Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Oligodon saiyok, a new limestone-dwelling kukri snake (Serpentes: Colubridae) from Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand
- We describe Oligodon saiyok sp. nov. from Benjarat Nakhon Cave Temple, Sai Yok District, Kanchanaburi Province, western Thailand. It is characterized by a maximal known SVL of 626.1 mm; 13 maxillary teeth, the posterior two enlarged; 8 supralabials; 17-17-15 dorsal scale rows; 181-187 ventrals and 38-43 subcaudals; a single anal; hemipenes extending in situ to the 18(th) subcaudal; dorsum with 21-22 dark blotches or white rings without vertebral or lateral stripes; and venter with a dense network of subrectangular dark blotches. It is the 7th squamate species believed to be endemic to Sai Yok District.
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A new kukri snake (Colubridae: Oligodon) from Hua Hin District, and the first record of O. deuvei from Thailand
- We describe Oligodon huahin sp. nov. from a bamboo forest locality on the road to Pala-U waterfall, Hua Hin District, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, peninsular Thailand. It is characterized by a maximal known SVL of 553.7 mm; 6 maxillary teeth, the posterior two enlarged; 17-17-15 or 17-15-15 dorsal scale rows; 166-173 ventrals and 35-41 subcaudals in males; a single anal; deeply forked hemipenes lacking spines and papillae, extending in situ to the 14(th) subcaudal; faint to nearly indistinct vertebral, paravertebral and lateral stripes; no dorsal or supracaudal blotches or crossbars; and an uniformly ivory venter lacking subrectangular or squarish blotches. We also report the first finding of Oligodon deuvei in Thailand based on a specimen from Loei Province.
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A new limestone-dwelling leaf-toed gecko (Gekkonidae: Dixonius) from Khao Sam Roi Yot massif, peninsular Thailand
- We describe Dixonius kaweesaki sp. nov. from Khao Daeng, a limestone mountain in Khao Sam Roi Yot massif, Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, peninsular Thailand. It is diagnosed from all other species by a combination of maximal SVL of 41.6 mm; 12 or 13 longitudinal rows of dorsal tubercles; 24 longitudinal rows of ventrals across the abdomen; a continuous series of 9-11 precloacal pores in males, no pores in females; and two bold dark stripes from the snout to the base of the tail separated by a contrasting light vertebral stripe. It is the eighth species in the genus Dixonius. Lastly, we discuss the type locality of Phyllodactylus paviei, currently regarded as a junior subjective synonym of Dixonius siamensis.
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Hydroclimatic conditions and fishing practices at Late Paleolithic Makhadma 4 (Egypt) inferred from stable isotope analysis of otoliths
- The late Paleolithic site of Makhadma 4, located along the Nile River in Upper Egypt, yielded an important ichthyofauna characterized by a very high proportion of tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus). We used isotopic analysis (d18O) of well-preserved otoliths (“ear stones”) of tilapia to reconstruct the former hydrological conditions, as well as the fishing strategies of the site's inhabitants. Otoliths from two modern fish captured in the Nile River near Esna were also examined to test how accurately tilapia otoliths reflect their ambient environment. All otoliths were sequentially micromilled to recover high resolution isotopic profiles along the main growth axis. Comparison of the modern otolith profiles with environmental data shows that tilapia d18O values record seasonal variations of the modern Nile hydroclimate but that their values are offset. The archaeological otoliths record very large intraindividual cyclical variations in d18O values, with relatively consistent amplitude, as well as very high seasonal maximum values (up to þ8.3‰), compared with the modern otoliths. The hydrological regime of the water body in which the archaeological fish lived was characterized by a reduced Nile water inflow that could not negate the effect of local evaporation during spring. The reconstructed hydrological conditions are in accordance with a new model of Nilotic behavior that assumes the creation of lakes by damming of the Nile as a result of a high eolian activity during hyper-arid periods of the Late Pleistocene. Although large seasonal evaporation may have resulted in a severe seasonal reduction in the lake's volume and extent, the lake was, nevertheless, maintained for several years. Cyclic variations in otolith d18O values permit reconstruction of the period of the hydrological cycle during which the fish were captured. Fishing of young individuals occurred mostly after the maximum input of inflow water from the Nile, when evaporitic conditions were at their lowest, i.e. during fall.
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New contribution to the study of the tribe Aegosomatini in Vietnam with the description of a new species of Aegolipton Gressitt, 1940 and a note on the identity of the female sex of Aegosoma george Do, 2015 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae)
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De opgravingen van Thurn en Taxis: een inkijk op het Romeinse landschap en de voedseleconomie (Brussel)
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Het castellum aan het eind van de wereld. vlees en vis voor de soldaten te Oudenburg.
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Animal exploitation during the Iron Age at Tepe Düzen (SW Turkey): preliminary results
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Faunal analysis of the Castle of Aqaba (Jordan) : preliminary results
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Sequence stratigraphy and palaeontology of the upper Miocene Pisco Formation along the western side of the lower Ica Valley (Ica Desert, Peru)
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Surface suspended particulate matter concentration in Taiwan Strait during summer and winter monsoon
- The Taiwan Strait (TS), situated between Taiwan and China, is shallow, relatively turbid, and characterized by strong tidal currents and winter and summer monsoon seasons. The aim of this study was to use images from the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) on board the Aqua satellite to investigate how local sediment sources in addition to the seasonality in wind, oceanographic currents, and waves influence the suspended particulate matter (SPM) dynamics in the TS. In winter, northeast (NE) winds drive the China Coastal Current southward. Cold water with a high SPM concentration is transported southward into the Strait. After the highest SPM concentration reaches its peak in December and January, the winds weaken and the SPM concentration decreases. During summer, winds are less strong and SPM concentration is lower. Although typhoons typically occur in summer, they generate only a weak signal in the surface SPM concentration data from MODIS because of the low number of cloud-free images during these periods. Typhoons result in a short-term increase in the SPM concentration but do not strongly influence the seasonal values in the satellite-derived SPM concentration maps.
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SPM concentration measurements in low and high turbulent conditions
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SPM concentration measurements in low and high turbulent conditions
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Preservation and diagenesis of the bones and teeth of Iguanodon bernissartensis (Dinosauria: Ornithopoda) from the Early Cretaceous of Belgium
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Changes in bottom shear stress, due to aggregate extraction in the area of the Hinder Banks (Belgian Continental Shelf)
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On best-practice for long-term observations of total suspended particulate matter
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Anatomy, life-history and phylogeny of an exceptionally preserved hadrosaur from the Judith River Formation of Montana (USA)
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Effect of aggregate extraction on MSFD descriptor 7 (hydrographic condition) in the Hinder Banks area (Belgian Continental Shelf)
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Changes in bottom shear stress, due to aggregate extraction in the area of the Hinder Banks (Belgian Continental Shelf)
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Best-practice for long-term observations of total suspended particulate matter in coastal marine environments
