Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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A four-legged ancestor led the way for early whales dispersal
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Feuille N°1 Troisvierges. Carte géologique du Luxembourg à 1/25 000
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Notice explicative de la carte géologique Troisvierges N°1 à 1:25000
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Molecular methods for the detection and identification of parasitoids within larval wheat midges
- Three species of cecidomyiid midges (Diptera: Cecidomyiidae) cause significant yield losses on wheat in Europe: Sitodiplosis mosellana (Géhin), Contarinia tritici (Kirby) and Haplodiplosis marginata (von Roser). Eggs and young larvae may be parasitised by a complex of hymenopteran parasitoids belonging to the Pteromalidae and Platygastridae families which contributes to natural pest control. We have developed molecular tools for detecting and identifying seven parasitoid species previously encountered in Belgium inside individual wheat midge larvae. Barcode DNA sequences from COI, 18S and 28S genes were obtained from the midges and parasitoid species. Each of the three genes allowed all the species to be distinguished although 18S was the only one displaying a barcoding gap, both between parasitoids and midges, and at the species level. Based on the 18S gene, we developed a TaqMan assay to assess parasitism in midge larvae, regardless of the midge and parasitoid species. Next, two group-specific PCR primer pairs were generated, allowing the separate amplification of midge DNA or parasitoid DNA in parasitised individuals and subsequent identification by Sanger sequencing. Finally, species-specific primers were designed to identify six parasitoid species by simple PCR amplification. These tools were successfully applied to assess the parasitism rate of S. mosellana larvae in seven Belgian fields.
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Characterization of a multiple burial context from Pachacamac, Peru: complementarity between bioarchaeology and molecular archaeology
- Pachacamac is a major precolumbian site located on Peru’s Central Coast. Covering approximately 6 km2, the site was occupied for over a thousand years before the Spanish conquest in the early sixteenth century. In 2012, the Ychsma Project discovered a unique Late Intermediate period (AD 900–1470) multiple burial (“Cx4”) made of two funerary chambers with a vegetal roof structure, containing over 110 intact and fragmentary deceased together with numerous grave goods. More than 60% of the individuals are subadults whose sex cannot be assigned using osteological observation. Among the adults, 23 females and 20 males were identified, and the sex of the remaining four individuals couldn’t be assigned with certainty. We aim to fully understand the sociobiology of the Cx4 population, including biological sex, using a combined bioarchaeology and molecular archaeology approach. Despite significant human modern contamination and low amounts of endogenous ancient DNA, our results show that sex could be assigned genetically in >70% of the cases, including subadults. Sex identification of infants, children and adolescents is crucial to fully understand this complex context and its funerary recruitment, and to perform an integrated and holistic analysis of all associated data.
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Caractérisation d'une sépulture multiple de Pachacamac, Pérou : complémentarité entre la bioarchéologie et l'archéologie moléculaire
- Pachacamac est un site précolombien majeur situé sur la côte centrale du Pérou. D'une superficie d'environ 6 km2, le site a été occupé pendant plus de mille ans avant la conquête espagnole au début du 16e siècle. En 2012, le projet Ychsma (ULB) a découvert une sépulture multiplede la Période Intermédiaire récente (900 à 1470 après JC) nommée Cx4, composée de deux chambres funéraires recouvertes d’un toit végétal, et contenant 89 défunts intacts ou fragmentaires ainsiqu’un abondant matériel funéraire . Plus de 60 % des individus sont des subadultes dont le sexe ne peut être attribué sur la seule base d'observations ostéologiques. L'analyse de l'ADN ancien (ADNa) peut être utile pour la détermination du sexe, la lignée mitochondriale générale (haplogroupe) et le diagnostic de maladies. A noter que la contamination non endogène du matériel archéologique par l'ADN est un problème récurrent, car les fouilles, la manipulation et le stockage ne répondent généralement pas aux critères recommandés pour l'analyse de l'ADN ancien. Nonobstant, nous présentons les résultats de l'ADNa de plusieurs individus humains récupérés dans le contexte Cx4. Nos objectifs sont de compléter les informations démographiques et de caractériser l'état de santé de la population enterrée dans ce lieu de pèlerinage dédié au dieu guérisseur éponyme, et ce en combinant bioarchéologie et archéologie moléculaire. Malgré une contamination humaine moderne importante et de faibles quantités d'ADN ancien endogène, nos résultats montrent que le sexe pourrait être attribué génétiquement dans >80% des cas, y compris les subadultes. L'identification du sexe des nourrissons, des enfants et des adolescents est cruciale pour bien comprendre ce contexte complexe et son recrutement funéraire, et pour effectuer une analyse intégrée et holistique de toutes les données associées. Les données ont également été utilisées pour estimer la présence d’ADNa de plusieurs agents pathogènes à l'aide de l'outil de classification taxonomique KrakenUniq.
