Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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State of knowledge of aquatic ecosystem and fisheries of the Lake Edward System, East Africa
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Pilsbrylia, a dextral-shelled door snail from South America (Gastropoda, Clausiliidae)
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Sixteen issid planthopper species in one day in Dong Son-Ky Thuong Nature Reserve in North Vietnam: Eight new species, one new genus and additional new records (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae)
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Review of the lanternfly genus Pyrops of Thailand (Hemiptera: Fulgoridae) with notes and keys to species
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Stable isotopes reveal effects of environmental changes on ecological niches of Iphimediidae amphipods.
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Phylogeography and taxonomy of the Snow Petrel (Pagodroma nivea s.l.).
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Composition of recent non-marine Ostracoda (Crustacea) communities in four tropical floodplains (Brazil).
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Factors determining the metacommunity structure of periphytic ostracods: a deconstruction approach based on biological traits
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Do flood pulses control the variability and persistence of Ostracoda (Crustacea) communities in lakes of tropical floodplains?
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Food web structure of fouling communities along a depth gradient: a North Sea case study
- Man-made structures offer habitat for sessile macrofauna and thus alter the natural biodiversity. This alteration has an impact not only on ecosystem structure, but also on ecological functioning, e.g. food web interactions. Trophic linkages among organisms are a fundamental requirement to explaining energy flow from primary carbon fixation to higher trophic level consumers and hence to explaining how man-made structures impact ecosystem functioning. The aim of this study is to disentangle trophic interactions within fouling communities at different depths of artificial hard substrates that are present in the Belgian part of the North Sea. Fouling organisms were collected along the entire depth gradient (from the intertidal zone down to the erosion protection layer) of a gravity-based windmill. Additionally, food sources, such as plankton, and mobile predators were sampled from the surrounding water column. All organisms were identified to the lowest possible taxonomic level and were processed for stable isotope analysis (δ15Ν and δ13C) to explore their trophic niche. This study reveals differences in food web structure to be aligned with the species richness turn across depths. The anticipated results will divulge the unique trophic linkages among hard substrate organisms opposed to the natural trophic interactions of soft substrate species in the North Sea. Disentangling trophic linkages between species, providing an idealized picture of the trophic patterns in the ecosystem is crucial to the understanding of marine food webs. This study hence provides fundamental insights into the functional effects of proliferating artificial hard substrates in marine ecosystems.
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PRELIMINARY STUDY OF THE WATER GRADIENT WITHIN A BELGIAN OFFSHORE WINDFARM
- The FaCE-It project aims to examine the effects of sediment fining and hardening on benthic ecosystem functioning caused by anthropogenic impacts. Human activities, e.g. the construction of offshore windfarms, add artificial hard substrate to naturally soft sediments, altering the existing seabed habitats. The input of hard substrates leads to partial or entire replacement of the native benthic communities by fouling communities. The organisms comprising a fouling community act as active “biofilters” consuming organic compounds from the water column and releasing inorganic and organic materials, in the forms of faeces and pseudofaeces, to the surrounding environment – a procedure known as biodeposition. It is known that some fouling organisms, such as the amphipod Jassa herdmani and the hydroid Tubularia indivisa, build tube-like structures that absorb suspended particulate matter (SPM). These activities result in the alteration of the biogeochemical processes and could also lead to the SPM plumes that have been reported to occur in the Belgian offshore windfarms. The aim of the present study is to identify the alterations caused by fouling communities to the water characteristics and analyze the water gradient – flow of the water compounds according to the currents - around an offshore windfarm (C-Power) in the Belgian Part of the North Sea. The initial hypothesis is that organic and inorganic materials will flow according to the currents and will appear in different concentrations in front, within and behind the entire windfarm structure. For this purpose, a sampling campaign was organized in order to collect water samples from different areas of the windfarm and analyze them for a variety of water characteristics, such as chlorophyll a, suspended particulate matter, particulate organic carbon and nitrogen and dissolved organic carbon. The results of this study will present the concentrations of the water gradient occurring in the offshore windfarms due to the presence of the fouling community.
