Suoidea du Miocène inférieur de Laugnac (Lot-et-Garonne, France)

The fossil vertebrate locality of Laugnac is the type locality of the Neogene mammalian zone MN2b. It has yielded many remains of Suoidea belonging to two different genera.Xenohyus venitor is characterized by its large size and especially its large central upper incisors, I1/ and I2/. It is quite difficult to know its phyletic relationships because the material is not abundant.Hyotherium cf.meisneri is more abundant with a quite good skull, pieces of skull, jaws and isolated teeth. It belongs to a peculiar lineage different from that ofH. major from Saint Gérand-le-Puy, France. It has some similarities withAureliachoerus aurelianensis from later geological levels (MN3-MN5).     

Holmesopteris faironiae,fougère nouvelle du Carbonifère supérieur des Monts Cantabriques (NW de l'Espagne) et de Belgique

Isolated fern rachises have been discovered in twoWestphalian A coal balls of Belgium and Spain. They represent a new taxon, Holmesopteris faironiae n.gen., n.sp., characterized by the special location of the protoxylem poles. The morphology, the anatomy and the foliar branching of this new taxon suggest that it may belong to the family Botryopteridaceae; Stephanian species of the genus Botryopteris seem closely related to the new fern.     

Signification paléoécologique et paléogéographique des bivalves du Carbonifère inférieur du bassin d’Ancenis (Massif armoricain)

Palaeoecological and palaeogeographical inferences from Early Carboniferous bivalves of the Ancenis Basin (Variscan belt, France). In the basal part of the Ancenis Formation, of Dinantian age, greenish to purple mudstones display a few bivalves, assigned to the genera Lithophaga, Modiolus, and Naiadites. Because Naiadites is considered to be a non-marine bivalve, and is only previously reported in Scotland in Dinantian rocks, a brackish environment can be assumed for the Ancenis Basin during the Early Carboniferous. To cite this article: M. Ballèvre, H. Lardeux, C. R. Palevol 4 (2005).     

Chronologie des sites du Pléistocène inférieur et moyen du nord de l’Afrique

North Africa, and in particular the Maghreb, is a key region for African prehistory in that it contains sites whose chronology covers the entire Pleistocene period from 2.5 Ma to the Holocene. In terms of culture, it fits into the general pattern of the Stone Age, but it has particularities that make it a region apart with its own cultures. Due to its climate and geographical position, between the desert regions of the south and the Mediterranean Sea to the north, it has offered mankind a diversity of landscapes and environments that are quite unique and favorable to the development of human evolution. Finally, this region gives access to Europe through several maritime passages (Gibraltar, Sicily), which were probably used during the Pleistocene, thus reinforcing the interest in studying this northern part of Africa. The recent development of numerous dating methods has made it possible to reinforce and consolidate the chronostratigraphic framework, which for many years had been based solely on radiocarbon dating. These methods have sometimes even contributed to the confirmation of ‘new’ ideas that have dusted off the existing framework of prehistory. This article presents a chronology of the main ancient sites of the Maghreb dated by different methods whose ages compared to the results obtained by other disciplines participate and contribute to a better understanding of the environmental and cultural framework of prehistoric Man.     

Nouvelles espèces de dasycladales du crétacé inférieur de provence (S.E. France)

In the Lower Cretaceous of Provence Cylindroporella faronensis n. sp. and Cylindroporella massiliana n. sp. represent small size species with a limited number of branches. The former ranges from the Middle (or Lower p.p. ?) Berriasian to the Lower Valanginian, the latter is found in the Lower Hauterivian, but could appear earlier in other regions. Clypeina isabellae n. sp. is also a small size form with a fibrous, yellowish microstructure, close to Clypeina sulcata, it is restricted to the Middle (or Lower p.p. ?) and Upper Berriasian. Besides their biostratigraphic and palaeobiogeographic potential value this material from Provence is also interesting from an evolutionary point of view. At generic levels it shows distinctive patterns relatively to the “Cope law”.     

Sites de surface du Paléolithique inférieur au sud-ouest de Tademaït : première approche morpho-technologique

In 2014, a mission in preventive archaeology is organized in the southwestern part of Tademaït. Archaeologists were able to confirm ancient traces of an important anthropisation of Saharan territories. The numerous discoveries of sites during the last century are confirmed by the new discoveries. The new surveys in the southwestern region of Tademaït conducted by the National Center for Archaeological Research and the GTIM oil group have led to the discovery of several prehistoric sites. Four zones (Zipper) have been selected to carry out a thorough prospection. Some sites have a rich concentration of lithic pieces on the surface, which, according to a preliminary assessment, can be attributed to the Paleolithic. The areas (Zipper 1, 2, 3 and 4) cover several km² and provide an abundant lithic industry on the surface, the exposed face of which is highly patinated and the surface laid on the ground has kept its natural appearance. This observation suggests that these sites have been little disturbed since their establishment. Continued research in the field and the (future) programming of an excavation to study a site could provide new elements of understanding of the behavior of early hominids. For the moment, we propose a morpho-technological analysis of ancient pieces reported in the Lower Paleolithic (Oldowayen and Acheulean). The approach of all the sites studied in the southwest of Tademaït offers the first elements of reading to better understand the cognitive behavior of these hominids. Our study will shed light on the probable technical similarities with peripheral sites in the central Sahara and the first observations are presented in this text.     

Composition chimique de quelques Mammifères fossiles d’un milieu continental phosphaté (Aubrelong I, Lot, France, Oligocène inférieur)

Fossil mammal long bones from Lower Oligocene from Aubrelong 1 (Quercy) were analysed for a range of elements using electron microprobe technique and infrared spectrometry. Fossil mammal teeth were analysed using electron microprobe technique. Comparison of the fossil samples is made with those of recent samples. Infrared spectra show the decrease and the alteration of the organic matrix content in fossil bones. Values for the elements P, Ca are significantly higher, and S lower in the fossil samples relative to the recent samples. The high concentrations of these elements in the fossil samples are clearly a result of diagenetic alteration. In most fossil sites, all the tissues are enriched in Ca, P contents being higher or lower than in the recent tissues. All the fossil tissues of the Aubrelong site are enriched in P. Thus one may tentatively conclude that there is a relationship between the phosphatic composition of sediment and the behavior of P. The chemical composition of all the fossil tissues seems to converge. The organic and the mineral phases are altered by diagenetic processes.     

Les primates hominoides du Vallésien de Macédoine (Grèce). Étude de la machoire inférieure

The locality of the Ravine of the Rain is located in Lower Macedonia (Greece); it has yielded an important mammalian fauna of Vallesian age (Upper Miocene). An hominoid Primate is present with a lot of well preserved jaws. It is one of the better set of specimens never found in the same locality. His features and caracters are described and compared with those of the others tertiary Hominoids. This is a species which is near of Sivapithecus, Bodvapithecus and Ramapithecus and also it is very near of the ancestry of Gigantopithecus. All these Primates have had a particular ecology and this is probably the set in which we shall find the root of the plio-pleistocen Hominids.     

Une microflore d'âge namurien ou westphalien inférieur de la carrière napoléon,ferques (pas-decalais), France

The palynological study of coal samples from the Carboniferous formation encountered at the Napoléon quarry (Ferques near Boulogne, France) shows an important microflora. The comparison between this microflora and the results obtained in Great Britain and Nord-Pas-de-Calais coalfields assigns to this formation an age between Late Namurian and Late Westphalian A.     

Les bases cytologiques de la théorie du ≪crossing-over≫: Étude sur la spermatogénèse et l'ovogénèse des calliphorinae

Sans résumé     

Étude histologique du système neuro-endocrinien de l'abeille

Résumé L'auteur a utilisé différentes techniques de la coloration et la microscopie sur fond noir pour l'étude histologique du complexe neuro-endocrinien de l'abeille.On distingue deux types de cellules dans la pars intercerebralis. L'examen ultrastructural révèle qu'un troisième type de cellule est identique au second type, mais la technique appliquée au cours de ces travaux différencie encore un autre type de cellule (publication en cours de préparation).Le trajet des axones partant de la pars intercerebralis réclame une attention particulière, la présence de trachéoles à forte réaction phloxinophile pouvant y faire croire à la présence d'une sécrétion phloxinophile.La même technique de coloration appliquée après fixation en solution de Carnoy ne donne aucune différenciation de la sécrétion hématoxyline-positive en une fraction soluble et en une fraction insoluble dans l'alcool.La coloration à la paraldéhyde-fuchsine selonEwen (1962) confirme les résultats de la coloration selonGomori.La coloration à la paraldéhyde-fuchsine selonHalmi (1952) ne permet pas de déceler un produit de sécrétion dans les cellules des corpora allata de l'abeille (ouvrière).Les éléments névrogliques du système neuro-endocrinien de l'abeille domestique sont nettement différenciés par la coloration à la fuchsine acide Light Green selonAlzheimer.L'éclairage sur fond noir révèle que les cellules de la pars intercerebralis de l'abeille ont à un degré élevé la propriété de diffuser la lumière. Certaines autres parties du complexe cérébral présentent cependant le même phénomène, de sorte que cette technique est sans utilité pratique pour la différenciation des cellules neuro-sécrétoires.

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Summary The neuro-endocrine complex of the honey bee was histologically examined by means of various staining techniques and dark-field microscopy.Two types of cell were differentiated in the pars intercerebralis. A third type appeared to be identical with the second after ultra-structure examination, while using this technique yet another type of cell was differentiated (publication being prepared).In the axons-tractus starting from the pars intercerebralis special attention must be paid to the appearance of tracheoli, which due to their strong phloxinophile colour reaction could give the impression of a phloxinophile secretion.Using the same staining technique after Carnoy fixation one has no differentiation of the hematoxyline-positive secretion in an alcohol-soluble and non-soluble fraction.Staining with paraldehyde-fuchsine according toEwen (1962) confirms the conclusion of the Gomori-staining.By staining with paraldehyde-fuchsine according toHalmi (1952) no secretory products could be shown in the cells of the corpora allata in the honey bee (worker bee).The glia-elements in the neuro-endocrine system of the honey bee can be clearly differentiated by the light green acid fuchsine staining according toAlzheimer.With dark-field illumination it has been established that the cells of the pars intercerebralis in the honey bee possess light-diffusing properties. Some other parts of the brain complex however exhibit the same phenomenon, so that this technique for differentiation of the neuro-secretory cells appears to be without practical use.

     

L’industrie du Paléolithique inférieur du site de Wujiagou,Hubei Province,République Populaire de Chine

The site of Wujiagou, Hubei Province in China, dated to just over 800,000 years, in sandy deposits and sandy-silt which covers a river terrace of the end of the Early Pleistocene, delivered a rich lithic industry, mainly composed of pebbles tools. This industry has an archaic aspect, consisted by the abundance of pebbles tools, the presence of hand-axes, and the small amount of small tools. The pebble tools include choppers and picks, in addition of band-axes. Small tools are relatively poor and have few simple retouched scrapers.     

Découverte des sites du Paléolithique inférieur au Nord de l’Arménie

For a long time, the scientific community assumed that the Acheulean culture was expressed on the territory of the Armenian Plateau as well as in the neighboring regions of the Caucasus only by its late phase; therefore, it appeared in the second half of the Middle Pleistocene. In recent years, the Armenian-Russian mission has discovered and studied much older Acheulean industries sites, located in northern Armenia (the Lori intermountain Depression). These industries, represented by archaic type tools (large hand axes, picks, choppers, chisel-like tools, scrapers, points, etc.), are discovered in three deposits of origin of proluvial genesis. In the Karakhach site, this type of industry is deposited in the lower levels of volcanic tuff and below; the U/Pb study of this level of tuff proposes a series of dates, assigned to the time interval between 1.944 + 0.046 and 1.75 + 0.02 Ma. The paleomagnetic study demonstrated the inverse polarity on the tuff and the normal polarity of the underlying deposits; in correlation with other dating, this fact allows to attribute the Acheulean layers of the site of Karakhatch to the Lower Pleistocene, in particular to the Oldoway episode and to the Upper Matuyama time period. The estimated age and the techno-morphological characteristics of the tools indicate the Lower Acheulean period. The dating of the Muradovo site does not seem possible, however its very old industries and the archaeological layers, where they were discovered, find equivalents in the layered layer, surmounted by tuffs, of the Karakhatch site. The Kutran I site presented a paleosol sequence with similar Acheulean tools (hand axes, picks, choppers, etc.). Its oldest layer is older than 1.5 Ma, the upper layer is attributed to the early Middle Pleistocene; this fact means that it is possible to speak of the Lower Acheulean and of its transition to the Middle Acheulean period. The specific character and the age of the Lower Acheulean of Armenia admit that it could have formed independently of the Lower Acheulean of Africa, whose estimated age does not rise before 1.76 Ma. It should also be noted that on the neighboring territory of Georgia about the same time when appeared the Acheulean culture in Armenia, the Oldowan Dmanisi site already existed.