Sélaciens nouveaux du Crétacé du Texas

Researches undertaken in the Cretaceous of Texas have allowed to collect rich selachian faunas from Albian to Maestrichtian. Some new taxa are described: Microcorax crassus n. gen. n. sp., Pseudocorax granti n. sp., Odontaspis tenuiplicatus n. sp., O. amonensis n. sp., Ptychotrygon mcnultyi n. sp., Ischirhiza texana n. sp.; the genus Pseudohypolophus n. is proposed for the species mcnultyi placed by Thurmond in the genus Hypolophus. Thes faunas reveal to be rather different from the contemporary faunas of Europa.     

De nouveaux restes de Primelephas dans le Mio-Pliocène du Nord du Tchad et révision du genre Primelephas

The genus Primelephas Maglio 1970 gathers two primitive species of Elephantinae, only known through dental remains. A large sample of new fossils, discovered by the MPFT field missions in northern Chad Mio-Pliocene localities and attributed to this genus, allowed questioning the validity of one of the species. An intrageneric morphological variability analysis led us to consider this species as a synonym. Therefore, Primelephas should be conserved as a monospecific genus, P. korotorensis being its type and sole species. The provincialism previously described for Primelephas is rejected in favour of a large African distribution of P. korotorensis.     

Revision du genre LycopodiopsisB. Renault, 1890

The study of imprints of Lycopsida from Permianof the Gondwana has permitted to specify the organisation of the leaf cushions and their variation in the genus LycopodiopsisB. Renault. The presence of a ligula is showed off. The invalidity of the genera Cyclodendron and Lycopodiophloios is demonstrated, and the species refered to these genera must be refered to the genus Lycopodiopsis for which an emended diagnosis is proposed.     

Les Pseudholaster (Echinoidea,Holasteroida) du Crétacé de France

In the order of Holasteroida, the fossil record highlights a contradiction between the genus Pseudholaster that appears in the Aptian, whose plastron is prostostern close to the Jurassic ancestors and the genus Holaster, which appears in the Valanginian, whose meridostern plastron appears more derived. This inconsistency can be explained by the ignorance of the plastronal architecture on the part of the early authors. A review of the species of Pseudholaster from the Cretaceous period of France was therefore carried out. The objective was to statistically determine the discriminating morphological characters, and to study the modifications of the architecture of the interambulacrum 5 of the French species belonging to this genus, as well as to the species included in the genus Holaster incorrectly by earlier authors. This review of the species of the genus Pseudholaster begins with a study of the ontogeny of the species Holaster intermedius Münster in Goldfuss, 1826–1833, first representative of the genus Pseudholaster, which appears in the Hauterivian in the Parisian and Rhodano-vocontian basins. The modifications during growth concern the overall shape, but also the plastron architecture: the number of plastron plates increases while the number of plates located between the peristome and the periproct remains fixed. The plastron of this species is protosternal and not meridosternal as Lambert pointed out. The labrum is cupuliform in contact with the second sternal 5a2 by a narrow digitation. However, this arrangement differs from that observed on a protosternal breastplate. This apomorphism of the plastron plate pattern, called “labrotaxienne”, is found in all the Pseudholaster studied, and the study of the architecture of the interambulacrum 5 also reveals a gradual decrease in the number of preanal plates between the oldest (Hauterivian) and the younger (Cenomanian-Lower Turonian) species studied. Most of the French species have been revised, with some synonyms. A new species, P. neraudeaui, is the last known Pseudholaster dated from the upper Cenomanian and lower Turonian of southwestern France. Our study illustrates the evolution of the genus Pseudholaster between the Hauterivian and the early Turonian in France. The interest of the study is to show that the appearance of the genus Pseudholaster is older than that of the genus Holaster. Pseuholaster intermedius, of Hauterivian age, possesses a derived protostern plastron called here “labrotaxien” and not meridostern as defined historically by Lambert, and to reveal that the number of preanals decreases over geological time. This data is essential for future phylogenetic studies. On a palaeobiogeographical level, the study reveals the expansion of the genus Pseudholaster during early Cretaceous in western Europe, with diversification during the Albian, its disappearance during late Cenomanian in the Paris basin while it still persists in the Aquitain basin, its predilection for circalitoral environments.     

