Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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A new large species of the snake Palaeophis from the Lutetian marine margin of the Congo Basin, Cabinda, Angola
- Numerous fossil localities were investigated in western central Africa during the Belgian expeditions that started in the 19th century. At least 47 localities were excavated or analyzed in the framework of Edmond Dartevelle’s paleontological expeditions of 1933 and 1937-1938, producing a large and unique collection of Mesozoic-Cenozoic vetebrates from the margin of the Congo Basin along the coastal area of Angola to Gabon. Among them, snake vertebrae from the marine Paleocene-Eocene Landana section, Cabinda enclave, Angola have been referred to the aquatic snake Palaeophis aff. typhaeus. New investigation of the old Dartevelle’s collections has led to relocation of a few undescribed snake vertebrae from Landana and the nearby locality of Sassa Zao, permitting a revision of Palaeophis aff. typhaeus. The results of this work indicate that all specimens from Landana originate from the same stratigraphic level (layers 31-32) and are of Lutetian age based on the rich associated elasmobranch fauna. The locality of Sassa Zao is also Lutetian based on elasmobranchs that are similar to those of layer 32 of Landana. All of the vertebrae, ten in total, can be attributed to a single large species of Palaeophis. The maximum width across the prezygapophyses is 35 mm and the maximum length of the centrum is 27 mm. The weak lateral compression of trunk vertebrae, low development of the pterapophyses, diapophyses not very low, and the marked lateral projection of the zygapophyses indicate that this species belongs to the ‘primitive’ grade of Palaeophis and thus differs from species of the ‘advanced’ group such as P. casei, P. ferganicus, P. littoralis, P. toliapicus, P. typhaeus, P. grandis, P. tamdy, P. nessovi, and P. udovichenkoi. Among ‘primitive’ grade species, it differs from the giant P. colossaeus by smaller size, proportionally longer vertebrae, the cotyle and condyle more oval in shape, and the zygosphene not larger than the cotyle; from P. africanus by the neural spine that does not approach the zygosphene and shorter hypapophyses that are not prolonged by a ventral carina; from P. vastaniensis, P. virginianus, and P. zhylan by less depressed vertebrae. In size and morphology it most closely resembles P. maghrebianus but differs by more developed hypapophyses and paradiapophyses that do not extend over the cotyle posteriorly. This new species was apparently poorly adapted to aquatic life and was more closely related to the North African Ypresian P. maghrebianus than to West African Lutetian species. Grant Information This abstract is a contribution to the project BR/121/A3/PalEurAfrica funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office.
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A new hapalodectid (Mesonychia, Mammalia) from the Late Paleocene of the Qianshan Basin (Anhui Province, China): new data on the radiation of the hapalodectids
- Mesonychians are an extinct group of primitive hoofed mammals. They have been found all over Laurasia and were well diversified: more than 20 genera are presently recorded. Mesonychia are divided into two families: Hapalodectidae and Mesonychidae. Hapalodectidae are recorded from the late Paleocene to the middle Eocene in Asia (Gashatan to Irdinmanhan), and in the early Eocene in North America (from Wasatchian to early Bridgerian). Hapalodectids remained small: the species of Hapalodectes, the type genus of the family, weighed between 500 g and 1 kg. Because the hapalodectids are relatively rare mammals, the discovery of new specimens, especially in the Paleocene, is crucial for understanding the evolution of these peculiar mammals. Field work in Qianshan Basin (Anhui Province, China) led to the discovery of a new lower jaw of the mesonychian Hapalodectes in Gashatan (late Paleocene) sediments. It is worth noting that the fragmentary mandible is only the third specimen of Hapalodectidae discovered in the Paleocene, and the first in southeast China. The premolars and molars of the new fossil are morphologically similar to Hapalodectes dux, the most primitive hapalodectid, but their relative proportions recall H. paleocenus and the Eocene Hapalodectes species. As a result, the fossil described herein appears to be different from the other previously described species of Hapalodectes in being morphologically intermediate between H. dux and the other Hapalodectes species; it is thus identified as a new species. Its discovery is important because it sheds light on the initial radiation of the hapalodectids. The presence of the most primitive hapalodectids in Mongolia (e.g., H. dux) suggests that the Mongolian area is the center of origination of this carnivorous family. The differences between the new species and the Eocene hapalodectids from China, H. huanghaiensis and H. hetangensis, imply that these species do not derive from the newly described species. Therefore, the new Chinese hapalodectid allows reconstructing the existence of two dispersals from the Mongolian area to the southeast of China, before and shortly after the Paleocene–Eocene boundary. At that latter time, Hapalodectes also dispersed from Asia to North America; this event was part of the 'East of Eden' dispersals. The Paleocene/Eocene transition thus appears as a crucial event for the distribution and radiation of the hapalodectids with the establishment of two distinct groups, respectively in North America and in the southeast of China. Grant Information This abstract is a contribution to the Belgian Bilateral Cooperation Project Belspo BL/36/C54 and China International S&T Cooperation Project MOST 2009DFA32210.
