Taxonomie du grand canidé de la grotte du Vallonnet (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin, Alpes-Maritimes, France)

The large canid of Vallonnet cave belongs to Xenocyon lycaonoides. Its remains are similar to the Xenocyon from Untermassfeld in Germany. X. Lycaonoides, and evoluated form of the Xenocyon genus, is characteristic of the second half of the Lower Pleistocene. The genus Xenocyon may be the ancestor of both Cuon and Lycaon.     

Les faunes de grands mammifères de la Caune de l'Arago (Tautavel) dans le cadre biochronologique des faunes du Pléistocène moyen italien

The fossiliferous levels of Caune de l'Arago supply a useful tool to investigate the relationships between faunal renewals and climate changes in a restricted area during the Middle Pleistocene. On the other hand the Italian fossil assemblages of the middle Galerian testified changes of palaeoenvironmental conditions. A biochronologic and palaeoecologic comparison among large mammalian faunas of these quite different Mediterranean regions have been performed in the aim to value possible vicariance of taxa and differences of faunal renewal dynamic during the Middle Pleistocene. After the results of our analysis we can correlate the faunal assemblages from the “Complexe moyen, ensemble stratigraphique I”, “Complexe moyen, ensembles stratigraphiques II and III”, “Complexe supérieur, sols A and B” of Caune de L'Arago sedimentary succession with the Italian Isernia (middle Galerian), Fontana Ranuccio (late Galerian) and Torre in Pietra (early Aurelian) faunal units (FUs) respectively. The French faunal assemblages were characterised by the absence of browsers and, conversely, by the presence of boreal taxa, mainly grazers, that were rare or never occurred in Italy. Accordingly, at no one Italian faunal complex, as expected, we can find any indication of continental cold climatic condition as showed by the faunal complexes of the Caune de l'Arago. Nevertheless, the major climate changes characterising the Middle Pleistocene can be detected in both regions. During the span time of Isernia FU, the temperature was at its lowest and arid conditions prevailed, whereas during the following Fontana Ranuccio FU humidity and temperature increased, as is more evident in central Italy local faunas. Moreover, after the similarity analysis, the Visogliano local fauna (North-Eastern Italy) was more related to the French than to the Italian ones. During the late Middle Pleistocene (Torre in Pietra FU) a moderate faunal reconstruction can be detected in both regions. The renewal was linked to climatic modifications taking place in the Mediterranean area approximately around OIS 11/OIS 10 transition, when interstadials became progressively milder and average humidity increased.     

La faune préhistorique de la région de Jungwon en Corée et la relation entre l'Homme et l'Animal

The Jungwon region, developed under the calcites deposit, contains 6 caves and 1 rock-shelter where we can find many animal bones. During the middle Pleistocene, some warm animals lived here and the number of species was increased in the course of the upper Pleistocene. In the upper Pleistocene, the young and old deer have been hunted as the main prey and they have been transported into the occupation area of prehistoric people. The cut-marks on the bones and the existence of bone tools reveal us their mode of subsistence.     

Comparaison de l'expression de certains caractères crâniens sur les hominidés chinois du Pléistocène récent et de l'Holocène (grotte supérieure de Zhoukoudian, sites de Longxian et de Yanqing)

The human remains recovered from “Grotte supérieure de Zhoukoudian” are the best-preserved Late Pleistocene human fossils in East Asia. For decades, as the representative of the Late Pleistocene human in East Asia, the Upper Cave skulls have been playing important role in the research of origins of modern Mongoloids and American Indians. With the advance of the origin and evolution of modern humans, more attention has been paid to the details and the mechanisms for the late Pleistocene human evolution and the formation of modern human populations. Both the origin and diversification of modern humans have been stressed. Some studies further trigger the debaters on the Upper Cave Man concerning its evolutionary level and its role in the formation of modern human populations in East Asia. To further explore these problems, we examined and compared 12 non-metric features on the 3 Late Pleistocene Upper Cave skulls and 162 Holocene individuals earthed from two archaeological sites of North China (Longxian and Yanqing). Our results indicate that 8 on the 12 features have different expression patterns between Upper Cave Man and recent Chinese leading the authors to believe that more primitive expressions appeared on the Upper Cave Man than on recent Chinese populations. Based on these findings, some problems on the intragroup variation in Late Pleistocene and Holocene populations are discussed.     

