Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Applicability of DNA barcoding to museum specimens of birds from the Democratic Republic of the Congo
- The ornithological collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa in Tervuren and the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences in Brussels contain approximately 155 000 specimens collected in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) . They include type specimens and other samples from historical populations that represent an exceptional source of information for exploring how habitat fragmentation due to deforestation or global climate changes affect patterns of biodiversity in African birds . By attempting to obtain DNA sequences from these archive collections we intend to make them useful for genetic studies and to contribute to a reference library of DNA sequences, thus allowing the future iden- tification of Central African bird species through DNA barcodes . Our project aims to sequence approximately 950 mu- seum specimens, representing 225 species, collected between 1845 and 2008 . Our preliminary results reveal that the degradation of DNA in most museum specimens does not allow the amplification of the standard DNA barcode fragment (694 bp) . Nevertheless, we have been able to sequence shorter fragments (298 bp and 100 bp) for the majority of the selected specimens, implying that the collections in the RMCA and the RBINS contain DNA information that remains useful for barcoding purposes . More elaborate experiments might yield longer DNA sequences for phylogenetic and phylogeographic studies .
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Application of Isoelectric Focusing in Molluscan Systematics
- The application of isoelectric focusing (IEF) in molluscan sys- tematics is reviewed and illustrated using literature data and unpublished analyses. IEF can be used as any other electro- phoretic method, but is most appropriate for: (1) generating complex species-specific banding profiles, (2) assessing overall genetic similarities, (3) supplementing conventional electro- phoretic techniques by resolving hidden protein variation and (4) investigating minute organisms.
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Genomic enablement of aquacultured species
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Relationship between population size and genetic diversity in endangered populations of the European bullhead (Cottus gobio): implications for conservation
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Microsatellite data reveals weak population substructuring in Copadichromis sp. 'virginalis kajose', a demersal cichlid from Lake Malawi, Africa
- Small but significant differences were found in allele frequencies among five populations (overall FST estimate ()=0·004, P=0·006; overall RST estimate (RHO)=0·019, P<0·00001) of the demersal cichlid Copadichromis sp. ‘ virginalis kajose ’, collected from five locations in Lake Malawi. Pairwise FST estimates revealed significant differences between the most southerly population (Cape Maclear), and the three most northerly populations (Mbamba Bay, Metangula and Chilola). Pairwise RST estimates also revealed significant differences between some populations, but no geographical pattern was discernible. There was no evidence of isolation by distance using either the shortest straight-line distance between samples, or the distance around the shoreline following a 50 m depth contour. FST estimates were considerably lower than found in previous studies on the mbuna (rock-dwelling species), but higher than those found in a study of three pelagic cichlid species from Lake Malawi. Substructuring in C. sp. ‘ virginalis kajose ’ appears to be on a similar scale to the Atlantic cod.
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Characterization of microsatellite loci in the stone loach , Barbatula barbatula L .
- We report the isolation and characterization of five polymorphic microsatellite loci in the stone loach, Barbatula barbatula (synonyms: Nemacheilus barbatularus, Noemacheilus barbatularus, Orthrias barbatularus), which is widely distributed over Europe excluding most parts of Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, and Scotland, and is threatened in Flanders, Belgium. Two loci are perfect dinucleotide repeats (Bbar4 and Bbar8), two loci are imperfect dinucleotide repeats (Bbar3 and Bbar7) and one locus is a dinucleotide compound repeat (Bbar11). The number of alleles per locus in 19 individuals screened range from five in Bbar3 to 15 in Bbar8.
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The use of genetic tools for the evaluation of a potential migration barrier for the bullhead
- Microsatellite analysis and computer simulations strongly suggested that a culvert, i.e. a connection between two river stretches by a narrow tube underneath an artificial channel, was not a migration barrier for the endangered bullhead Cottus gobio
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Phytolith Evidence for the Early Presence of Domesticated Banana (Musa) in Africa
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The Late Antique to Early Byzantine city in Southwest Anatolia. Sagalassos and its territory: A case study
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Archaeozoological analyses
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The symbolic meaning of the cock. The animal remains from the Mitrhaeum at Tienen (Belgium)
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Looking for human therapeutic intervention in the healing of fractures
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Gastronomy or religion ? The animal remains from the Mithraeum at Tienen (Belgium)
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Introduction
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Aperçu de différentes méthodes d’analyse en matière d’estimation de l’âge sur le plan odontologique en médecine légale.
- L’organe dentaire résiste pendant des siècles aux agressions physico-chimiques à tel point qu’il présente un intérêt majeur sur le plan médico-légal pour ce qui a trait à l’estimation de l’âge d’un individu décédé. Toute estimation de l’âge, que ce soit pour un être vivant ou pour une personne décédée s’effectue en corrélation avec les paramètres relevant d’autres disciplines, telles la médecine légale et l’anthropologie. Sur le plan dentaire les méthodes utilisées vont s’adapter aux différentes étapes jalonnant l’existence : la période foetale, la naissance, l’enfance, la période pubertaire, l’âge adulte. Un aperçu (non exhaustif) de différentes méthodes est décrit et commenté dans le présent article.
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Preface Late Quaternary coastal and marine deposits of Northwest Europe: a tribute to Hansjörg Streif
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A Middle to late Holocene avulsion history of the Euphrates river: a case study from Tell ed-Der, Iraq, Lower Mesopotamia.
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Long-term influence of maritime access works on the distribution of cohesive sediments: analysis of historical and recent data from the Belgian nearshore area (southern North Sea).
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Holocene Excursion of the Northwest European Geoid.
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Flandrian, a formation or just a name?