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Vertebral morphology and intracolumnar variation of the iconic African viperid snake Atheris (Serpentes, Viperidae)
- We here provide a detailed description of the vertebral morphology of the African arboreal viperid snakes of the genus Atheris. Vertebrae of three different species of the genus, i.e., Atheris desaixi, Atheris hispida, and Atheris katangensis, were investigated via the aid of μCT (micro‐computed tomography) scanning. We describe several vertebrae from different regions of the vertebral column for all three species, starting from the atlas‐axis complex to the caudal tip, in order to demonstrate important differences regarding the intracolumnar variation. Comparison of these three species shows an overall similar general morphology of the trunk vertebrae among the Atheris species. We extensively compare Atheris with other known viperids. As the sole arboreal genus of Viperinae the prehensile nature of the tail of Atheris is reflected in its caudal vertebral morphology, which is characterized by a high number of caudal vertebrae but also robust and anteroventrally oriented pleurapophyses as a skeletal adaptation, linked with the myology of the tail, to an arboreal lifestyle. We anticipate that the extensive figuring of these viperid specimens will also aid identifications in paleontology.
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Biofluorescence in Morelia, Malayopython and Python: first reports for the Pythonidae
- Ultraviolet (UV) induced biofluorescence in snakes has been underexplored compared to lizards. This study reports for the first time UV fluorescence in several Pythonidae species, including Morelia viridis, Malayopython reticulatus, and Python regius. Specimens were examined under both white and UV light, revealing that UV fluorescence in these snakes is likely skin-based, induced by chemical compounds rather than bone-based as seen in other reptiles. Notably, Morelia viridis and M. azurea exhibited a golden mustard yellow fluorescence, while Malayopython reticulatus displayed a complex pattern with intense yellow fluorescence. The study also found that UV fluorescence is absent in ethanol-preserved specimens, suggesting the degradation of fluorescent compounds during preservation. These findings contribute to the understanding of UV fluorescence in snakes and highlight the need for further research on its functional significance and the specific molecules involved.
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Biofluorescence of the Crocodile Skinks, genus Tribolonotus: first report in Scincidae
- Biofluorescence, the phenomenon where organisms absorb short wavelengths of light and re-emit longer wavelengths, has been documented in various reptile and amphibian groups. This study reports the first observation of UV-induced biofluorescence in the genus Tribolonotus (crocodile skinks), marking the first such report for the family Scincidae. Specimens of Tribolonotus novaeguineae, T. brongersmai, and T. gracilis were examined under UV light, revealing distinct fluorescence patterns. The fluorescence is primarily bone-induced, linked to the presence of osteoderms, although some skin-based fluorescence was also observed, particularly around the eyes. The study suggests potential ecological roles for this fluorescence, such as intraspecific signaling or predator-prey interactions, and highlights the need for further research to understand the functional significance of biofluorescence in these skinks.
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Ostracod across the Frasnian/ Famennian boundary in the Hony railway section (Southern border of the Dinant Synclinorium, Belgium) - Geochemical consequences.
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Discovery of ichtyofauna at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary in Ouarsenis (Algeria)
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Osteology and relationships of Libanopycnodus wenzi gen.et sp. nov. and Sigmapycnodus giganteus gen. et sp. nov. (Pycnodontiformes) from the Late Cretaceous of Lebanon.
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Osteology and relationships of Furloichthys bonarellii gen. and sp. nov. (Teleostei, Ichthyodectidae) from the Upper Cretaceous deposits of the Furlo River (the Marche, central Italy).
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The Mesozoic fish genus Pholidophorus (Teleostei, Pholidophoriformes), with an osteological study of the type-species Pholidophorus latiusculus. Comments on some problems concerning the “pholidophoriform” fishes
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Osteology and phylogenetic relationships of Haqelpycnodus picteti gen. and sp. nov., a new pycnodont fish genus (Pycnodontidae) from the marine Late Cretaceous tropical sea of Lebanon
