Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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The Boulogne calcareous sandstone and coquina, important historical building stones in the Counties of Artois and Flanders.
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Natuursteenidentificatie Leuvensepoort, Warandepark, Tervuren. Studie uitgevoerd in opdracht van Lapis Arte bv (Oosterzele).
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Restauratie Justitiepaleis Brussel. Onderzoek van te vervangen Comblanchien (deel 2). Natuursteenvervanging voorgevel. Studie i.o.v. Perspectiv Architecten.
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Boterstraat 38 – 1000 Brussel, ‘natuursteen’ in de voorgevel. Studie in opdracht van Studiebureau Monumentenzorg.
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. Heilige Geesthof en kapel van Overloo - natuursteenidentificatie. Studie t.a.v. Thijs Goemans.
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Sint-Amanduskerk van Erps, opgraving voor vloerverwarmingsinstallatie: natuursteendeterminatie. Studie t.a.v. Walter Sevenants, Voorzitter Erfgoedkring Kortenberg
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Restauratie Justitiepaleis Brussel. Natuursteen in de uitgebreide sokkel van de centrale koepel. Studie i.o.v. Perspectiv Architecten.
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Microscopie van twee gesteentemonsters. Leuvensepoort, Warandepark, Tervuren. Studie i.o.v. Lapis Arte bv
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Koninklijke Opera en Posterijen, Gent. Natuursteenidentificatie en -herkomst. Studie i.o.v. Steenmeijer Architecten.
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Restauratie Justitiepaleis Brussel. Natuursteenproblematiek in de uitgebreide sokkel van de centrale koepel. Studie i.o.v. Perspectiv Architecten.
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Sint-Martinuskerk Lubbeek: natuursteenidentificatie en -schadepathologie, inzonderheid de witstenen. Studie i.o.v. Origin Architecture & Engineering.
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Arion vulgaris Moquin-Tandon, 1855 à Vogar en Islande
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Mons/Spiennes : fouilles préventives et suivi de la construction du Centre d'interprétation des minières néolithiques de silex de Spiennes au lieu-dit "Petit-Spiennes".
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On a new species of the genus Cyprinotus (Crustacea, Ostracoda) from a temporary wetland in New Caledonia (Pacific Ocean), with a reappraisal of the genus
- The New Caledonia archipelago is known for its high level of endemism in both faunal and floral groups. Thus far, only 12 species of non-marine ostracods have been reported. After three expeditions to the main island of the archipelago (Grande Terre), about four times as many species were found, about half of which are probably new. Here, we describe a new species, Cyprinotus drubea sp. nov., which is characterised mainly by the hyper-developed dorsal hump on the right valve, much larger than in any other known Recent species in this genus. After a literature study of the other presumed species in Cyprinotus Brady, 1886, we retain seven Recent species in the genus, including the present new species. Cyprinotus crenatus (Turner, 1893), C. dentatus (Sharpe, 1910), C. flavescens Brady, 1898, C. inconstans Furtos, 1936, C. newmexicoensis Ferguson, 1967, C. ohanopecoshensis Ferguson, 1966, C. pellucidus (Sharpe, 1897), C. scytodus (Dobbin, 1941) and C. sulphurous Blake, 1931 are here all referred to the genus Heterocypris s. lat. Claus, 1892. Cyprinotus unispinifera Furtos, 1936 is assigned to the genus Cypricercus Sars, 1895. Cyprinotus tenuis Henry, 1923, C. fuscus Henry, 1919 and C. carinatus (King, 1855) are here classified as doubtful species. A checklist of the 14 non-marine ostracods, now including Cyprinotus drubea sp. nov. and Cypris granulata (Daday, 1910), thus far reported from New Caledonia, is provided. Herpetocypris caledonica Méhes, 1939 and H. caledonica var. minor Méhes, 1939 are synonymised with Candonocypris novaezelandiae (Baird, 1843).
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Extreme drought periods can change spatial effects on periphytic ostracod metacommunities in river-floodplain ecosystems
- Hydrological regimes are seasonally variable in river-floodplain ecosystems. Thus, since in these environments the local and regional factors change at different temporal scales, factors structuring metacommunities might also differ over time. However, temporal dynamics of metacommunities have rarely been assessed. Here, we investigated the influence of environmental and spatial factors over time on the metacommunity structuring of periphytic ostracods in the river-floodplain system of the Upper Paraná River (Brazil). The spatial factors turned out to be more important than environmental factors, and differences in the percentage of explanation of the factors structuring ostracod metacommunities over time were significant, mainly during extreme drought period. Our results showed that the high spatial influence might be related to the low connectivity amongst environments during such extreme drought period, which can increase dispersal limitation, and consequently can increase the turnover of ostracod species throughout the region, leading to a higher beta-diversity of ostracod metacommunities.