Une nouvelle algue Dasycladacee du Portlandien du Jura meridional francais: Montenegrella florifera nov. sp.

New Dasyclad Alga belonging to the genus MontenegrellaSOKAC & NIKLER, 1973, named M. florifera nov.sp. It is the first species of this genus described before the Cretaceous, in the Portlandian limestones of the southern french Jura mountains.     

Decouverte du genre Iowaphyllum (Tetracoralliaire) dans un biostrome eodevonien du Cotentin

After a few remarks on the coral fauna in deposits near La Roquelle in Cotentin, the genus Iowaphyllum is identifiedfor the first time in France. One species (I. bohemicum) is described here; it brings new paleogeographic and stratigraphic data.     

Winwaloeusia,genre nouveau d'Acritarche du Devonien

Any Acritarchs that previously were included in the genus Veryhachium (DEUNFF 1954) are transferred in the new genus Winwaloeusia.     

Les Spatangus du Miocène et du Pliocène de l’Ouest de la France

Numerous fragments of spatangoid echinoids have been discovered in the Pliocene deposits of Challans, in Vendée (western France). In spite of the fragmentary data of the samples, a reconstitution of a complete test could be realized using the different fragments and their symetrization. The general shape of the test, and its architectural and ornemental characters allow establishing the presence of the genus Spatangus in western France during the end of Neogene. It allows to precise the biogeography of the genus Spatangus and of the morphological group S. (S.) purpureus on the Atlantic coast after the Messinian crisis. The Pliocene species is compared to the Miocene Spatangus (Phymapatagus) brittanus, abundant in Anjou, Brittany and Touraine. This older species was refered to the subgenus Phymapatagus according to the presumed lack of primary tubercles on its posterior interambulacrum. The discovery of well-preserved specimens, with primary tubercles on every parts of the test, in the Middle Miocene of Brittany allows to refute this subgeneric distinction and to refer the species brittanus to the subgenus Spatangus (Spatangus). The presence of this subgenus in western France is finally confirmed from Middle Miocene to Pliocene.     

Les Colubridae (Reptilia,Serpentes) du Neogene francais. Le probleme des especes du Miocene de Sansan (Gers)

Thus far, four colubrid snakes from the French Neogene have been named. Three of them, that come from the Miocene of Sansan (Gers), are revised. Scaptophis miocenicus is probably not a miocene fossil, it is considered a nomen dibium. The species sansaniensis LARTET is referred to the genus Natrix and the species pouchetii DE ROCHEBRUNE is transfered to Coluber.     

Anglesites gen. nov. (Ammonoidea, Ancyloceratina), un nouveau genre d’ammonites hétéromorphes du Barrémien supérieur du Sud-Est de la France

The revision of the Crioceras puzosianum d’Orbigny, 1842 made during the revision of the Paléontologie Française of d’Orbigny, shows that this taxon belongs to a new genus: Anglesites gen. nov. This new genus, from upper Barremian age, is monospecific for the moment and is homeomorphic to the Leptoceratoides from the Lower Barremian. It is temporarily included in the subfamily of the Leptoceratoidinae. A neotype for the “Crioceras” puzosianum d’Orbigny, 1842 is herein designated.     

Pachyceras arenosum (Waagen) (Ammonitina,Pachyceratidae)du Callovien du Kutch: Nouvelles definition et position systematique

The revision of Waagen's figured specimens from Kutch (India) shows that “Stephanoceras arenosum” after being considered as a Macrocephalites and than as a Mayaites is really a Pachyceras. This species is morphologically very close to the microconch of Pachyceras la landeanum (d'ORBIGNY) from Lamberti zone (Upper Callovian) of Western Europ. Its validity and that of others species of this genus collected in India is discussed. Its importance for stratigraphical correlations between european and indo-malagasy provinces is pointed out.     

Nouvelles observations sur l'anatomie et sur la position systématique d'un poisson téléostéen du Cénomanien du Liban: Pateroperca Woodward

The genus PateropercaWoodward which includes two species, P. libanicaWoodward and P. robusta nov., is described in detail on the basis of acid prepared material from the Cenomanian fish bed of Hadjula (Lebanon). It is demonstrated that Pateroperca does not belong to the Order Ctenothrissiformes contrary to the generally accepted idea. Despite the possession of characters known among Acanthoterygian fishes, it is not possible to show that this genus may be related to the Order Beryciformes and the new family Pateropercidae nov. is left as Ctenosquamata incertae sedis.     

Révision de Cibaster bourgeoisanus (d'Orbigny, 1853) et de la position du genre Cibaster Pomel, 1883 au sein des Holasteroida

The genus Cibaster Pomel, 1883, with its type species Cibaster bourgeoisanus (d'Orbigny, 1853), has poorly diagnostic characters. So, authors comprise this genus as Cardiaster Forbes, 1850, or as Offaster Desor, 1858. The study of numerous specimens of Cibaster bourgeoisanus, from the Coniacian of the “Craie de Villedieu” in the stratotypical region, demonstrates that this species is paedomorphic compared to Cardiaster, with juvenile pore-pairs and a shallow frontal groove. The plastron structure is derived from the pattern found in Pseudholaster Pomel, 1883. A close relationship between Pseudholaster and Cibaster is probable, with Protocardiaster Smith and Wright, 2003 as intermediate. Cibaster is clearly distinct from Offaster, because this last genus have a meridosternal plastron.     

Révision taxonomique du genre d'ammonite téthysien Simoceras et création d'un nouveau genre Volanoceras (Ammonitina,Simoceratidae)

The type-species of the genus SimocerasZittel isS. biruncinatum (Qu.). This genus includes the species-group biruncinatum (Qu.) — admirandum (Zitt.). The new genus Volanoceras is created for the volanense (Opp.) species-group which is excluded from the genus Simoceras.     

Nouvelles espèces subfossiles de rongeurs du Nord-Ouest de Madagascar

Since the mid-19th century, the Malagasy subfossil macrofauna has been the object of numerous studies and publications, contrary to the microfauna. New fieldwork, initiated in 2001, in the North West of Madagascar (Province of Mahajanga) led to the discovery of sites rich in fossiliferous breccias, containing micromammals. In this article, we describe two new subfossil species of rodent: Brachytarsomys mahajambaensis, the smallest within the genus and Nesomys narindaensis, the largest within the genus. Most of the extant species of these two genera live in the tropical rainforests of the eastern and north-eastern areas of Madagascar, far away from the north-western part of the island where a dry deciduous forest occurs. The presence of the two taxa in the subfossil record in the Northwest of the country suggests the occurrence of wetter conditions in the past in this region.     

New data concerning the familial position of the genus Euronyctibius (Aves, Caprimulgiformes) from the paleogene of the Phosphorites du Quercy, France

The extinct genus Euronyctibius was described from a proximal part of humerus from an unknown locality in the Phosphorites du Quercy, France. New material referable to this genus shows that Euronyctibius is more closely related to the Steatornithidae than to the Nyctibiidae. It is here attributed to a stem group representative of the family Steatornithidae. The Recent Steatornithidae includes only the South American monospecific genus, Steatornis, but during the Paleogene this family was also present in North America as well as in Europe.     

Euxinocythere (Ostracoda, Cytheridae, Leptocytherinae) du Miocène supérieur du Bassin de Turiec (Slovaquie) : taxonomie et paléoécologie

Eight new species of the family Cytheridae have been identified in the Upper Miocene deposits of the Turiec Basin (Slovakia), a small isolated intermountain depression. Six species are new - Euxinocythere aphroditae, E. delicata, E. lactea, E. minuscula, E. quadricostata, E. satyrica - and two are kept in open nomenclature. Their attribution to the genus Euxinocythere is based on arrangement of the hinge elements and of anterior marginal zone. This genus is known from brackish ostracod assemblages of the Paratethys and the Eastern Mediterranean while the species from the Turiec Basin are associated to fresh-water assemblages. The Euxinocythere have been found in littoral as well in deep limnic environment.     

Phoceana pliocenicaespece fossile du genre Phoceana (Bryozoa cheilostomata)

The genus Phoceana JULLIEN and CALVET was recorded only from the recent North Atlantic and the MediterraneanSea. We discovered a fossil species in the Lower Pliocene from southern Spain.