L'industrie lithique du Paléolithique dans la région de Jungwon en Corée

Prehistoric people have been often lived in the Jungwon region during the Paleolithic. It is a reference for development of the Paleolithic cultures in Korea. During the lower Paleolithic, pebble tool culture has been developed: tools were made with local raw materials and direct percussion and anvil technique were utilized. Debitage and raw material of the middle Paleolithic did not make a great difference to the lower Paleolithic. Otherwise, tool size became small and the number of flake tools increased. The crucial changes occurred during the upper Paleolithic. Technique, acquisition of raw material and tool kits were thoroughly innovated. All of these changes would reveal that the upper Paleolithic people have carried out more various activities, that earlier periods and their social structure would be more complex than other ones'.     

Évolution des grands Carnivores au Plio Pléistocène en Afrique et en Europe occidentale

This paper provides an overview of current knowledge of Plio Pleistocene Carnivora from Africa and Europe. In Plio Pleistocene times, many genera extend their ranges in Africa and Eurasia but their evolution are quite distinct in the two continents. In Africa, the modern carnivoran guild of sub saharian Africa originated in the early Pleistocene when took place extinction of archaic species. The north African fossil record is far from complete until the middle Pleistocene. In the middle and late Pleistocene, the modern carnivoran guild is associated with other elements: the simian jackal Canis simensis and two species of ursids Ursus arctos and Ursus deningeri which evolved towards Ursus spelaeus. Western European carnivore faunas show due to migration a constant turn-over of the species. Among felids, Panthera schaubi described by Viret (1954) and attributed to the genus Puma by Hemmer et al. (2004), is morphologically close to the snow leopard Panthera (Uncia) uncia. Canis etruscus is the sister group pf the clade including wolf and coyote and Canis arnensis is close to the African jackals. Ursus deningeri appears in the early Pleistocene together with two arctoid forms Ursus rodei and Ursus dolinensis that may be synonymous to Ursus arctos. The genus Hyaena is present in Europe in the middle and late Pleistocene.     

Pléistocène moyen et inférieur dans le Latium (Italie centrale)

Explorations and diggings of the Italian Institute of Human Palaeontology in Latium from 1950 to 2005, have brought out the following composite sequence: (1) for upper-middle Pleistocene of northern Latium: Travertine, gravels Acheulian-Mousterian transition, Riss. Homo (femur), Elephas antiquus, Hippopotamus, Bubalus murrensis, with upper Acheulian artefacts. (2) In middle Latium, middle Pleistocene: Volcanoclastic K-Ar 360 Ky. Below: Lower Acheulian complex and bone artefacts. Homo, Inuus, Elephas antiquus, Ursus deningeri, Dama clactoniana. Volcanic ash with Zelkowa, Buxus: caucasian flora. Hot pyroclastic flow about 15 m (50 feet) thick between 520 and 530 Ky. Limno-tuffite with Taxodiacea flora Lower-middle Pleistocene choppers artefacts below volcanic limit of 700 Ky. Southern Latium, lower Pleistocene: travertine reed Phragmites fragments. Ceprano hominid calvarium 800-900 Ky old. Gravel with chopper artefacts. Red sand with Unio shells. Lower palaeolithic gravelly sand, with very rough choppers artefacts, at Arce, Colle Marino, Colle Pece localities; at Castro dei Volsci chopper, assemblage is more evolved. Unconformity. Yellow sand layer with middle Villafranchian Anancus arvernensis and Mammuthus meridionalis fauna.     

Récentes découvertes de restes d'Hominidés fossiles en Chine du Sud

After the discovery of the controversial hominids and artefacts at the Longgupo site, three Early Pleistocene sites in the southern valleys of the Changjiang (Yangtze) were excavated from 1998 to 2000 in order to test the hypothesis that the hominids exist in China before 2 Ma. Three cheek teeth of Meganthropus palaeojavanicus, more than six hundreds pieces of artefacts of Mode 1 technology and thousands pieces of mammal fossils of Villafranchian age were unearthed in situ at the Longgudong Site in Hubei Province. More than 120 pieces of artefacts of Mode 1 technology and seven thousands pieces of mammal fossils of Villafranchian age were unearthed in situ at the Renzidong Site in Anhui Province. Although no new materials of hominids and artefacts were unearthed at the Yuanmou Man Site at Danawu in Yunnan Province, new materials of mammalian fauna confirm the horizon yielding the Yuanmou Man fossils is of the Early Pleistocene. These new discoveries imply that the appearance of hominids in China is very likely before 2 Ma. If the new report of 3 Ma artefact from Yuxian of the Nihewan Basin in northern China can be confirmed, it will be a strong support for the Continuity Theory.     

Les vagues de peuplements humains au Pléistocène inférieur et moyen dans le bassin de la Loire moyenne, région Centre, France. Apports de l’étude des formations fluviatiles

Evidence of earliest human settlements had been searched in the alluvial formations laid down in the Middle Loire Basin. Many stepped sheets deposited during the successive interglacial-glacial quaternary cycles are studied in four valleys of the Loire tributaries: the Creuse, Indre, Cher and Loir rivers. These sandy remnants are systematically dated, using the Electron Spin Resonance method applied on bleached fluvial quartz. Five settlements which contain very Early Palaeolithic industries with Mode 1 technology were occupied during the Lower Pleistocene. About eighty sites with hand-axe assemblages are observed in Middle Pleistocene remnants; nine of these are described in this paper. The results theorize that the geographical center of France (47°N) would be reached by two influxes of human populations with an interval around 400 years, because major climatic pejorations, particularly at the end of the Lower Pleistocene. These two populations produced lithic industries with many differences in supply of raw materials and in techniques of striking. Not any typologic link had been observed joining the two industrial unities.     

Ostracodes bathyaux du Crétacé terminal - Éocène moyen en Atlantique tropical (Plateau de Demerara, Leg 207)

Ostracode faunal assemblages which lived in bathyal environments are analysed from uppermost Maastrichtian - middle Eocene sediments of sites 1260 and 1261, drilled on the distal margin of Demerara, off Surinam (Leg 207, western tropical Atlantic). As for numerous other groups, the Cretaceous/Tertiary mass extinction event led to the disappearance of numerous bathyal ostracode species and it was followed by a very slow recovery during the Palaeocene. It appears that this extinction event was more devastating for detritus-feeder ostracode species than for filter or silt-eater groups, which crossed the K/T boundary without any or little morphological change. This extinction selectivity may be explained by the drop in productivity of surface waters which took place at the K/T boundary. Finally, psychrospheric ostracode species were encountered in Middle Eocene sediments, confirming thus the general cooling of deep oceanic realm recognised in general for this time interval.     

L'hominidé du Pléistocène supérieur en Corée

Since the middle of 1970s, one rock-shelter, six caves and one open archaeological site have yielded several hominid fossils. Among them, fossils from Yonggok, Mandal, Sangsi and Hungsu cave sites are useful to reconstruct the general shape of the Upper Pleistocene Hominids in Korea. The main study of this paper is to focus on the reconstruction of the general shape of the upper Pleistocene hominids, and to examine the cause of cranial changes from the late upper Paleolithic to Mesolithic period in Korea. Biomechanical principles are also applied to reconstruct the social activity of the upper Paleolithic man in Korea. In addition, it is assumed that main proponent of Paleolithic cultures in Korea might be Homo sapiens rather than any other species. Based on the anatomical characteristics of skull, the axillary border of the scapular and the midshaft of the femur, general appearance of Homo sapiens during the Pleistocene in Korea could be reconstructed.     

L’approvisionnement en matières premières lithiques au Pléistocène inférieur et moyen dans la Sierra de Atapuerca, Burgos (Espagne)

This paper summarizes the latest studies on lithic raw material raising that are currently undertaken within the Sierra de Atapuerca research project. During the past two years, several works have provided new petrographical and technological data, contributing to the knowledge of the kinds of materials exploited by the Atapuerca hominids, as well as the areas where those materials were raised. The sites yielding this information are Gran Dolina (Lower and Middle Pleistocene) and Galeria (Middle Pleistocene), both located in the Trinchera del Ferrocarril archeopaleontological complex.     

Échinodermes de l'Ordovicien supérieur (Ashgill) de Sardaigne et d'Algérie

Research on the influence of sea level variations on the benthic faunas have been carried out in the Upper Ordovician of Sardinia. Study of the depositional facies and sequence analysis of the upper part (Lower Ashgill) of the Portixeddu Formation led to the identification of the sedimentary environments. Cystoids and crinoids are associated to bryozoans and brachiopods in most levels. The numerical analysis of associations and megaguilds shows that crinoids and cystoids have a higher frequency in the proximal and median facies of the upper offshore. The columnal association characterized by Conspectocrinus celticus and the coronoid Mespilocystites tregarvanicus has been discovered in the upper part of the formation. This material and complementary samples from Upper Ordovician of Sardinia and Kabylia (Algeria) bring additional data on the systematic and show the wide distribution of this fauna outside of the Ibero-armorican domain. The distribution of this echinoderm association supports a palaeogeographical position of the Ibero-armorican domain and Sardinia within the north gondwanan margin during the Lower Palaeozoic.     