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Radiation of plesiadapid mammals at the end of the Paleocene evidenced by new discoveries from the Latest Paleocene of France: one more example of bush-like evolution
- Plesiadapidae are usually considered to be the closest relatives to the crown-group primates, despite their disappearance at the Paleocene–Eocene Boundary (PEB) in North America, right when the first euprimates appear. In Europe, however, the family survives a few million years after the PEB, though only represented by the genus Platychoerops. Because Plesiadapis was restricted to the Paleocene and Platychoerops restricted to the Eocene, a linear evolution was implied: the genus Plesiadapis was thought to give rise to Platychoerops at the PEB due to the particular environmental conditions of that time. However, one species of Platychoerops was recently described from the late Paleocene of Berru, France, casting doubts on this hypothesis. The recently discovered locality of Petit-Pâtis (Rivecourt, Oise, France) delivered for the first time the most diagnostic tooth of Platychoerops in the Paleocene, its long and derived I1. This discovery confirms the presence of the genus Platychoerops in the Paleocene and attests a quick diversification, bush-like radiation of the family into three genera, before the PEB. The locality of Petit-Pâtis also delivered specimens referable to a new species morphologically intermediate between Plesiadapis tricuspidens and Platychoerops antiquus, with a critical I1 very similar to P. tricuspidens but closer to P. antiquus by its more molarized and proportionally larger p4; this latter derived character is shared with Platychoerops, so that the hypothesis of the North American species P. cookei being the most derived species of Plesiadapis and having given rise to Platychoerops can now be questioned, and a more geographically parsimonious hypothesis of a European origin of the European genus Platychoerops is supported. Finally, the third European genus of Plesiadapidae, Chiromyoides, is also present in Petit-Pâtis, where it is represented by a new species characterized by a smaller size than C. campanicus and the presence of relatively large accessory cuspules aside the posterocone on I1. The specimens from Petit-Pâtis also confirm the hypothesis that Platychoerops georgei from the earliest Eocene is likely a composite species based on the assemblage of a few specimens from different localities of similar estimated age, most specimens likely belonging to Plesiadapis or Platychoerops, while the holotype (a short I1) belongs either to Chiromyoides or to Plesiadapis, its preservation state making the identification difficult. Grant Information This abstract is a contribution to the project BR/121/A3/PalEurAfrica funded by the Belgian Science Policy Office.
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Database of the MANSCAPE project (Management tools for water bodies in agricultural landscapes)
- Short description of the dataset/summary The database of the MANSCAPE project (Integrated management tools for water bodies in agricultural landscapes) comprises species occurrence data of seven different organism groups (phytoplankton, diatoms, zooplankton, macro-invertebrates, macrophytes, amphibians and fish) and data on physical, chemical and morphometric variables of 126 small farmland ponds distributed over almost the entire Belgian territory.
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Annual Report - 4 decades of Belgian marine monitoring: Uplifting historical data to today's needs
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Marine phytoplankton community composition data from the Belgian part of the North Sea, 1968-2010
- The Belgian Phytoplankton Database (BPD) is a comprehensive data collection combining quantitative phytoplankton cell counts from multiple research projects conducted during four decades. The focus lies on the Belgian Coastal Zone (BCZ). The database includes almost 300 sampling locations and more than 3000 sampling events. Those resulted in more than 300,000 phytoplankton cell count records. The values cover a period from 1968 up to 1978 and 1994 to 2010. Data from late '60 and '70 were digitized from original reports and thesis.
