Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Les offrandes animales en contexte funéraire au Bas-Empire romain : une étude de cas sur les cimetières de la rue Perdue à Tournai et de Vieuxville-Roupée
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The Muricidae (Gastropoda) described from Mauritius by Tapparone Canefri in 1881
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Evolutionary history of the calcareous sponge Clathrina aurea: genetic connectivity in the Western Atlantic and intriguing occurrence in the Eastern Pacific
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Phylogenomics of African radiation of Praomyini (Muridae: Murinae) rodents: first fully resolved phylogeny, evolutionary history and delimitation of extant genera
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Regional differences in vertebral shape along the axial skeleton in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
- Abstract Caecilians are elongate, limbless and annulated amphibians that, as far as is known, all have an at least partly fossorial lifestyle. It has been suggested that elongate limbless vertebrates show little morphological differentiation throughout the postcranial skeleton. However, relatively few studies have explored the axial skeleton in limbless tetrapods. In this study, we used ?CT data and three-dimensional geometric morphometrics to explore regional differences in vertebral shape across a broad range of caecilian species. Our results highlight substantial differences in vertebral shape along the axial skeleton, with anterior vertebrae being short and bulky, whereas posterior vertebrae are more elongated. This study shows that despite being limbless, elongate tetrapods such as caecilians still show regional heterogeneity in the shape of individual vertebrae along the vertebral column. Further studies are needed, however, to understand the possible causes and functional consequences of the observed variation in vertebral shape in caecilians.
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The relationship between head shape, head musculature and bite force in caecilians (Amphibia: Gymnophiona)
- Caecilians are enigmatic limbless amphibians that, with a few exceptions, all have an at least partly burrowing lifestyle. Although it has been suggested that caecilian evolution resulted in sturdy and compact skulls as an adaptation to their head-first burrowing habits, no relationship between skull shape and burrowing performance has been demonstrated to date. However, the unique dual jaw-closing mechanism and the osteological variability of their temporal region suggest a potential relationship between skull shape and feeding mechanics. Here, we explored the relationships between skull shape, head musculature and in vivo bite forces. Although there is a correlation between bite force and external head shape, no relationship between bite force and skull shape could be detected. Whereas our data suggest that muscles are the principal drivers of variation in bite force, the shape of the skull is constrained by factors other than demands for bite force generation. However, a strong covariation between the cranium and mandible exists. Moreover, both cranium and mandible shape covary with jaw muscle architecture. Caecilians show a gradient between species with a long retroarticular process associated with a large and pennate-fibered m. interhyoideus posterior and species with a short process but long and parallel-fibered jaw adductors. Our results demonstrate the complexity of the relationship between form and function of this jaw system. Further studies that focus on factors such as gape distance or jaw velocity will be needed in order to fully understand the evolution of feeding mechanics in caecilians.
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Reliquats d'occupations du Paléolithique final et du Mésolithique sur le site de la "Station Leduc" (Aywaille/Sougné-Remouchamps)
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Paléobiologie et paléobiogéographie des amphibiens et reptiles : un hommage à Jean-Claude Rage – 2e partie
- Editorial for the special volume in honour of Jean-Claude Rage.
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Records of new and rare carabid beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) for Belgium collected or identified during the period 2008 – 2018
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Mainstreaming biodiversity conservation into development cooperation. Joint KLIMOS-CeBIOS
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Belgian scientists call for our government to safeguard biodiversity. NL and FR speaking Belgian media, initiated by Prof. B. Coolsaet (UA).
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Als akkervogels uitsterven, loopt het ook met ons niet goed af’.
- see http://www.standaard.be/cnt/dmf20180406_03449431
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Dans les pays du sud la cooperation belge au developpement au chevet de la biodiversite
- voir http://www.levif.be/actualite/environnement/au-chevet-de-la-biodiversite/article-normal-848179.html and http://www.lalibre.be/dernieres-depeches/belga/dans-les-pays-du-sud-la-cooperation-belge-au-developpement-au-chevet-de-la-biodiversite-5b14d0495532f10b07f0deae and https://www.rtl.be/info/magazine/science-nature/dans-les-pays-du-sud-la-cooperation-belge-au-developpement-au-chevet-de-la-biodiversite-1027941.aspx, and http://www.dhnet.be/dernieres-depeches/belga/dans-les-pays-du-sud-la-cooperation-belge-au-developpement-au-chevet-de-la-biodiversite-5b14d0495532f10b07f0deae and https://fr.metrotime.be/2018/06/04/news/dans-les-pays-du-sud-la-cooperation-belge-au-developpement-au-chevet-de-la-biodiversite/
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Interview in Biodiversity News Flash 80 (Belgian platform Biodiversity) of Luc Janssens de Bisthoven
- see http://www.biodiversity.be/4353/
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Word of introduction. Conference booklet “Biodiversity for development. A way forward to the SDGs, 28 May 2018
- see http://www.biodiv.be/cebios2/events/biodiversity-development-way-forward-sdgs/biodiversity-development-way-forward-sdgs-fr/abstract-booklet/download/en/1/Booklet-May-28th-light.pdf?action=view
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Gestion de la Pendjari: identification des perspectives des différentes parties prenantes par la Q methodology. Pendjari EVAMAB workshop, Sept. 2018
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La 'nominal group technique': une approche permettant d’identifier les services écosystémiques de la Pendjari. Pendjari EVAMAB workshop, Sept. 2018
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. 'Evaluation rapide des services écosystémiques dans les réserves de la Biosphère: aperçu des outils & applications pratiques'. Pendjari EVAMAB workshop, Sept. 2018
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New postcranial elements of mesonychid mammals from the Ypresian of France: New hypotheses for the radiation and evolution of the mesonychids in Europe
- New postcranial elements of two mesonychids that lived during the Ypresian (early Eocene) in Europe are here described. The postcranial bones found at La Borie (France; ≈MP8 + 9) can be confidently ascribed to Hyaenodictis raslanloubatieri, while the astragalus found at Palette (France; ≈MP7) probably represents H. rougierae. Our study demonstrates that H. raslanloubatieri and H. rougierae were digitigrade in posture and relatively cursorial in locomotion. A single lumbar vertebra was recovered at La Borie and referred to H. raslanloubatieri; this element suggests this species was a moderately dorsostable predator. In addition, we illustrate the first maxillary fragment referable to H. raslanloubatieri, also discovered at La Borie. In comparison, we describe the postcranial elements of Pachyaena gigantea partially published in the early twentieth century, probably a plantigrade predator species. Morphological data derived from the La Borie specimens were included in phylogenetic analyses and support the reinstatement and monophyly of Hyaenodictis. Hyaenodictis was considered to be a junior synonym of Dissacus, but here we find that the Hyaenodictis clade includes almost all European mesonychids formerly referred to Dissacus along with the North American Wasatchian species H. willwoodensis.
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INDI67 Annual Network Report. Brain.be contract BR/143/A2/INDI67