Coraux du Barrémien du Sud de la France (Ardèche et Drôme)

Corals from the Barremian of southern France (dépt. Ardèche and Drôme) are described. The rather small fauna of colonial corals encompasses 23 species belonging to 18 genera of both Hexa- and Octocorals. The assemblages from the lower as well as upper Barremian show stratigraphic relationships to those of the Hauterivian and Aptian of the Tethys and the Caribbean province.     

Le Lias et le Dogger du sud du Bassin parisien (France) : rôle de la tectonique syn-sédimentaire et reconstitutions paléogéographiques à l'échelle de la biozone d'ammonite

The Lias and Dogger series in the southern Paris Basin outcrops are precisely dated following the ammonite biozonation scale. In these series, the depositional environment context is accurately identified and thus various isopic zones can bee recognized. From the outcrop study, the depositional sequence and the tectonics events are also distinguished. The poorly dated subsurface data should be not anymore interpreted as diagraphic signatures, with the traditional peak to peak correlation. They now need to be analysed according to the geodynamic evolution of each isopic zone. The Liassic transgressive series (in the Armorican continent) and the Dogger platforms numerous carbonate bodies are correlated at biostratigraphic scale, throughout the whole southern Paris Basin. Subsequently, paleogeographic maps are established and based on depositional sequences. The basin evolution image changes radically. This shows clearly that the complexes carbonate bodies layout prohibits any depositional environment interpretation and any isopach mapping at geological stage level. If not, the carbonate platforms of different age would be amalgamated, without any connection with the reality. Over the time, paleogeographic maps show syn-sedimentary short wavelength deformations, more or less well expressed according to the local sedimentary context. During the Lias and the Dogger, three steps can be distinguished in the southern Paris Basin. Hettangian to Lower Aalenian, the progressive increase in accommodation drives to total immersion of the continental areas; the maximum of accommodation during the Middle Toarcian entails uniform sedimentary conditions. However, short wavelength deformations persist. The major accidents defining the isopic zones are mainly North-South oriented. Middle Aalenian to Middle Bathonian, isopic zones are contrasted, controlled by the North-South accidents but also the North West-South East ones ; the variable accommodation allowed the development of regional sedimentary gaps and shallow limestone progradations on a marly area (so called “Sillon marneux”) ; tectonics events correspond to the Tethyan and the North Sea riftings influences. Upper Bathonian to Upper Oxfordian, the North West-South East tectonics accidents are particularly active; this tectonic phase could be associated to the thermal event, described in the Paris Basin and announcing the Malm depositional environment.     

Les séries silicoclastiques miocènes du Nord-Est au Sud-Ouest de la Tunisie : une mise au point

During the Miocene time, the Atlas-pelagian block, which is limited northward by the atlasic-alpin chain of North Africa-Sicily, southward by the Gafsa-Jeffara-Azizia fault and eastward by the Malta escarpment, resulted from the extension-compression regime, mainly controlled by the subduction-collision processes. This regime induced the opening of many Miocene microbasins, which have been infilled by silicoclastic materials showing lateral and vertical facies variations and several hiatus associated to tectonic and stratigraphic unconformities. Excepting the very local transgressive regimes, such as those of Langhian and Messinian periods, most of the Miocene deposits took place on internal platforms, especially at the NE part of the country. The fluviodeltaic and alluvial sediments are, in fact, lateral equivalents which infilled the valley and depression enclosed systems towards the SW. In this context (rapid facies variations in time and space, superposition of tectonic and eustatic unconformities, climatic variations, rare or absent stratigraphic markers…), some controversies remain as regards the correlation and dating of these series. This work consists of a study of the lateral and vertical facies and thickness variations, coupled to the identification of the main unconformities. It is also a study of significance of the main sedimentological mechanisms and an inventory of the different palynological and paleontological content of the sediments. The aim of this work is to propose a new vision on the Miocene deposits in Tunisia along a NE-SW axis. Then, using these data, we have correlated the different lithological formations, discuss their age and, finally, proposed paleogeographical drafts for them.     