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Methane Dynamics in the Belgian Coastal Zone
- Very high CH4 concentrations (up to 1,100 nmol L-1) were observed in surface waters of the BCZ compared to open oceanic conditions (<5 nmol L-1) due to release of CH4 from sediments (in-situ production and leakage from gassy sediments) and the well-mixed water column that allows an efficient transfer of CH4 from bottom waters to surface waters. Our data suggest that further warming of surface waters could increase CH4 emissions and provide a positive feedback on warming climate. This feedback will be expected to be acute in shallow gassy areas such as the BCZ since they are natural hotspots of CH4 emission, and the well-mixed water column will allow an efficient propagation of additional heat to the sediment that will be buffered by seasonal thermal stratification in deeper seep areas. The increase of temperature will stimulate the biogenic CH4 production, as well as, decrease Henry’s constant promoting bubbling from sediments. Poster presentation at North Sea Conference 2016, Oostende.
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Finding the balance between efficiency and budget: preventive invasive mosquito species (IMS) surveillance
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Angiostrongylus chabaudi natural infection in wild caufght gastropods
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Bioturbation des alluvions modernes de la grotte de Han
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A Barcoding Facility for Organisms and Tissues of Policy Concern
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Pytho depressus (Linnaeus, 1767): A rare and sporadically distributed beetle in Belgium (Coleoptera: Pythidae)
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Two new millipede species of the genus Coxobolellus Pimvichai, Enghoff, Panha & Backeljau, 2020 (Diplopoda, Spirobolida, Pseudospirobolellidae)
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A new species of Calvisia (Calvisia) from Thailand and Myanmar and notes on C. (Calvisia) sangarius from Peninsular Malaysia (Phasmida, Lonchodidae, Necrosciinae)
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A new species of the genus Ocinebrina Jousseaume, 1880: Ocinebrina azorensis n. sp. (Neogastropoda: Muricidae)
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New records and extension of the geographical distribution of Homalocantha oxyacantha (Broderip, 1833) (Gastropoda: Muricidae)
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New species of Cerithiopsidae H. Adams & A. Adams, 1853 (Mollusca, Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda) from Ascension Island
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1001 décision, gouvernance et gestion - 1001 besslissignen, beleid en politiek
- Messages vidéos des ministres responsables de la biodiversité en Belgique à l'occasion de l'anniversaire des 20 ans de la Convention sur la Diversité Biologique (CBD) en Belgique et de la conférence 1001 décisions organisée le 19 mai 2016 à l'IRSNB Série de 10 vidéos des ministres publiée sur le channel Youtube "1001 for Biodiversity"
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Journée biodiversité 2016 - Biodiversiteitsdag 2016
- Série de 7 vidéos des temps forts de la journée de la biodiversité et du débat avec les jeunes des partis politiques publiées sur le channel Youtube "1001 for Biodiversity" 150 personnes ont assisté a cet événement animé par Sara De Paduwa (RTBF) et Han Renard (Knack) rehaussé par la présence des ministres. 10 jeunes de partis politiques différents ont participé au débat modéré par Eddy Caekelberghs (RTBF) à l'occasion de l'anniversaire des 20 ans de la Convention sur la Diversité Biologique (CBD) en Belgique et de la conférence 1001 décisions organisée le 20 mai 2016 à l'IRSNB Liste des vidéos: Welkomstwoord - Mot de bienvenue (Camille Pisani) Le ministre Collin sur la biodiversité en Wallonie Biodiversiteitsplannen van jonge politici (1+2) - Aspirations biodiversité de jeunes politiciens (1+2) Het Biodiversiteitsverdrag in België - La Convention biodiversité en Belgique (Jackie Van Goethem et Simon Hemptinne) Belgische politieke samenwerking rond biodiversiteit - La politique belge concernant la biodiversité (Roland Moreau) Infostands & rondleidingen - Stands d'information & visites guidées
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Biodiversity 2020 – Update of Belgium’s National Biodiversity Strategy
