lower part of the Pagat Member contains heterolithic interbedded siliciclastic sandstone and glauconitic shale, with thin bioclastic floatstone and bioclastic rudstone beds. This segues into a calcareous shale succession with common foraminiferal packstone/rudstone lenses interpreted as low-relief biostromes. A diverse trace fossil assemblage occurs primarily in a muddy/glauconitic sandstone, sandy mudstone, and bioclastic packstone/rudstone succession, constraining the depositional setting to a mid-ramp/mid to distal continental shelf setting below fair-weather wave base but above stormwave base. Each biostrome rests upon a storm-generated ravinement surface characterized by a low-diversity Glossifungites or Trypanites trace fossil assemblage. The erosional surfaces were colonized by organisms that preferred stable substrates, including larger benthic foraminifera, solitary corals, oysters, and serpulid annelid worms. The biostromes comprised islands of highmarine biodiversity on the mud-dominated Pagat coastline. Together, the biostromes analyzed in this study contained 13 genera of symbiont-bearing larger benthic foraminifera, ∼40 mollusk taxa, at least 5 brachyuran decapod genera, and 6 coral genera (Anthemiphyllia, Balanophyllia, Caryophyllia, Cycloseris, Trachyphyllia, and Trochocyathus), as well as a variety of bryozoans, serpulids, echinoids, and asterozoans. High foraminiferal and molluscan diversity, coupled with modest coral diversity, supports the hypothesis that the origin of the diverse tropical invertebrate faunas that characterize the modern Indo-Australian region may have occurred in the latest Eocene/earliest Oligocene.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2025 OA
Article Reference Dietary reconstruction of Spy I using dental microwear texture analysis
Spy I from the Meuse River Basin of Belgium is among the most recent Neandertals. This adult lived at the terminus of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 in cold steppe environments at the northern edge of the habitable zone for Neandertals where plants were relatively scarce. The dietary proclivities of Spy I are reconstructed using dental microwear texture analysis and compared to 33 Neandertals from western Eurasia, MIS 5 to MIS 3. Spy I has an elevated enamel surface complexity suggesting the consumption of course dietary items such as wild seeds, acorns, nuts, and underground storage organs laden with particles of grit. Unlike the young and old individuals from Hortus with low values for anisotropy, Spy I is closest to the adults from this site suggesting a common pattern of masticatory behavior typified this life cycle stage. Like many other Neandertals, Spy I probably consumed plant foods at appreciable levels, some of which were hard and brittle or poorly processed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2019
Article Reference The upper Eocene-Oligocene carnivorous mammals from the Quercy Phosphorites (France) housed in Belgian collections
The Quercy Phosphorites Formation in France is world famous for its Eocene to Miocene faunas, especially those from the upper Eocene to lower Oligocene, the richest of all. The latter particularly helped to understand the ‘Grande Coupure’, a dramatic faunal turnover event that occurred in Europe during the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Fossils from the Quercy Phosphorites were excavated from the middle 19th century until the early 20th century in a series of sites and became subsequently dispersed over several research institutions, while often losing the temporal and geographical information in the process. In this contribution, we provide an overview and reassess the taxonomy of these barely known collections housed in three Belgian institutions: the Université de Liège, KU Leuven, and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. We focus our efforts on the carnivorous mammals (Hyaenodonta and Carnivoramorpha) and assess the stratigraphic intervals covered by each collection. These fossils are derived from upper Eocene (Priabonian), lower Oligocene (Rupelian), and upper Oligocene (Chattian) deposits in the Quercy area. The richness of the three collections (e.g., the presence of numerous postcranial elements in the Liège collection), the presence of types and figured specimens in the Leuven collection, and some identified localities in the RBINS collection make these collections of great interest for further studies on systematics and the evolution of mammals around the ‘Grande Coupure’.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Inbook Reference Catypnes marazziorum sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae) from Papua New Guinea
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2021
Article Reference Polydictya lanternflies of Java: New species, taxonomy and identification key (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications 2024
Article Reference Sulawesimtopus henryi, a new genus and species of Isometopi!nae (Hemiptera, Heteroptar, Miridae) from Sulawesi
Located in Library / RBINS collections by external author(s)
Article Reference The holothurian subgenus Mertensiothuria (Aspidochirotida: Holothuriidae) revisited.
Mertensiothuria is one of the 20 subgenera currently recognized under Holothuria. The diagnosis of the subgenus is amended with new information on the ossicles found in the longitudinal muscles. The number of species of Mertensiothuria considered to be valid at present is six. These species are redescribed on the basis of new material, type and non-type museum material and on re-evaluation of literature. Two of them, Holothuria hilla and Holothuria aphanes, are transferred from the subgenus Thymiosycia to Mertensiothuria. Four species formerly referred to Mertensiothuria are removed; provisionally they are not referred to any of the known subgenera of Holothuria. Full annotated descriptions or (where the type material was not available) references to the literature are given for each species. An identification key is given to the species belonging to the subgenus Mertensiothuria.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications