Search publications of the members of the Royal Belgian institute of natural Sciences
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Le mammouth laineux
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Characterization of a West African coastal lagoon system: Case of Lake Nokoué with its inlet (Cotonou, South Benin)
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Multi-scale ocean colour synergy producs for coastal water quality monitoring
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CREST Final Administrative Report
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Contribution to the knowledge of the fauna of the family Pyramidellidae Gray, 1840 (Mollusca, Gastropoda) on the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension
- The Pyramidellidae of the islands of Saint Helena and Ascension are studied. New information is provided on the Pyramidellids described in the work of SMITH (1890a). Five species new to science are described: Cingulina boirai n. sp, Miralda verhaeghei n. sp., Parthenina stanyi n. sp., Odostomia lucsegersi n. sp. and Odostomia templadoi n. sp. Syntypes of Obeliscus (Syrnola) sanctaehelenae, Obeliscus (Syrnola) pumilio, Turbonilla truncatelloides, Turbonilla haroldi, Turbonilla brachia, Turbonilla assimilans, Leucotina minuta and Odostomia glaphyra are figured. A lectotype is designated for Turbonilla (Dunkeria) eritima, considered a synonym of T. assimilans. New generic allocations are proposed for seven species.
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Brachiopods from the Early Carboniferous Erdbach limestones in Hesse (Germany, Kulm Basin)
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The World Amphipoda Database: History and Progress
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Adulis and the transshipment of baboons during classical antiquity
- Adulis, located on the Red Sea coast in present-day Eritrea, was a bustling trading centre between the first and seventh centuries CE. Several classical geographers—Agatharchides of Cnidus, Pliny the Elder, Strabo—noted the value of Adulis to Greco-Roman Egypt, particularly as an emporium for living animals, including baboons (Papio spp.). Though fragmentary, these accounts predict the Adulite origins of mummified baboons in Ptolemaic catacombs, while inviting questions on the geoprovenance of older (Late Period) baboons recovered from Gabbanat el-Qurud (‘Valley of the Monkeys’), Egypt. Dated to ca. 800–540 BCE, these animals could extend the antiquity of Egyptian–Adulite trade by as much as five centuries. Previously, Dominy et al. (2020) used stable isotope analysis to show that two New Kingdom specimens of Papio hamadryas originate from the Horn of Africa. Here, we report the complete mitochondrial genomes from a mummified baboon from Gabbanat el-Qurud and 14 museum specimens with known provenance together with published georeferenced mitochondrial sequence data. Phylogenetic assignment connects the mummified baboon to modern populations of P. hamadryas in Eritrea, Ethiopia, and eastern Sudan. This result, assuming geographical stability of phylogenetic clades, corroborates Greco-Roman historiographies by pointing toward present-day Eritrea, and by extension Adulis, as a source of baboons for Late Period Egyptians. It also establishes geographic continuity with baboons from the fabled Land of Punt (Dominy et al., 2020), giving weight to speculation that Punt and Adulis were essentially the same trading centres separated by a thousand years of history.
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An integrated study of dark earth from the alluvial valley of the Senne river (Brussels, Belgium).
- The present article discusses the integration of urban geoarchaeological and archaeobotanical data of a series of Dark Earth deposits situated in the alluvial valley of the Senne River in Brussels, Belgium. Due to their homogeneous character, their interpretation is a huge challenge for archaeologists. Through a caseby-case approach, a detailed picture of the sequence of different activities and (semi-) natural events, leading to the build up of Dark Earth at each individual site has been obtained. Among the activities, agricultural practices and waste management, which are rarely archaeologically recorded in urban contexts, have been identified. Despite being situated in a valley context, none of the sites presented an excellent preservation of the organic plant remains. However, through the integration of geoarchaeological and botanical data, the taphonomical history of the botanical remains could better be understood, allowing us to document the evolution of the environment surrounding the sites. Additionally, it has been demonstrated that the botanical study of Dark Earth units can also provide valuable information on vegetal consumption, in particular fruits. On a broader scale, this integrated geoarchaeologial and archaeobotanical study sheds some light on the process of urbanisation of the Senne alluvial valley between the 11the12th and the 16th century AD.
