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The Devonian–Carboniferous boundary in Belgium and surrounding areas
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The Devonian–Carboniferous boundary is associated with a major extinction event of the Phanerozoic. It was also a time marked by a rapid but short-lasting change in deposition called Hangenberg Event. In the Namur–Dinant Basin the uppermost Devonian (‘Strunian’) deposits recorded a third-order transgression that produced a progressive switch from coastal siliciclastic to proximal mixed deposits with an increase of the carbonate production on the ramp. Hence, the Comblain-au-Pont and lower Hastière formations are considered as the transgressive system tract, whereas the middle member of the Hastière Formation is interpreted as the highstand system tract, capped by an erosion surface corresponding to the third-order sequence boundary. Superimposed on these third-order sequences are well-marked orbitally forced precession cycles (wet–dry climate alternations) of c. 18.6 ka, appearing as irregular c. 30–80-cm-thick couplets of limestone and calcareous shale beds. The Hangenberg Black Shale Event is locally present as dark shales that likely spread over the shelf, marking the maximum flooding surface of the sequence. Before and after this event, carbonate facies rich in benthic macrofauna and microfauna continued to develop. The Hangenberg Sandstone Event, appearing as a sandstone bed in pelagic sections, is variously recorded at the base of the Hastière Formation, either as a sandy siltstone bed in proximal sections or as a horizon with limestone clasts and reworked fossils in more distal settings. The Hangenberg Sandstone Event beds occur sharply in the stratigraphic record and do not correspond to the long sea level fall of a third-order sequence boundary, but most probably to a short out-of-sequence event. The revision of the stratigraphic distribution of major fossil groups pleads for a continuous biostratigraphic succession with no obvious hiatus. The variable development of some micropalaeontological zones at the end of the Devonian is the result of complex ecobiostratigraphic interactions with the environment rather than the reflection of true hiatuses. It is marked by extinctions of Devonian taxa, concomitantly with the end of the reworking produced by the Hangenberg Sandstone Event, most probably immediately below the entry of the conodont Protognathodus kockeli. It is also coincident with the boundary between the foraminiferal zones DFZ7–MFZ1, rugose coral zones RC0–RC1 and between the palynozones LE–VI. After the short-lasting regressive phase of the Hangenberg Sandstone Event, normal depositional settings returned with the deposition of the Hastière Formation. Hence, the end of the Hangenberg Sandstone Event is proposed as the most natural proxy to pinpoint the Devonian– Carboniferous boundary.
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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The Diest Formation: a review of insights from the last decades
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RBINS Staff Publications 2020
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The discovery of a new Fusitriton (Gastropoda, Cymatiidae) from deep waters of Tristan Da Cunha (southern Atlantic)
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RBINS Staff Publications 2019
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The discovery of the syntypes of Trophon birileffi Lischke, 1871 (Gastropoda: Muricidae: Ergalataxinae), its taxonomic implication and note about the distributional records
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The distinction of isolated bones from plaice (Pleuronectes platessa), flounder (Platichthys flesus) and dab (Limanda limanda): a description of the diagnostic characters
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The osteology of 38 skeletal elements is investigated in plaice, dextral and sinistral flounder, and dab with the aim of defining diagnostic characters that allow species identification of isolated bones from archaeological excavations. Five of these 38 skeletal elements have been mentioned in the literature as being diagnostic, but they appear to be unreliable for identification. All other elements allow identification, although only 23 permit the recognition of all three species. The individual bone elements and their diagnostic criteria are depicted and described in detail. Attention is paid to individual variation, and, when relevant, size-related morphological changes are also described. The keys that are developed for the various elements are finally tested on a large flatfish bone assemblage from an archaeological site. On the basis of these results, the success rate of the identifications for the various bones is discussed. Possible strategies for identification work on this group are suggested that take into account the extent of the reference collection, the time spent on the identifications and the experience needed in comparative osteology of these flatfish.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The distribution of sexual reproduction of the geographic parthenogen Eucypris virens (Crustacea: Ostracoda) matches environmental gradients in a temporary lake
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The distribution of sexual reproduction of the geographic parthenogen Eucypris virens (Crustacea: Ostacoda) matches environmental gradients in a temporary lake.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The distribution of the non-araeneae and non-acari arachnids of Galapagos
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The Diversity of Fish Otoliths, Past and Present by Dirk NOLF.
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"The Diversity of Fish Otoliths Past and Present" (222 p. and 359 pl.) by Dirk NOLF is a monograph in natural sciences from the Operational Directorate “Earth and History of Life” of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.be/institute/structure/index_ html#earth). It contains a historical and nomenclatural overview of otolith research in paleontology, with special emphasis on their great impact on the evaluation of the fossil record of teleostean fishes, and a systematic overview (with iconography) of the 1391 fossil species considered to be valid and of all Recent species for which otoliths have been found as fossil. For every species, the stratigraphic and geographic origin of the type material is given, and where available, also the collection numbers and depository of the holotype. Fossil species based on skeletons with otoliths in situ, but which do not have exclusively otolith-based primary types, are also included. An alphabetic list of all the 1797 nominal otolith-based fossil fish species, with an evaluation of their validity and their updated nomenclature is provided.
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RBINS Staff Publications
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The Diversity of Fish Otoliths, Past and Present
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The Diversity of Fish Otoliths, Past and Present (Dirk NOLF)is a publication from the Operational Directorate “Earth and History of Life” of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.be). This new book (222 p. & 359 pl.) contains a historical and nomenclatural overview of otolith research in paleontology, with special emphasis on their great impact on the evaluation of the fossil record of teleostean fishes, and a systematic overview (with iconography) of the 1391 fossil species considered to be valid and of all Recent species for which otoliths have been found as fossil. Otoliths of nearly all recent families and subfamilies are illustrated by at least one example, covering about 95% of all known extant taxa. For every fossil species, the stratigraphic and geographic origin of the type material is given, and where available, also the collection numbers and depository of the holotype. Fossil species based on skeletons with otoliths in situ, but which do not have exclusively otolith-based primary types, are also included. An alphabetic list of all the 1797 nominal otolith-based fossil fish species, with an evaluation of their validity and their actualized nomenclature is provided.
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RBINS Staff Publications
