Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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The Diversity of Fish Otoliths, Past and Present
- 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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More evidence for cat taming at the Predynastic elite cemetery of Hierakonpolis (Upper Egypt)
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High resolution miospore stratigraphy of the Upper Famennian of eastern Belgium, and correlation with the conodont zonation.
- The Ourthe valley in eastern Belgium provides the most complete exposures of the upper Famennian Condroz Group. A detailed miospore stratigraphy has been established for this succession. The lower three miospore biozones of the Upper Famennian (GF, VCo and VH Oppel Zones) are re-defined and subdivided into five new interval zones. The GF Oppel Zone which spans the Middle and Upper Famennian boundary was previously subdivided into three interval zones is now reduced to two. The highest Retispora macroreticulata (Mac) Interval Zone is now removed (due to its very sporadic occurrence) which results in the Grandispora microseta (Mic) Interval Zone of the GF Oppel Zone now being the lowest miospore interval zone of the Upper Famennian. The overlying VCo Oppel zone is subdivided into two new interval zones, the Rugospora radiata (Rad) and overlying Grandispora cornuta (Cor) interval Zones. A detailed study based on new and published material of the two nominal zonal taxa of the VCo Zone has clarified their morphology and resolved identification problems with other closely related Upper Devonian taxa. Furthermore, a biometric comparison of Grandispora cornuta with Grandispora tamarae has resulted in the specific diagnosis of G. cornuta being emended to increase its minimal spine length to 8 µm. The biostratigraphic implications for intercontinental correlations with the Upper Famennian of North America are discussed. The overlying VH Oppel Zone is subdivided into two new interval zones, the Apiculiretusispora verrucosa (Ver) Interval Zone and the overlying Vallatisporites hystricosus (Hys) Interval Zone. All of the new miospore interval zones are closely correlated with the well established conodont zones occurring in five sections of the Ourthe Valley. The new integrated data sets provide a high resolution biostratigraphy for the Upper Famennian stratigraphic interval in eastern Belgium.
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The Late Devonian spermatophytes: what about the male organs ?
- The spermatophytes first evolved by the end of the Middle Devonian, some 390 million years ago. The Famenian deposits record what has been interpreted as the first seed plant radiation. In these levels, a surprisingly large seed plant diversity is observed. Indeed, up to seventeen ovule species are found occupying a wide morphological spectrum. In Belgium, ovules are associated in nearly all localities to sporangiate axes presenting a very similar vegetative morphology. They consist un a dichotomous branchin system bearing terminally a group of sporangia. Sporangia are small and round to oval in shape. They are borne on the recurved tips of a small dichotomous organ. This communication will focus on the description and discussion of the evolutionary implications of these sporangia that we consider as the microsporangiate organs of Late Devonian spermatophytes.
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The Early Carboniferous progymnosperm Protopitys: new data on vegetative and fertile structures and on its geographic distribution.
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Seed plant evolution around the Devonian/Carboniferous boundary : reproductive vs. vegetative disparity.
- The origin of the ovule during the Devonian period represents one of the most significant events in the history of life on Earth that allowed seed plants to colonise new habitats and to successfully reproduce without available free water. Their evolution however remains tantalising, as no convincing transitional character states with free-sporing ancestors have been found. The first evidences of “extreme” heterospory are found in the Givetian with the occurrence of seed-megaspores such as Spermasporites allenii or Granditetraspora zharkovae. Another type of dispersed organ occurs in coeval deposits: the controversial proto-ovule Runcaria heinzelinii. This taxon is composed of a rounded apically modified megasporangium surrounded by two whorls of tissue. The earliest “true” ovules are found in the Upper-Devonian. They were cupulate, presented a dissected integument and a hydraperman type nucellus. Based on variation of these organs, up to 17 species have been described in Famennian deposits where they already show a wide morpho-anatomical disparity. Because they are most often found dispersed, the available information on the corresponding vegetative systems is very scarce. Based on material from Belgium and from the literature, we here document the vegetative systems of almost all types of Devonian seed plants for which ovules have been described. They show a very narrow diversity when compared to fertile parts, as only one morphology was found. It consists in a “zig-zag”-shaped main axis bearing helically arranged dichotomous branching systems. These new results will be compared with the data available for the Lower Carboniferous. Multivariate analyses indicate that the morpho-anatomical disparity of ovules during that time was comparable to that of the Devonian. In contrast, we observe a much higher disparity for the vegetative parts, with the apparition of various growth habits and new characters of the primary and secondary vascular system. This apparent decoupling between the diversification of seed plants reproductive and vegetative systems will be discussed.
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La Formation des schistes noirs de Matagne (partie supérieure du Frasnien) et l'extinction massive du Dévonien Supérieur.
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La gestion des ressources lithiques dans l’ensemble gravettien de Maisières-Canal (Bassin de Mons, Hainaut, B)
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Contribution to the knowledge of Afrotropical Rutelinae (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Melolonthidae)
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Ostracods, rock facies and magnetic susceptibility of the Trois-Fontaines and Terres d'Haurs Formations (Early Givetian) in the Rancennes quarry at Mont d'Haurs (Givet, France)
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Description of a new Sarmydus species from Zixang Autonomous Region in China: Sarmydus cheni sp.nov. (4th contribution to the study of genus Sarmydus Pascoe, 1867) (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae)
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Contribution to the knowledge of Afrotropical Rutelinae III (Coleoptera, Scarabaeoidea, Melolonthidae)
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Le Téphra de Rocourt dans le site Paléolithique moyen de Remicourt (Province de Liège, Belgique).
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L'environnement végétal de l'homme néolithique en Belgique
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ABA and ABOx radiocarbon cross-dating on charcoal from Middle Pleniglacial loess deposits in Austria, Moravia and Western Ukraine
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New insight on the radiocarbon chronology of Middle Pleniglacial lœss sequences related to Early Upper Palaeolithic, from Danube Basin to Yenisei
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Environment and chronology of the Gravettian techno-complexes in the Central and Eastern European loess belt.
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The loess-palaeosol sequence of Dorochivtsi III (Western Ukraine) : palaeoenvironment and chronology of the Last Glacial Maximun in the Middle Dniester Basin.
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New view on Gravettian on the Middle Dnister.
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The Dorochivtsy III site: Late Gravettian of Middle Dnister. The new data