Ostracodes et stratigraphie du néogène et du quaternaire méditerranéens

A stratigraphical chart of marine ostracoda from Lower Miocene to Recent is established. Selected species (approximatively 220) are those morphologicaly well characterized and known from different parts of the Mediterranean area. It appears that: • lower Miocene ostracodes are still poorly known; • specific diversity is high during the Tortonian and the Lower Messinian before the complete disappearance of marine Mediterranean species during the Upper Messinian évaporitic episodes; • during the early Pliocene, about half of the Upper Miocene marine species are reintroduced with the Atlantic waters; other species migrate for the first time in the Mediterranean Sea by the same way; • at the end of the Pliocene or at the beginning of the Pleistocene several species known in Mediterranean since the Middle Miocene or before, such as Cytherella sp. gr. transversa and Ruggieria tetraptera, as well some “nordic guests” such as Hemicythere villosa and Cythere lutea, appear. This work is an opportunity to confirme a Late Miocene age for the Neogene of Skyros (Aegean Sea), to assign the “Upper Pliocene” of Terquem to the Lower Pleistocene and to refute the existence of a pliocene psychrosphere.     

Proposition d’un référentiel taphonomique fossile de faunes issues d’avens-pièges

Pitfalls are formations characterized by a vertical opening that connects the karstic system to the outside. The presence of faunas trapped without the intervention of man or carnivores, offers the opportunity to establish a fossil referential of modifications generated by identified taphonomic agents. Three natural deposits containing large faunal accumulations feed this work. Their characteristics differ. The Igue des Rameaux, to Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in Tarn-et-Garonne, is a pitfall which contains two accumulations of fauna independent from the Middle Pleistocene. Scavenging by man and carnivores (hyenas and wolves) are observed. The Igue du Gral, to Sauliac-sur-Célé in Lot, is a second pitfall. His principal phase of filling took place 14,000 years ago. Man did not exploit this assemblage. The activity of wolves is locally important, some animals are scavenged. The Grotte de l’Escale, in Bouches-du-Rhône, contains a very important filling of lower and middle Pleistocene. For the levels presented here, only a very weak presence of carnivores is attested. The thar (Hemitragus bonali) is the majority specie. We describe here the main forms of climato-edaphic modifications: fragmentation, dissolution, weathering and deposits observed on the osseous material. A differential analysis enables us to evaluate the variability of the situations according to the stratigraphic units and the different species. In a second time, we estimate the impact of the taphonomic agents on the differential conservation of bones and skeletal representations. Many phenomena are producing a significant correlation between anatomical representations and osseous densities. However, we find for all the species a certain homogeneity in the skeletal profiles where no precise element dominates. In a last part, we give two examples of the use of the taphonomic phenomena in the individualization of filling episodes within sometimes disrupted stratigraphies.     

Aux origines de la Spiritualité : la notion de transcendance au Paléolithique

In a previous note we presented the expression of the late paleolithic spirituality (Welté and Lambert, 2004). A special analytic grid was used as a possible tool for a demonstration. We separeted rationality from metaphysic; notions which are linked with dialectic relations between necessity (daily constraints), thought, action and evolution in the paleolithic period. Starting from the no direct material activities like burials, funeral materials and art, we purpose now that such notions existed before the upper Paleolithic. We infer that a privilegious set of interactions between the animal and the human appeared early in the thought of the people, before the upper Paleolithic. A metaphysic univers forced itself upon them as an evident “anti-world” which is the symmetric shape of the real and tangible world. In such a context, the social system(s) could not discard these duality.     

Biochronologie mammalienne du Quaternaire du Maroc atlantique, dans son cadre régional

Recent researches conducted in Morocco in the frame of the “Programme Casablanca” provide a firm ground to set up a biochronology of the Pliocene and Pleistocene based upon the succession of Mammalian faunas, thanks to the occurrence of well-dated landmarks, and despite very scarce absolute datations. The site of Lissasfa, dated to the Miocene-Pliocene boundary by rodents, testifies to important exchanges with Europe. That of Ahl al Oughlam yielded more than 100 vertebrate species. The evolutionary stages of its rodents, carnivores, bovids, Kolpochoerus, as well as the absence of Equus, allow us to refer it to the late Pliocene, at ca. 2.5 Ma. The Thomas and Oulad Hamida quarries in Casablanca cut through a unique succession of marine and continental levels going back to the lower Pleistocene, yielding the earliest evidence of human presence in Morocco. Later stages of this human occupation are documented by the Middle Pleistocene levels of these quarries, and by several other sites, most of which are also located in the Rabat-Casablanca region, thus confirming the importance of this coastal area in human history. However, the first chapter of this history in North-western Africa, at present illustrated by the sites of Aïn Hanech and Mansourah in Algeria, remains poorly documented in Morocco.