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THE PEAT DEPOSITS FROM BRUSSELS (BELGIUM): THE HOLOCENE EVOLUTION OF THE LANDSCAPE IN THE SENNE VALLEY
- Whereas the evolution of the land cover of the Holocene landscape is rather well documented for the main basin of the Scheldt river (Verbruggen et al , 1996), the vegetation history of Senne valley remains poorly documented Over the last decade, during the systematic archaeological survey conducted by the Direction of Monuments and Sites of the Brussels Capital Region, several exceptionally well preserved meters thick peat deposits have been discovered in the historical centre of Brussels and its surroundings The first results of the palynological, paleofire and geoarchaeological studies reveal a nearly continuous sequence throughout the Holocene The interdisciplinary study of these deposits offer a huge potential to explore the evolution of the paleoenvironment in the river valley and further to contribute to spatial reconstructing the landscape development of the area trough the time As the sites are situated as well in the historical city centre as in the surrounding area it will also allow us to reconstruct the impact of the urbanisation on the natural vegetation and transformation of the peatland ecosystem into urban and cultivated areas in Brussels and its immediate surroundings
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Isorhipis melasoides (Coleoptera: Eucnemidae) in de Botanische Tuin Jean Massart (Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest)
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Solving the missing pieces of the gharial puzzle: new phylogenetic framework combining morphological, molecular, and biostratigrapic data to unravel the evolution of long-snouted crocodylians
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An update on the Maastrichtian Geoheritage Project
- The youngest time interval of the Cretaceous is known as the Maastrichtian Age, a reference to the strata exposed in the area surrounding the city of Maastricht, in the Netherlands-Belgium border region (Jagt 2001). The stratigraphic succession at the original type-locality of the Maastrichtian (adjacent to the former ENCI quarry, south of Maastricht) only covers the upper part of the Maastrichtian Stage as defined nowadays. However, recent integrated bio- and chemostratigraphic revision by Vellekoop et al. (2022) has shown that in combination with similar lithological sequences at other quarries in the region (e. g., Hallembaye, Curfs), a substantial part of the Maastrichtian Stage is represented. Over the past centuries, the type-Maastrichtian strata have provided a wealth of paleontological data. Despite its importance to the global geological community, most of the quarries in the region have been closed over the last decades. Instrumental quarries such as that of Curfs have already been out of commission for more than a decade, while others, such as the ENCI quarry, were recently closed. Because the soft limestone rocks weather easily and become overgrown rapidly, access to and study of the Maastrichtian rock succession in its type area is becoming very limited. To preserve the geological heritage of this original type-locality of the Maastrichtian, in 2018 we initiated the ‘Maastrichtian Geoheritage Project’. The goal of this project is to preserve the geological heritage of the Maastrichtian type area by (1) digital imagery, using drone photogrammetry and Differential GPS Base & Rover to generate high-resolution and georeferenced 3D models of the most important quarries in the Maastrichtian type region; and (2) archiving rock samples of these quarries for future research. Over the past years, we collected high-resolution (5 cm spacing) reference sample sets from the Hallembaye (2018) and ENCI (2019) quarries, and generated detailed geo-referenced 3D models for both quarries. For the next few years, several other instrumental quarries will be targeted. The acquired sample sets have already spurred a range of stratigraphic, geochemical and paleontological studies (e.g. Vellekoop et al. 2022), including detailed profiles of carbon isotope data and major and trace element concentrations, and many more to come. Moreover, the Maastrichtian Geoheritage Project sample sets will be made available for collaboration with other researchers in the field. Jagt, J.W.M., 2001. The historical stratotype of the Maastrichtian: A review. In: Odin, G.S. (Ed.), The Campanian-Maastrichtian Boundary, pp. 711–722. Elsevier Science B.V. Vellekoop, J. et al. 2022. A new age model and chemostratigraphic framework for the Maastrichtian type area (southeastern Netherlands, northeastern Belgium). Newsletters on Stratigraphy [accepted]
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From the ashes: a new project on the evolution and overturn of marine and terrestrial ecosystems through the early Paleogene of northwestern Europe
