Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Voorkomen en ontginning van Diestiaan ijzerzandsteen
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Excursie ijzerzandsteen Diest - 19/09/2014
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New carnivoraforms from the early Eocene of Europe and their bearing on the evolution of the Carnivoraformes
- Two new mammalian carnivoraform species, Uintacyon hookeri sp. nov. and Quercygale smithi sp. nov., are described from the early Eocene of Europe. U. hookeri sp. nov. is recorded in Mutigny (MP8 + 9, PE IV), Avenay (MP8 + 9, PE V), Brasles, Condé-en-Brie (MP8 + 9) and Cuis (MP 10), while Q. smithi sp. nov. comes from Mutigny and Mancy (MP10). Because the two species are not recorded in earliest Eocene localities such as Dormaal and Le Quesnoy (MP7, PE I), it is proposed that they dispersed after the main phase of the Mammal Dispersal Event. U. hookeri sp. nov. supports the existence of terrestrial connections with North America, while Q. smithi sp. nov. implies possible faunal exchange with Asia. This evidence for the evolution of the Carnivoraformes supports: (1) a rapid decrease in their diversity after the Mammal Dispersal Event; and (2) the existence of a mammal turnover event in Europe during the early Eocene. The discovery of a new species of Quercygale, which is generally considered as the closest carnivoraform to the crown-group Carnivora, shows that the genus had already lost the M3 by the early Eocene and supports an important, but very poorly known, radiation of the carnivoraforms at least during the earliest early Eocene.
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NEW DATA AND A REVIEW OF THE HYAENODONTANS FROM THE PALEOGENE OF AFRICA
- Hyaenodontida is a group of carnivorously adapted mammals, which was successful in the Paleogene of Africa. Contrary to Laurasian representatives, African hyaenodontidans had no ecological competitors until the late Oligocene. On one hand, the late Eocene and early Oligocene hyaenodontidans have been known since the beginning of 20th century thanks to the discovery of fossils from the Fayum area (Egypt). On the other hand, the Paleocene-Middle Eocene history of these predators was clarified only recently thanks to fieldwork in Northern Africa (Algeria, Morocco, and Tunisia). The recent discovery of the koholiine, Lahimia, in the Paleocene of Ouled Abdoun Basin (Morocco) allows the origin of the African hyaenodontidans to be traced as far back as the Selandian. A second Paleocene taxon is recorded in the Ouarzazate Basin (Morocco): Tinerhodon from the Thanetian. Lahimia and Tinerhodon interestingly display two distinct dental morphologies: Tinerhodon has very primitive dental features, while Lahimia is derived in the secant morphology of its molars and loss of P1. These differences can be explained by a presently unknown Paleocene radiation. The recent discoveries of hyaenodontidans in the late early or early middle Eocene of Gour Lazib area (Algeria) and middle Eocene-early Oligocene of Dur At-Talah (Libya) show that three new families appeared in Africa, at least during the middle Eocene: Apterodontinae, Hyainailourinae, and Teratodontinae. The postcranial material of Apterodon shows that hyaenodontidans even occupied a semi-aquatic niche in Africa. New fossils from Chambi, in Tunisia, show a common carnivorous fauna with the sites from Gour Lazib area. Interestingly, hyainailourines and teratodontines were also present in southern Africa (Sperrgebiet, Namibia; Lutetian); this is evidence that hyaenodontidans had a wide African distribution. Hyaenodontidans show a global trend of body size increase during the Paleogene. However, the recent discovery of the small hyaenodontidan Furodon in the Gour Lazib area and Chambi shows that small hyaenodontidans co-existed with large ones. Several hypotheses on hyaenodontidan origins in Africa were proposed. Some assume an endemic African origin, while others suppose several trans-Tethyan dispersals from Laurasia to Arabo-Africa. The best evidence is for the dispersal of endemic African hyainailourines and apterodontines in Europe around the Eocene-Oligocene boundary, participating in the renewal of the European carnivorous fauna at the ‘Grande Coupure’.
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Toxic Peptides Occur Frequently in Pergid and Argid Sawfly larvae
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Screening of Repellents against Vespid Wasps
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First record in Belgium of the invasive sawfly Aproceros leucopoda (Hymenoptera: Argidae) and some related ecological data
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Brockphasma spinifemoralis gen. et spec. nov.: a new phasmid genus and new species of Neohiraseini (Phasmida: Necrosciinae) from Vietnam
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Notes on the tribe Tongini, with description of a new species of the genus Orthophana from northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Nogodinidae)
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Review of the Oriental lantern-fly genus Egregia Chew Kea Foo, Poriom & Audibert, 2011, with a new species from Sumatra (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Fulgoridae)
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A new species of Macrodaruma Fennah, 1978 from Northern Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Issidae)
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The cicada genus karenia Distant, 1888 (Hemiptera : Cicadidae), with description of a new species
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The Cicada genus Semia matsumura, 1917 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) from Vietnam, with new records and a key to species
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Neotype of Pseudagrion approximans Selys, 1876 designated to resolve a nomenclatorial confusion in the genus Aciagion Selys, 1891 (Odonata: Coenagrionidae)
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Giong Semia Matsumura, 1917 (Hemiptera: Cicadidae) voi ghi nhan moi mot loai cho khu he cua Vietnam
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A new species of Orthophana Melichar, 1923 from Vietnam (Hemiptera: Fulgoromorpha: Nogodinidae)
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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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Description of a new species of Aegosoma Audinet-Serville, 1832 from Vietnam (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae: Prioninae)
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Note on the genus Nepiodes Pascoe, 1867 in Borneo and first description of the female of N. cognatus Pascoe (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae)
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Nouvelles données sur la distribution en Afrique de Cantharocnemis (Cantharoprion) livingstonii Westwood, 1866 (Coleoptera, Cerambycidae, Prioninae)
