Ammonites diartianus d'Orbigny, 1850,Vascoceratidae du cénomanien supérieur de saint-calais (Sarthe)

Ammonites diartianus d'Orbigny is a Vascocerasoof late Cenomanian (Sciponoceras gracile Zone) age, occuring in both Sarthe (France) and southern England. It is the earliest vascoceratid known from France, and its recognition is of great significance, lending support to recent suggestions that the classic Vascoceras gamai - mundaeChoffat group are of Upper Cenomanian age.     

Révision systématiquedu genre Steginoporella smitt, 1873 (Bryozoa Cheilostomata)

Systematic revision of the genus Steginoporella: until now about eighty species were described. Only twenty recent species and thirty-four fossil ones are maintained. Several species and subspecies are new.The main interest of this revision is to establish a biostratigraphical scale: the settlement of this scale is based on the known stratigraphical distribution and on an attempt of phylogeny.The second advantage is ecological: all recent species live in marine tropical environment. The Steginoporella are good paleoecological indicators.At last, the establishment of a paleobiogeography, even incomplete and not definitive, allows to understand more easily recent distribution of Steginoporella connected with the great events of earth evolution.     

Révision de quatre espèces actuelles de Celleporaria (Bryozoa,Cheilostomata) décrites par de Lamarck en 1816

The bryozoa described by de Lamarck in 1816 are not well known. Four types of the Cellepora group have been found in the zoological collections of Museum d'Histoire naturelle in Paris: Celleporaria oculata, C. cristata, C. oliva and C. endivia. C. oculata is the type-species of the genus CelleporariaLamouroux, 1821. This revision confirms the synonymy of some species described subsequently.     

Dicerorhinus miguelcrus afonti nov. sp., une nouvelle espèce de rhinocéros (Mammalia,Perissodactyla) du gisement pliocène supérieur de Layna (Soria,Espagne) et de la formation pliocène de Perpignan (Pyrénées-Orientales,France)

More than 90 remains of rhinoceroses bones and teeth have been recovered from the Layna Pliocene deposit. They correspond to a middle sized animal with stout bones and is quite different from both the large sized Pliocène D. megarhinus, the lower Villafranchian D. jeanvireti and the slim small Villafranchian D. etruscus. Its a new species belonging to the Dicerorhinus genus: D. miguelcrusafonti nov. sp. This species is also found in the Perpignan Pliocene formation, together with D. megarhinus.     

Découverte de Stringocephaluseet autres Stringocephalidae (Brachiopodes Terebratulida)) dans le Givétien d'Afghanistan

A lot of Stringocephalidae have been discovered,for the first time, in the Givetian of Afghanistan. Among these we have identified: Stringocephalus aff. burtini (Defrance)), St. (Parastringocephalus) dewalense n. sp., Rensselandia aff. circularis (Holzapfel)). The locality is situated in Hazarajat, in a Devonian sequence which is more than one thousand meters thick and the age of which ranges from Gedinnian (probable) to Frasnian.     

Ostéologie et position systématiquedu genre Thrissops Agassiz, 1833 (sensu stricto) (Jurassique supérieur de l'Europe occidentale) au sein des Téléostéens primitifs

The osteological study of the genus ThrissopsAgassiz, 1833 (sensu stricto) from the Upper Jurassic of Germany and France allows to define the systematic position of that fossil fish within the primitive Teleosts. The general shape of the skull, the jaws, the ethmoidal area, the circumorbital bones, the fronto-parieto-supra occipital area, the parasphenoid and the opercular bones are all characters which prove that Thrissops belongs to the family Ichthyodectidae (order Ichthyodectiformes, super-order Osteoglossomorpha). However Thrissops is more primitive than the other Ichthyodectidae which are all of Cretaceous age. It possesses indeed two parietals bearing pit-lines, a premaxillary and a maxillary normally developed, a palatine and a metapterygoid without any contact, a denticulated entopterygoid, three free epurals and six uroneurals, while, in the Cretaceous Ichthyodectidae, the parietals are fused in one bone without any pit-line, the premaxillary and the maxillary are hypertrophic, the palatine touchs the metapterygoid, the entopterygoid is toothless, the epural disappear or fuse with the terminal neural arches to form supplementary neural spines, and the uroneural are only five.     

Contribution a la connaissancce des rhapydionininae (foraminifères, alveolinidae) crétacés

The formerly unknown microspheric form of Raadshoovenia salentina (Papetti and Tedeschi) and the new genus Cyclopseudedomia (type-species Cyclopseudedomia smouti n.g., n.sp.) are described from limestones of Campanian-Maastrichtian age from Gavrovo-Tripolitza zone in Greece. The new genus is distinguished from others of the sub-family RhapydionininaeKeijzer emend. Hamaoui and Fourcade by its almost entirely evolute test made of chambers tending to a cyclical stage (rapidly reached in the microspheric form).     

Phéromones agrégeant les ouvrières de Myrmica rubra

The workers of Myrmica rubra aggregate around a source of one of their secretions, which can be called ‘alarm pheromone’, and also around workers of Lasius flavus. The mechanism of these aggregations differ.Both L. flavus workers and a solution in liquid paraffin of 3-octanol, one of the mandibular gland compounds, act as an arrestant for the workers of M. rubra. Both Dufour's gland secretion and a source of 3-octanone, the major compound of the mandibular gland secretion, are true attractants.The poison gland secretion, a mixture of 3-octanone and 3-octanol in liquid paraffin and a solution in liquid paraffin of 3-nonanone, a minor mandibular gland compound, all induce klinokinesis. The secretion of the mandibular glands and the secretion of the venom apparatus both cause positive klinokinesis and taxis. These locomotory reactions increase the probability that an object, marked by nest mates with these secretions, will be detected by several workers.When presented alone, 3-octanone is the only attractive compound in the mandibular gland secretion. However, a mixture of 3-octanone and 3-octanol (15 per cent of 3-octanol in the vapour phase) is detected more easily by the ants. The diffusion coefficients of the two compounds are different, and a mixture of these substances creates not only a quantitative but also a qualitative odour gradient. This may explain the synergy of the mixture.     

Biogéographied'un groupe d'Échinides cénozoiques (Echinolampas et ses sous-genres Conolampas et Hypsoclypus)

Echinolampas is a subtropical genus living in rather shallow water; one may regards it as a climatic marker. The theory of continental drift affords a rather good explanation for its distribution in space during Cenozoic era. It appears in Old Wolrd during Paleocene and it occurs in Central America during Middle Eocene; that implies it had to cross the already broad Atlantic Ocean; but at that time this ocean is not as broad at it is now. Migration along the shelf area which rimmed North Atlantic might have been impossible, owing to disruption of land connection between Europe and North America. Probably the migration occured in low latitudes and pelagic larvae were transported by one of the two equatorial currents. Diversity of the genus has much decreased during Late Eocene. The cause may be chiefly due to climatic deterioration, resulting from marine communication between North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean. Echinolampas occurs for the first time in Australia during Oligocene. One may suggest the possibility of a link between this late evidence and the quite remote position till then of Australian continent. During Miocene, the relative decrease in Echinolampas diversity in the Mediterranean Basin occurs as a result of the welding between Asia and Africa.     

Caractérisation de la sticticine chez le lichen Lobaria laetevirens

Sticticin has been isolated from the thallus of Lobaria laetevirens. Its structure was determined by spectroscopic methods (NMR, MS) and comparison with a synthetic sample. It has been found in several species of the Stictaceae.     

Isolement et caractérisation partielle des glycoprotéines de paroi des charophytes: Chara aspera et Nitella translucens

From purified cell walls and pectic, hemicellulosic and cellulosic fractions of Chara aspera and Nitella translucens, glycoproteins were isolated through affinity chromatography on concanvalin A (Con A)-Sepharose column. The chemical composition of protein fractions is qualitatively the same in both algae. The polysaccharidic moieties vary from one glycoprotein to another. None of the glycoproteins present contains cystine or hydroxyproline.     

Ostéologie et affinités de Trematochampsa taqueti (Crocodylia,Mesosuchia) du Sénonien inférieur d'In Beceten (République du Niger)

Among the abundant remains of Mesosuchia that have been yielded by the early Senonian locality of In Beceten (Niger), the most numerous belong to the species Trematochampsa taquetiBuffetaut, 1974. The osteology of this species is described here. This medium-sized crocodilian, with a moderately elongated skull, is characterized, among other features, by its antorbital fenestra, its surangular-quadratojugal articulation, its slightly displaced post-orbital pillar, its teeth with wrinkled enamel, and its amphicoelous vertebrae. In its general outlook, this animal is rather reminiscent of the Goniopholidae, from the Upper Jurassic and the Cretaceous of Laurasia, but it is more primitive than them, and resemblances are probably due to convergence phenomena. The family Trematochampsidae is probably essentially Gondwanian, and could persist until the Senonian thanks to a certain isolation from Laurasia, where more progressive Crocodylia became predominant much earlier than in Africa and South America.     

Précisions morphologiques,structurales et systématiques sur Reptomulticava parviporosa CANU et LECOINTRE (Bryozoa,cyclostomata)

This miocene organism was described as an Alga (Lithophyllym vinassaiPATRINI, 1932 = Neosolenopora patriniiMASTRORILLI, 1955) and as a Bryozoan (Reptomulticava parviporosaCANU et LECOINTRE, 1934). This paper shows several salient features of Cyclostomatous Bryozoans (morphology, microstructure, zoarial brood chamber). The arguments for the classing of this organism among Algae are simultaneously refuted (pseudo-differentiation of the thallus, conceptacles).     

Diversité systématique des Didelphidae (Marsupialia) européens tertiaires

From the early Eocene to the middle Miocene,26 species of european Didelphidae are recognized. The diagnosis of 15 new species are stated (Peradectes louisi, russelli and multigniensis; Amphiperatherium brabantense, bourdellense, gothei, maximum, bastbergense and fontense; Peratherium matronense, sudrei, bretouense, lavergnense, monspeliense and perrierense). For the first time, the sub-family of Didelphinae is divided in two new tribes (Peradectini and Didelphini). In Europe, the story of this sub-family is briefly stated.     

La citréomontanine,nouvelle α-pyrone polyéthylénique isolée de Penicillium pedemontanum

Citreomontanin, a new polyene 2-pyrone was isolated from the mycelium of P. pedemontanum. Based upon spectral data, it was assigned the structure: (all-E)-4-methoxy-5-methyl-6-(7,9,11- trimethyl-1,3,5,7,9,11-tridecahexaenyl)-2 H-pyran-2-one.     

Cyanophyceae (Cyanobacteria) aérophiles de Nouvelle-Calédonie

This paper deals with the aerophytic Cyanophyceae from New Caledonia sampled by Prof. Dr A. Guillaumin from Paris, Dr M.G. Baumann-Bodenheim from Zürich, Dr H. Hürlimann from Winterthur and Prof. Baas Becking from Noumea. A total of 124 samples were studied, most of them collected on soil, stones, rocks and barks. The characteristics of these samples are given. Among species, varieties and forms, a total of 85 taxa were recorded. Among them three are new for science, Gloeothece neocaledoniense nov. sp., Hydrocoryne neocaledonica nov. sp. and Scytonematopsis neocaledoniense nov. sp. One new combination is proposed, Petalonema involvens var. elongata (Bourr.) nov. comb.     

Nouvelles interprétationsdes restes d'Équidés (Mammalia,Perissodactyla) de Nihowan (Pléistocène inférieur de la Chine du Nord): Equus teilhardi nov. sp.

The fauna yielded by the Nihowan lower pleistocene lacustrine deposits includes two species of Equus beside one Hipparion. Equus sanmeniensis was described in 1930 by Teilhard de Chardin and Piveteau; this species is characterized by its large size and the presence of cups on all incisors. Equus teilhardi nov. sp. is smaller and its lower incisors are devoid of cups. It is the first time that such an absence is noted among eurasiatic Equus; till now only some californian, south-american and african species were known to have lowers incisors without cups. The finding of several Equids in the same deposits and the significance of the lack of cups are briefly discussed.