- The updated Strategy in a nutshell Biodiversity has many dimensions, and the importance of these has still not been adequately addressed. It provides, among other things, resources including all our food and many medicines and other life support products. Biodiversity underpins human well-being through the provision of ecological services that are, for instance, essential for nutrient cycling, soil fertility and fruit-tree pollination as well as clean, fresh water and air. It also provides a wide range of recreational opportunities and it is an inexhaustible resource for learning, education, inspiration and cultural identity. Biodiversity conservation is therefore a common concern for all of humankind. In Belgium, environmental matters including nature conservation are essentially matters of Regional competence. The Federal level is competent for environmental matters in the marine areas under Belgian jurisdiction, military domains and railway embankments, it has specific environmental competences (CITES, trade of non-indigenous species, product standards) and other competences related to the environment and biodiversity (development cooperation, finance, economy, etc.) at its disposal as well as action levers (public procurements, taxation, etc.). The Strategy is the Belgian answer to the formal obligation under the CBD and also takes the other commitments made at European and international level into account. It offers a framework for policymaking and further development of actions. It includes the existing Regional and Federal frameworks and action plans and it supports their integration and fine-tuning. It aims at giving strategic political orientations in order to allow actors for biodiversity in Belgium to work in partnership to contribute nationally and internationally towards the achievement of the target of halting the loss of biodiversity by 2020. This will be achieved by ensuring a more effective and coherent implementation of the three objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, while also taking into account the other biodiversity agreements where relevant. The Strategy pays particular attention to creating more coherence and filling the gaps in existing Belgian instruments and optimising integration of biodiversity concern at national and international level. The Strategy has a vision and a general objective that are in line with the CBD Strategic Plan and the EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020: Vision: “By 2050, our Biodiversity and the ecosystem services it provides - our natural capital - are valued, conserved, appropriately restored and wisely used for their intrinsic value and for their essential contribution to human well-being and economic prosperity, so that catastrophic changes caused by the loss of biodiversity are avoided”. General objective: “Contribute nationally and internationally to the achievement of the 2020 target of halting the loss of biodiversity and the degradation of ecosystem services, and restoring them insofar as feasible, while stepping up our contribution to averting global biodiversity loss”. The strategy spells out a range of 15 priority strategic objectives (objective 14 is new) and 85 operational objectives (eight of them are new) to guide the development of actions by the competent regional and federal authorities. Following the recommendations to update the NBS, the content of the chapter on implementation and follow-up of the NBS and some other parts have been somewhat adapted to fully reflect the commitments to meet the CBD Aichi targets and the new EU Biodiversity Strategy to 2020 (see appendix 4 - Concordance of the Aichi Targets with the EU Biodiversity Strategy 2020 and with the updated NBS). The text of the NBS clearly identifies, for each objective, the link with articles of the CBD, the relevant Aichi Target, thematic programmes of work, guidelines, etc. adopted under the Convention as well as the relevant EU commitment. Its main focus is on sectoral integration of Biodiversity. Where necessary, implementation measures are taken in a coordinated way by the Federal and Regional Governments and the other relevant actors. Examples of achievements until 2009 are published in the fourth national report to the CBD (2009) and in the mid-term assessment of the NBS (2012). The updated strategy is established for an eight-year period (2013-2020). No specific actions or indicators are adopted in the Strategy itself but they will be adopted and developed at a later stage in the implementation process, in consultation with all the actors for biodiversity in Belgium. Reporting on the progress made and on the obstacles to implementing the NBS takes place through the national reporting procedure for the CBD (2014, 2019). The information on implementation of the NBS is also published on the website of the Belgian Clearing-House Mechanism. Many different actors have an active role to play in the implementation of the Strategy: ministries and administrations, advisory and consultative bodies, research institutes, NGOs, information centres, individuals and community groups, etc. Several actions will have to be performed simultaneously in different sectors and - after further consultation and coordination - on several administrative levels.