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Paleo-genetic and paleo-pathological studies at Pachacamac: methodological issues and characterization of a multiple burial context (in Spanish)
- Pachacamac is a major pre-Columbian site located on Peru’s Central Coast. Covering approximately 6 km2, the site was occupied for over a thousand years before the Spanish conquest in the early 16th century. In 2012, the Ychsma Project excavated a Late Intermediate Period (900 to 1470 AD) multiple tomb (Cx4) made of two funerary chambers covered by a vegetal roof, containing 89 deceased together with numerous grave goods. Over 60% of the individuals are subadults whose sex cannot be assigned based on osteological observations. Ancient DNA (aDNA) analysis can be useful for sex determination, general mitochondrial lineage (haplogroup) and disease diagnosis. However, non-endogenous DNA contamination of archaeological material is a recurrent problematic, since excavation, handling and storage usually don't fit with the precautions recommended for ancient DNA analysis. Nevertheless, we obtained aDNA results from several human individuals recovered from the Cx4 context. Our objectives are to complete the demographic information and to characterize the health status of the population buried in this pilgrimage site dedicated to the eponymous healing god. Despite significant human modern contamination and low amounts of endogenous ancient DNA, our results show that sex could be assigned genetically in >80% of the cases, including subadults. Sex identification of infants, children and adolescents is crucial to fully understand this complex context and its funerary recruitment, and to perform an integrated and holistic analysis of all associated data. The genetic data were also used to estimate the presence of several pathogens using the KrakenUniq taxonomical classification tool.
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Détection et identification moléculaire des parasitoïdes des larves de cécidomyie orange du blé
- La cécidomyie orange du blé est un important ravageur. Ce diptère est contrôlé naturellement par un complexe d’hyménoptères parasitoïdes. Pour faciliter l’étude de celui-ci, nous avons développé des outils moléculaires pour la détection et l'identification des sept espèces de parasitoïdes rencontrées en Belgique. Des séquences d'ADN des gènes COI, 18S et 28S ont été obtenues à partir de spécimens de référence. Sur la base du 18S, nous avons développé différents tests permettant la détection du parasitisme ou l’identification des espèces de parasitoïde. Ces outils moléculaires ont été appliqués avec succès pour évaluer le taux de parasitisme de larves issues de sept champs. Il s’avère que le taux de parasitisme varie entre 0 % et 33%. L’espèce dominante est Macroglenes penetrans, suivie de Platygaster tuberosula et Euxestonotus error conformément à la littérature. Grâce à cet outil, le suivi du parasitisme sera facilité afin d’améliorer la compréhension de ce contrôle biologique.
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Wibrin-Houffalize 60/3-4.
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Notice explicative de la feuille Wibrin-Houffalize 60/3-4 (carte géologique de Wallonie à l'échelle de 1/25000).
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Note sur la présence de Berginnus tamarisci Wollaston, 1854 en Belgique (Insecta: Coleoptera: Mycetophagidae)
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CT-CEPH: Applying micro-CT imaging in the study of Belgian fossil nautilid cephalopods
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Sclerochronological evidence of pronounced seasonality from the late Pliocene of the southern North Sea Basin, and its implications
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Sclerochronological evidence of pronounced seasonality from the Pliocene of the southern North Sea Basin, and its implication
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Seasonal variability in a warming climate: Lessons from the Pliocene Warm Period and beyond.
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Review of Trictenotomid beetles (Coleoptera: Trictenotomidae) of India and Sri Lanka
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Shallow Suberitida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Peru
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Megastomia crovatoi Nofroni, Renda & Vannozzi, 2022 (Gastropoda: Pyramidellidae) alive in Bozcaada Island (Aegean Sea - Turkey)
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Environmental and climatic inferences for Marine Isotope Stage 2 of southern Belgium (Meuse valley, Namur Province) based on rodent assemblages
- The environmental and climatic conditions of the Late Pleistocene of Southern Belgium are here determined for the final part of Marine Isotope Stage 3 (MIS 3) and for MIS 2 on the basis of a study of rodent assemblages. This paper provides a synthesis of several sets of environmental and climatic data from Late Pleistocene sites, all of which are located in southern Belgium. One has previously been published (Caverne Marie-Jeanne), and seven are unpublished (Cavernes de Goyet, Trou des Nutons, Trou du Frontal, Trou de Chaleux, Grotte la Chefalize, Trou du Chˆene, and Trou du Sureau). The habitat weighting and quantified ecology methods are applied to rodent material housed in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS, Brussels), and previous radiocarbon dates are updated, in order to reconstruct past environments. Among all the sites under analysis, the quantified ecology method shows that Trou de Chaleux corresponds to the coldest temperatures and lowest precipitation. Trou de Chaleux, with a chronology between ca. 15,964–14,014 cal yr B.P., could probably be placed in Greenland Stadial 2 (GS2) or Heinrich Event 1 (HE1). It has a rodent assemblage associated with a predominance of open dry and rocky formations, the most abundant species being the collared lemming and the narrow-headed vole. These data are found to coincide with previous studies carried out on the large-mammal, herpetofaunal, and avifaunal associations of the site, as well as on small-mammal associations from other sites in southern Belgium with similar chronology, such as Grotte Walou. Taken together, this indicates that these latest Pleistocene intervals in southern Belgium were characterized by harsh climatic and environmental conditions. In contrast, the other assemblages under study yielded much more heterogeneous results, frequently inconsistent with an attribution to the Pleistocene. This is likely to be a result of their admixture with Holocene material due to recent intrusions.
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Pleistocene hyperostotische visbotten van de stranden van Dishoek en De Banjaard,