- The Paleogene Period can be considered the cradle of modern marine and terrestrial ecosystems (e.g. Krug et al., 2009; Field et al,. 2018). After global catastrophe at the K-Pg boundary, life recovered and repopulated marine and terrestrial ecosystems (Vellekoop et al., 2017; Lowery et al., 2018; Lowery et al., 2019; Vellekoop et al., 2020), eventually heralding the establishment of the rich and diverse modern marine and terrestrial ecosystems (Krug et al., 2009; Field et al., 2018). It has been suggested the crucial biotic evolution and overturn during the Paleogene was at least partly driven by the climatic evolution across this time interval (e.g. Widlansky et al., 2021). For example, the PETM (56 Ma) likely was key in reshaping the biosphere (Smith et al., 2020). During this hyperthermal, the first representatives of modern mammal orders (e.g., primates, artiodactyls, perissodactyls) suddenly spread over all northern continents, while marine ecosystems are characterized by marked extinctions, radiations and migrations (Gibbs et al., 2012; Speijer et al., 2012). Nevertheless, the evolutionary importance of other warming pulses (e.g., Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 or ETM-2) or the gradual climate trends towards the EECO remains unclear for most fossil groups. For northwestern Europe, terrestrial faunas appear to have been almost consistently in a dynamic state across this time interval, strongly influenced by dispersal events. In contrast to the PETM, the exact timing and paleogeographic conditions remain poorly constrained for post-PETM warming pulses, as only tentative chronological correlation with the Paleogene global temperature curves are established. Therefore, we have initiated a new collaborative project, aimed at creating (1) a better chronostratigraphic framework of Paleogene bioevents among vertebrates, by detailed study of marine and terrestrial strata containing, or interfingering with, vertebrate-rich beds in NW Europe, and (2) generating a better understanding the role of climate change on biotic evolution and overturns during the Early Paleogene, from both a marine and terrestrial perspective.
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On the recovery of marine productivity across the Cretaceous-Paleogene (K/Pg) boundary
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Final Scientific Report. Take home messages and project results. Jaak Monbaliu, Tina Mertens, Annelies Bolle, Toon Verwaest, Pieter Rauwoens, Erik Toorman, Peter Troch and Vincent Gruwez (Editors)
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Southern Ocean Food Web Modelling: Progress, Prognoses, and Future Priorities for Research and Policy Makers
- Graphical Abstract Graphical summary of multiple aspects of Southern Ocean food web structure and function including alternative energy pathways through pelagic food webs, climate change and fisheries impacts and the importance of microbial networks and benthic systems. , Globally important services are supported by Southern Ocean ecosystems, underpinned by the structure, function, and dynamics of complex interconnected and regionally distinctive food webs. These food webs vary in response to a combination of physical and chemical processes that alter productivity, species composition and the relative abundance and dynamics of organisms. Combined with regional and seasonal variability, climate-induced changes and human activities have and are expected to continue to drive important structural and functional changes to Southern Ocean food webs. However, our current understanding of food web structure, function, status, and trends is patchy in space and time, and methods for systematically assessing and comparing community-level responses to change within and across regional and temporal scales are not well developed. Insights gained from food web modelling studies—ranging from theoretical analyses of ecosystem resilience and adaptation, to qualitative and quantitative descriptions of the system—can assist in resolving patterns of energy flow and the ecological mechanisms that drive food web structure, function, and responses to drivers (such as fishing and climate change). This understanding is required to inform robust management strategies to conserve Southern Ocean food webs and the ecosystem services they underpin in the face of change. This paper synthesises the current state of knowledge regarding Southern Ocean pelagic food webs, highlighting the distinct regional food web characteristics, including key drivers of energy flow, dominant species, and network properties that may indicate system resilience. In particular, the insights, gaps, and potential integration of existing knowledge and Southern Ocean food web models are evaluated as a basis for developing integrated food web assessments that can be used to test the efficacy of alternative management and policy options. We discuss key limitations of existing models for assessing change resulting from various drivers, summarise priorities for model development and identify that significant progress could be made to support policy by advancing the development of food web models coupled to projected biogeochemical models, such as in Earth System models.
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Late Pleistocene modern human diversity in Central Africa
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The Upper Paleolithic human remains from the Troisieme caverne of Goyet (Belgium)
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Metastrongyloid parasites of felines in naturally infected gastropods in Greece
