Institute of Natural Sciences

A Darwin Core dataset of scorpions (Arachnida, Scorpiones) from the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS) Collections

This data paper details the publication of a dataset derived from the scorpion (Order Scorpiones C.L. Koch, 1850) collections preserved at the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (RBINS), Brussels. The dataset includes all 3,652 specimens mostly identified to genus or spe...

Revisiting the productide (Productidina, Strophalosiidina) brachiopod fauna from upper Visean (Mississippian) reefs in Belgium and UK: systematics, palaeoecology and evolutionary implications

The Asbian (upper Visean, Mississippian) reefs of North Yorkshire, Derbyshire (UK) and Visé (Belgium) host rich brachiopod faunas studied since the 19th century. This paper revises the productide brachiopods, which dominate the benthic assemblages in both abundance and diversity....

Decoupling geometry and topography reveals contrasting ecomorphological signals in carnivoran carnassial teeth

Abstract The lower carnassial tooth (m1) is a key innovation underlying the ecological diversification of Carnivora. However, their exceptionally diverse phenotypes result from both functional adaptation and phylogenetic inertia which challenges ecomorphological inferences. We in...

The rise of carnivoran mammals in Europe through the lens of body mass

Carnivoran mammals (cats, dogs, bears, seals, etc.) and their kin radiated during the Palaeogene, among other carnivorous clades (hyaenodonts, mesonychians, and oxyaenodonts). This radiation has often been framed as a competition ultimately won by carnivorans, but the data suppor...