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The Freshwater Information Platform: An online network supporting freshwater biodiversity research and data publishing
- Species distribution data are crucial for understanding biodiversity dynamics and the underlying drivers. For freshwaters, which cover only a small proportion of the world's surface, but host a large variety of species, knowledge on species occurrences is extremely important as they are among the most endangered ecosystems globally. However, a huge body of data gathered by scientists and water managers is currently difficult to access: systematic data publishing practices have not been fully adopted yet and data embedded in scientific papers and research project websites are often challenging to extract. At the same time, data and knowledge generated through publically-funded research or monitoring programmes are considered a common good. The Freshwater Information Platform (FIP) aims at pooling freshwater related research information from multiple projects and initiatives to make it easily accessible for scientists, water managers, conservationists and the interested public. The FIP consists of several major components, three of which form its “data publication unit”: The Freshwater Metadatabase (1) is an online tool where data characterising and documenting actual datasets can be entered in a simple way. With one more mouseclick these metadata can then be published as open access articles in the connected Freshwater Metadata Journal. The second part of the unit is the Freshwater Biodiversity Data Portal (2), where we aim to mobilise and publish the connected freshwater biodiversity data (occurrence records) through GBIF (Global Biodiversity Information Facility). The use of collected datasets for large-scale analyses and models is demonstrated in the Global Freshwater Biodiversity Atlas (3) that publishes interactive online maps featuring research results on freshwater biodiversity, threats and conservation priorities. Here, we focus on introducing these components as tools to streamline open access freshwater data publication, arguing it will improve the capacity to protect and manage freshwater biodiversity in the face of global change. We further present linkages to and cooperations with other key initiatives in the field, namely the "Alliance for Freshwater Life" as well as "FreshwaterBON".
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The Freshwater Information Platform: a global online network providing data, tools and resources for science and policy support
- Freshwaters are among the most complex, dynamic, and diverse ecosystems globally. Despite their small share of the earth’s surface (less than 1%) they are home to over 10% of all known animal species. Biodiversity decrease in general and freshwater biodiversity decline in particular have recently received increasing attention, and various policy instruments are now targeting the conservation, protection and enhancement of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services. Surveillance programs as well as a variety of research projects have been producing a tremendous amount of freshwater-related information. Though there have been various attempts to build infrastructures for online collection of such data, tools and reports, they often provide only limited access to resources that can readily be extracted for conducting large scale analyses. Here, we present the Freshwater Information Platform, an open system of relevant freshwater biodiversity-related information. We provide a comprehensive overview of the platform’s core components, highlight their values, present options for their use, and discuss future developments. This is complemented by information on the platform’s current management structure, options for contributing data and research results and an outlook for the future.
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Unexpected fish diversity gradients in the Amazon basin
- Using the most comprehensive fish occurrence database, we evaluated the importance of ecological and historical drivers in diversity patterns of subdrainage basins across the Amazon system. Linear models reveal the influence of climatic conditions, habitat size and sub-basin isolation on species diversity. Unexpectedly, the species richness model also highlighted a negative upriver-downriver gradient, contrary to predictions of increasing richness at more downriver locations along fluvial gradients. This reverse gradient may be linked to the history of the Amazon drainage network, which, after isolation as western and eastern basins throughout the Miocene, only began flowing eastward 1–9 million years (Ma) ago. Our results suggest that the main center of fish diversity was located westward, with fish dispersal progressing eastward after the basins were united and the Amazon River assumed its modern course toward the Atlantic. This dispersal process seems not yet achieved, suggesting a recent formation of the current Amazon system.
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A striking case of convergent evolution in two species of Cypricercinae (Crustacea, Ostracoda), with the description of a new genus and species from Brazil
- Neostrandesia striata gen. n. sp. n. is here described and constitutes an interesting case of convergent evolution with Bradleytriebella lineata (Victor and Fernando, 1981). Both cypricercine species look superficially similar, with comparable valve and carapace shapes and especially ornamentation, as in both species the valves are densely set with longitudinal ridges. However, examination of the limb chaetotaxy shows important differences, especially in the chaetotaxy of the maxillula-palp which shows reduced numbers of claws and setae, and in the first thoracopod, in which seta ‘b’ has taken a giant aspect in the new taxon. These, and other, differences merit the allocation of these two species to different genera and even tribes within the subfamily Cypricercinae.
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Are Cardinium infections causing asexuality in non-marine ostracods?
- Endosymbiotic bacteria manipulating host biology and reproduction, and sometimes also causing parthenogenesis, are known from many metazoan taxa. Three recent studies have reported Cardinium endosymbionts in non-marine ostracods with different reproductive modes. Here, we test with all available data which (a)biotic factors could possibly shape infection patterns in these crustaceans. The presence of Cardinium in non-marine ostracods differs significantly between genders and between species with different reproductive modes. We observed more infections in females and found Cardinium only in ostracods with mixed and asexual reproduction. There is a significant positive correlation between latitude and Cardinium infection, which might be linked to geographic parthenogenesis, a common phenomenon in non-marine ostracods with mixed reproduction. We suggest that the observed patterns best fit a polymorphic equilibrium between endosymbionts and their hosts. Ostracods with mixed reproduction often produce young asexual lineages, implying that Cardinium infections might have occurred more recently, and are widespread. In contrast, putative ancient asexual darwinulid ostracod shows less frequent occurrence of Cardinium. Loss of endosymbionts in these asexual ostracods during their long evolutionary histories of millions of years seems a more likely explanation. Which factors influence Cardinium prevalence in non-marine ostracods needs to be further tested in life history experiments.
