Aktuelles
The domestic cat only arrived in Europe 2,000 years ago via North Africa
28/11/2025
Cannibals targeted Neanderthal women and children
26/11/2025
Neanderthal bones from the Goyet caves (Namur Province) show traces of cannibalism. A 2016 study had already demonstrated this, but it now appears that all the victims were women and children. Moreover, they did not come from the Goyet region but were brought there and then consumed.
A tribute to Congolese ancestors preserved in the Institute's collections
25/11/2025
On 24 November 2025, the Institute of Natural Sciences hosted, behind closed doors and by personal invitation, a ceremony paying tribute to Congolese individuals whose human remains are preserved in scientific collections in Belgium.
Mating injuries as clues to recognize female dinosaurs
04/11/2025
Fossil giant sea snail reveals what European summers could look like in the distant future
28/10/2025
A Belgian-Dutch study shows that 45 million years ago, Western Europe experienced a warm and humid climate with monsoon-like conditions, under the influence of high CO2 concentrations.
A 400-million-year-old placoderm reveals how the first dentitions were structured
17/09/2025
A placoderm species from Canada that lived some 400 million years ago offers us a glimpse into the very earliest beginnings of tooth evolution: dental plates attached to the palate with small teeth that grew in all directions.
In memoriam: former director Daniel Cahen (1943–2025)
16/09/2025
Daniel Cahen, former director of the institute, passed away on September 11, 2025, at the age of 82. He left a lasting mark on the archaeology and museology of our country.
New iguanodon species discovered in Portugal
15/09/2025
Minke whale washed ashore in Heist guided back to sea
08/09/2025
A minke whale, approximately 6 meters long, ran into trouble in the shallows of Heist Bay on August 31st. After an initial "rescue," the animal returned to shallow water two more times. Each time, the team succeeded in guiding the animal back to deeper water. However, doubts remained about the chance of survival.
Surprise visitor on Ostend beach: a young hooded seal
05/09/2025
A young hooded seal photographed on the beach in Ostend on August 21st was the fifth documented case of this northern seal in Belgium. However, the animal was not identified until the next day. By then, it had already returned to the sea, never to be seen again. Or was it?