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Article Reference The creodonts (mammalia, Ferae) from the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Belgium (Tienen Formation, MP7)
Study of the dental remains of creodont mammals from the Paleocene-Eocene transition in Belgium (Tienen Formation, reference-level MP7) allows seven species to be recognized, four of which belong to the family Hyaenodontidae and three to the Oxyaenidae. The four hyaenodontid species, which are new to science, present numerous symplesiomorphic characteristics. They represent the oldest hyaenodontids of northern Europe and are shown to be the most primitive representatives of the sub-family Hyaenodontinae known so far. They are closely related to the oldest North American species but the morphological differences between them demonstrate that they are not vicariant species. Thus, the Belgian species could be at the origin of the American hyaenodontid lineages or belong to lineages already distinct but recently differentiated from common ancestors slightly older than both of these species groups. As for oxyaenids, their dental morphology shows that they could originate from the North American Paleocene lineages, although their small size does not support this hypothesis. The smallest Belgian creodont, Prototomus minimus n. sp. is remarkable in that it may present sexual dimorphism in mandibular morphology.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Diversity of the adapisoriculid mammals from the early Palaeocene of Hainin, Belgium
Adapisoriculidae are an enigmatic group of small mammals known from the late Cretaceous of India, and from the early Palaeocene to early Eocene of Europe and Africa. Based on their primitive dental morphology, they have been classified as didelphids, nyctitheriids, leptictids, mixodectids, tupaiids, and palaeoryctids. While the latest hypothesis based on dental morphology suggests an affinity with Lipotyphla, postcranial remains indicate a close relationship with Euarchonta. Here, we present new adapisoriculid dental remains from the early Palaeocene locality of Hainin (Belgium). Adapisoriculidae are particularly abundant in Hainin, where they represent about one third of the mammalian fauna, offering new insights into both their specific and generic phylogenetic interrelationships. We describe three new species (Afrodon gheerbranti sp. nov., Bustylus folieae sp. nov. and Proremiculus lagnauxi gen. et sp. nov.) and document the previously unknown lower dentition of Bustylus marandati. The diversity of dental morphologies observed in the Hainin fauna suggests different interrelationships than previously suggested. In particular, the genus Proremiculus is considered morphologically intermediate between Afrodon and Remiculus, and the latter is no longer recognised as the sister group of Adapisoriculus. Although the highest diversity of adapisoriculids occurs in Europe, the oldest and most primitive members of the family were found in India and Africa, respectively. The geographic origin of the family could thus be located in any of these three continents, depending on the importance attributed to each of these factors. The coexistence of primitive and derived adapisoriculids at Hainin might indicate a very quick diversification in Europe, probably starting around the K−T boundary.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Fruits and seeds from the Tienen Formation at Dormaal, Palaeocene–Eocene transition in eastern Belgium
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Differential response of ants to nutrient addition in a tropical Brown Food Web
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Distribution and diversity of the cryptic ant genus Oxyepoecus (Hymenoptera: Formicidae: Myrmicinae) in Paraguay, with descriptions of two new species.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference High species turnover of the ant genus Solenopsis (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) along an altitudinal gradient in the Ecuadorian Andes, indicated by a combined DNA sequencing and morphological approach.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Podocarpus National Park Biodiversity.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Soil properties only weakly affect subterranean ant distribution at small spatial scales
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference The Ecology and Feeding Habits of the Arboreal Trap-Jawed Ant Daceton armigerum
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Where do adaptive shifts occur during invasion? A multidisciplinary approach to unravelling cold adaptation in a tropical ant species invading the Mediterranean area
Evolution may improve the invasiveness of populations, but it often remains unclear whether key adaptation events occur after introduction into the recipient habitat (i.e. post-introduction adaptation scenario), or before introduction within the native range (i.e. prior-adaptation scenario) or at a primary site of invasion (i.e. bridgehead scenario). We used a multidisciplinary approach to determine which of these three scenarios underlies the invasion of the tropical ant Wasmannia auropunctata in a Mediterranean region (i.e. Israel). Species distribution models (SDM), phylogeographical analyses at a broad geographical scale and laboratory experiments on appropriate native and invasive populations indicated that Israeli populations followed an invasion scenario in which adaptation to cold occurred at the southern limit of the native range before dispersal to Israel. We discuss the usefulness of combining SDM, genetic and experimental approaches for unambiguous determination of eco-evolutionary invasion scenarios.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications