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Article Reference Tarsal diversity in the earliest Eocene mammal fauna of Dormaal, Belgium
Mammal teeth bring important information regarding phylogeny and diet. However, postcranial elements, although poorly studied for small Paleogene mammals, can provide other significant data. The purpose of this study is to associate tarsal bones with dental specimens for a systematic identification. We thus chose the Belgian locality of Dormaal (Tienen Formation, Belgium) that has yielded the earliest Eocene mammals of Europe. This particularly rich fauna, dated between 55.5 and 55.8 Ma, occurred during the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum, a key period in the mammal evolution. It is composed by archaic mammals (“condylarths”, arctocyonids, plesiadapiforms, “insectivorans”…) and also by earliest modern taxa (primates, rodents, carnivoraforms, artiodactyls …), representing about 14,000 dental specimens. 488 tarsal bones are studied according to three methods: morphology, relative abundance and relative size. 12 morphotypes of astragali and 18 of calcanei are discriminated and most of them are identified at the level of species (e.g. the marsupial Peratherium constans), genus or family (e.g. ischyromyid rodents). New perspectives in phylogeny and paleoecology are proposed for further studies implying tarsal bones.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference On the occurrence of the osteoglossid genus Scleropages (Teleostei, Osteoglossiformes) in the continental Paleocene of Hainin (Mons Basin, Belgium)
Some bony remains, otoliths and squamules belonging to the osteoglossid genus Scleropages are described from the continental Paleocene of Hainin (Mons Basin, Belgium). The hypotheses to explain the occurrence of such a freshwater fish in Europe at that time are discussed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Book Reference Actes des Journées de Spéléologie Scientifique, Han-sur-Lesse 1997 à 2000
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Through the correspondence: the little story of the “Spy bones”.
In the summer 1886, the Neandertal fossils of Spy were unearthed in the so-called Betche aux Rotches cave. Ever since, they have been through many events and have been the stake of discords, sometimes impassioned, between the various protagonists of their discovery and their conservation. The succession of these events will be redrawn here and the positions of each cleared up in the light of the rereading of two archives collections coming from the discoverers, namely the correspondence collection of Maximin Lohest, which is Mrs Dallemagne-Ophoven’s property, and the correspondence collection of Marcel De Puydt, handed over to the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), which we shall refer to as “the Vercheval collection”.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Book Reference De oostrand van het Massief van Brabant met beschrijving van de geologische verkenningsboring te Martenslinde
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Book Reference Calcul des écoulements de nappes aquifères à deux dimensions en régime transitoire
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference New mammals from the marine Selandian of Maret, Belgium, and their implications for the age of the Paleocene continental deposits of Walbeck, Germany
The early to middle Selandian fossiliferous Orp Sand Member of the Heers Formation in Belgium has regularly been excavated at its type-locality Maret for its rich and diversified selachian fauna. Among the abundant vertebrate remains, extremely rare mammal specimens have been found. Three isolated teeth have been published previously, all with uncertain affinities. The purpose of this study is to present new specimens from the same deposits, including a small well-preserved dentary of an adapisoriculid attributable to “Afrodon” germanicus, a fragmentary upper molar, referred to Berrulestes sp., and a premolar of a large arctocyonid. Among the previous specimens we identified Arctocyonides cf. weigelti. The adapisoriculid dentary offers new clues that allow transferring “Afrodon” germanicus to the genus Bustylus. The five mammal taxa from Maret indicate an age intermediate between reference-levels MP1-5 of Hainin, Belgium and MP6 of Cernay, France and present the greatest correlation with the rich Walbeck fauna in Germany. The deposits from Walbeck were usually thought to be slightly older than the late Thanetian deposits of Cernay. We infer here that the age of Walbeck is likely to be Selandian. The strong differences observed between Hainin on the one hand, and Walbeck and Cernay on the other hand, document a dispersal event from North America to Europe around the Danian-Selandian boundary.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference Comparing 3D digitizing technologies: what are the differences?
We tested five 3D digitization systems and one method of 2D+ recording on one object: a human skull from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences collection (RBINS). We chose a skull because it has both simple and complex structures and different materials such as bone and enamel within the same object. The results obtained with the different technologies were compared for 3D shape accuracy, texture quality, digitization and processing time and finally price. Our results show that the structured light scanner provided the best results to record external structures, CT was found to be the best to record internal structures and is also the best for recording reflecting material such as enamel. Photogrammetry is a very good compromise between portability, price and quality. RTI is a method of 2D+ recording and is a complementary technique, using the same equipment than photogrammetry, which can capture small morphological.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Stable isotopes.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Radiocarbon dating of human remains and associated archaeological material
The Neandertal skeletal material from Spy cave has finally been directly dated by AMS 14C one hundred twenty-five years following their discovery. Fifteen human bones and teeth were dated in order to verify new morphological analyses and determine the age of the Spy Neandertals. Collagen from 14 faunal remains and three bone or ivory artefacts were also dated in order to establish a radiocarbon framework for the three “fauna-bearing levels” defined by the original excavators. Apart from several dates that are clearly too young due to contamination or diagenetic influences, our results show that the three oldest dates (ca. 36,000 uncal BP) for the two Neandertal adults are reliable given that the quality parameters are within the accepted confidence interval. We discuss the results of these new dates and their significance in light of the site's stratigraphy, the local Belgian context, and the wider European framework. Radiocarbon dating of Neolithic human skeletal material is also presented and discussed.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications