Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Fitness-heterozygosity associations differ between male and female winter months Operophtera brumata L
- The association between heterozygosity and fitness is positive but weak on average and varies between studies. Inbreeding has been invoked as the driving force between the positive heterozygosity-fitness associations, yet in spatio-temporally stable environments a negative correlation is expected. Furthermore, different patterns can arise because of the effects of natural selection on different loci and variation can be expected among groups of individuals that experience different levels of stress. In this paper we report on fitness-heterozygosity associations in the winter moth for six allozyme loci. The relationship is estimated for males and females separately, in four areas differing in their degree of fragmentation, and variation among loci is modelled. We introduce a linear mixed model framework to achieve this analysis. This approach differs from more traditional (multiple) regression analyses and allows testing specific interactions. We show that fitness, as estimated by body size, is negatively correlated with heterozygosity, but only so in females. This association does not vary significantly among loci and the four areas. We speculate that a trade-off between fitness-consequences of inbreeding and outbreeding at different stages of the winter moth life cycle could explain the observed patterns.
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Re-assessment of the new geological map of Belgium: Earliest Oligocene dinoflagellate cyst-based ages in the Leuven area (sheet 24 Aarschot)
- The dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages of two samples from a temporary outcrop in the vicinity of Haacht (Leuven) have been analysed. The co-occurrence of Areosphaeridium diktyoplokum, Cerebrocysta bartonensis, Glaphyrocysta semitecta, Rombodinium perforatum and Thalassiphora reticulata allows correlation with the North Sea Oligocene-1 zone. As a consequence, the considered unit has a latest Eocene to earliest Oligocene age, equivalent to the age of the marine Tongrian. Comparison of the studied area with the recent 1:50 000 geological map (sheet 24 Aarschot) shows that the current lithostratigraphic interpretation of the analysed section, i.e. the Middle Eocene Maldegem Formation, can no longer be uphold.
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Revision of the Cancellariidae (Mollusca, Neogastropoda, Cancellarioidea) of the eastern Atlantic (40°N-40°S) and the Mediterranean
- The Cancellariidae living off the western African coast, the mid-Atlantic Islands and in the Mediterranean Sea are reviewed. Twenty species are studied: 3 Admetula, 1 Axelella, 2 Bivetiella, 4 Brocchinia, 1 Cancellaria s.l., 1 Nothoadmete, 1 Loxotaphrus, 2 Solatia, 1 Sveltia, 2 Tribia, and 2 Trigonostoma. Trigonostoma gofasi n. sp. is distinguished from the western African T. scala (Gmelin, 1791) n. comb, by its multispiral protoconch, wider umbilicus, smooth columellar callus, axial ribs on the sutural ramp not reaching the suture, and the absence of a siphonal fasciole; and from the central western American T. goniostoma (Sowerby, 1832) in its wider umbilicus, more deviated columella and in being less elongate. A species of Solatia which has previously been recognised as new, is not named due to lack of adequate material. The species name in the combination Voluta cancellata Linnaeus, 1767 is declared nomen protectum, making the senior name Murex scabriculus Linnaeus, 1758 invalid as nomen oblitum. A neotype is designated for Murex scala Gmelin, 1791. A lectotype is designated for Cancellaria minima Reeve, 1856, Cancellaria similu Sowerby, 1833, Voluta lyrata Brocchi, 1814, Cancellaria angasi Crosse, 1863 and Cancellaria rigida Sowerby, 1832; the latter name refers to a West African and not a West American species. Distribution data are updated, and relations to fossil taxa are indicated when applicable. The protoconchs of 17 species are figured; only the protoconch type of the bathyal species Brocchinia decapensis and Nothoadmete euthymei n. comb, remain unknown. Egg capsules attributed to one of the North West African Bivetiella species are figured. © Publications Scientifiques du Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle.
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Revision of the species of Acropsilus Mik (Diptera, Dolichopodidae) from China
- The genus Acropsilus Mik, 1878 is reported from China for the first time. Seven species are described as new to science: Acropsilus guangdongensis sp. n., A. guangxiensis sp. n., A. jinxiuensis sp. n., A. luoxiangensis sp. n., A. yunnanensis sp. n., A. zengchengensis sp. n. and A. zhuae sp. n. A key is given to separate these Chinese species. © 2007 Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences.
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Notes on the Neurigona Rondani (Diptera: Dolichopodidae) from Chinese Mainland
- The following seven new species of the genus Neurigona are described and illustrated: Neurigona guangdongensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert sp. nov., N. guizhouensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. henana Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., W. jiangsuensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. wui Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., N. xiaolongmensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov. and N. yunnana Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov. We examined the male holotype of N. grisea Parent and female holotype of N. chetitarsa deposited in Muséum National d'Historie Naturelle, Paris. Also, the new data on distribution are reported for four known species. A key to the species of the genus from Chinese mainland is presented. Copyright © 2007 · Magnolia Press.
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Revision of the Nepalomyia pallipilosa species group (diptera, dolichopodidae, Peloropeodinae)
- The genus Nepalomyia is the largest genus in the subfamily Peloropeodinae, with 47 described species. In the present paper the Nepalomyia pallipilosa species group is established for the following three described species and seven new species: Nepalomyia biseta sp. n., N. emeiensis sp. n., N. guangxiensis Zhang et Yang, N. liui sp. n., N. pallipilosa (Yang et Saigusa), N. ruiliensis Wang et Yang, N. sichuanensis sp. n., N. ventralis sp. n., N. yangi sp. n. and N. zengchengensis sp. n. Information on their distribution is also given or updated. © 2007 Institute of Zoology, Slovak Academy of Sciences.
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Influence of harbour construction on mud accumulation in the Scheldt estuary
- The bottom sediments of the turbidity maximum area of the Scheldt estuary were mapped in 1999 using echo sounding, sidescan sonar and grain-size analyses of bottom sediments. Four sediment types, sand, muddy sand, sandy mud and mud were recognised. Mud, with very little sand, occurs mainly in the access channels to the sluices giving access to the harbour docks of Antwerp. The sediments of the main channel have a sandier texture. One might conclude that the total mud stock in the middle estuary has increased, both between 1964-1986 and 1986-1999, but on the contrary the mud supply from the river, the mud stock in the river channel and the mud supply to the lower estuary have all decreased. The increase in the mud stock in the area as a whole was completely at the expense of mud deposition in the access channels to the sluice gates giving access to the harbour of Antwerp. The mud stock in the river channel decreased over the years because of a decreasing mud supply from the river. The mud stock in the river channel shows variations that are directly related to fluctuations in the river load. When the suspended matter decreased during a certain year the supply of silt and clay particles decreased correspondingly and the resuspension-deposition mechanism caused a relative increase of the sand fraction in the bottom sediments in that year. Copyright © 2007 AEHMS.
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Species of Syneches from Guangdong, China (Diptera, Empidoidea, Hybotidae)
- The following three species of the genus Syneches from Guangdong, South China are described as new to science: S. nanlingensis sp. n., 5. sublatus sp. n. and S. xiaohuangshanensis sp. n. An updated key to the species of the genus from Guangdong is presented. © 2007 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.
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Species of Euhybus from the Oriental Region (Diptera: Empidoidea; Hybotinae)
- Two new species of Euhybus are described: Eubybus nanlingensis n. sp. and E. xui n. sp. A key to the species from the Oriental Region is given.
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Paraclius (Diptera: Dolichopodidae: Dolichopodinae) of Singapore, with new species from mangroves
- Nine species of Paraclius are reported from Singapore. The following seven Paraclius species are described as new to science: P. asiobates new species, P. crassatus, new species, P. digitatus, new species, P. obtus, new species, P. polychaetus, new species, P. serratus, new species and P. singaporensis, new species. All these new species were collected in mangrove habitats and are assigned to a new species group: the singaporensis-group. P. adligatus Becker, 1922, is recorded from Singapore for the first, time and re-described. The presence of P. abbreviatus Becker, 1922, originally described from. Singapore could not be confirmed. A key to the males of the nine Singaporean Paraclius is provided. © National University of Singapore.
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Revision of the Papua New Guinea genus Elemacoris Miller (Hemiptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae)
- The species of the Papua New Guinea genus Elemacoris in the reduviid subfamily Harpactorinae are revised. Two species, E. vittatus Miller, 1958 and E. doesburgi Zhao, Constant & Cai, sp. nov., are described or redescribed, illustrated, and keyed. The diagnostic characters of the genus are modified. The type specimens of the new species are preserved in the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences. Copyright © 2007 Magnolia Press.
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Etudes bioarchéologiques de la nécropole à incinération romaine de Messancy (Prov. De Luxembourg)
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De poot van de wolf aan de poort van het Steen. Een bijna vergeten museumstuk en het lot van Canis lupus in postmiddeleeuws Vlaanderen
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Osteology and relationships of Olorotitan arharensis, a hollow-crested hadrosaurid dinosaur from the latest Cretaceous of Far Eastern Russia
- the most complete dinosaur discovered in Russia and one of the best preserved lambeosaurines outside western North America. This taxon is diagnosed by following autapomorphies: large helmet−like hollow crest higher than the rest of the skull and extending caudally well beyond the level of the occiput; very high postorbital process of jugal (ratio height of postorbital process/length of jugal = 1); rostral portion of the jugal shorter than in other lambeosaurines, with a perfectly straight rostral margin; very asymmetrical maxilla in lateral view, with ventral margin distinctly downturned; very elon− gated neck composed of 18 cervical vertebrae; tibia as high as the femur; shorter cnemial crest, about one fifth of tibia length. A phylogenetic analysis, based on 118 cranial, dental, and postcranial characters, indicates that Olorotitan is a member of the Corythosaurini clade, and is the sister taxon of Corythosaurus casuarius, Hypacrosaurus stebingeri, and Hypacrosaurus altispinus. The high diversity and mosaic distribution of Maastrichtian hadrosaurid faunas in the Amur−Heilongjiang region are the result of a complex palaeogeographical history and imply that many independent hadrosaurid lineages dispersed readily between western America and eastern Asia at the end of the Cretaceous.
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Jacht in de Laatste IJstijd
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Kwaliteitshandboek volgens ISO 17025:2005
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Storm influence on the burial of objects in a shallow sandy shelf environment.
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Multimodal particle size distributions of fine-grained sediments: mathematical modeling and field investigation.
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Santonian - Campanian (upper cretaceous) inoceramids from the Houthalen mineshaft, NE Belgium
- The Santonian and Campanian inoceramids from the Houthalen mine-shaft (Limburg, NE Belgium) are described. Four successive faunas were distinguished: the Sphenoceramus pachti fauna, dated for the Middle Santonian, the Sphenoceramus patootensiformis fauna, of the upper Upper Santonian - lower Lower Campanian, the Cordiceramus paraheberti fauna, possibly of the upper Lower Campanian, and the "Inoceramus" tenuilineatus fauna, characteristic for the middle Upper Campanian. The appearance of the latter fauna marks one of the main turnover events in the evolution of the Campanian inoceramids.
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Chrysotimus Loew from China (Diptera: Dolichopodidae)
- The following 8 species are described as new to science: Chrysotimus acutatus Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. chikuni Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. guangdongensis Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. ningxianus Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. sanjiangyuanus Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. songshanus Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. xiaohuangshanus Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov., C. xuae Wang, Yang and Grootaert, sp. nov. A key to the Chinese species of the genus is presented. Copyright © 2005 Magnolia Press.
