Les emissions sonores de Ctenodactylus gundi (Rothman) et leur signification comportementale

Calls of $\text{Ctenodactylus gundi}$ living in semi-natural conditions in our laboratory were recorded during various interactions : sexual, agonistic, maternal.The physical characteristics of the sounds lead us to describe five major structural groups and eleven vocal types. Two of them were recorded only in young animals. Intermediate calls and some complex sequences formed by association of two vocal types were observed.When emitting sounds, adult gundis can produce eight vocal sequences. In two of these phrases a constant association of two different calls can be shown. Seven sequences can be related to one of three kinds of social interactions : sexual intercourse, withdrawal or aggressivity. In each,vocal types are arranged in a gradual order based on the intensity of the interaction. The alarm call and two calls produced by young gundis when interacting with their mother must be added to the seven sequences described above.Gundi's calls appear then to be related both to the quality of social interactions and to the degree of arousal of the emitter. Functional problems are discussed and compared with available data from some other Rodents.     

Les industries paléolithiques du bassin de Bose (Chine du Sud)

About eighty Paleolithic sites are presently known in Bose basin (West of Guangxi autonomous region, South China). The sites are extensively spread on the fourth terrace of the Youjiang River. They are dated to 0.8 my, thanks to the presence in the archaeological layers of tektites, residues from a major meteoritic event, in association with the archeological materials. Only about twenty sites have been actually excavated and handaxes have been very recently discovered in stratigraphic context. The archeological material exclusively includes lithic industry which is mainly constituted by unifacial pebble tools made on coarse grain rocks: choppers, but also handaxes and picks. The technology used is very simple and there are no spheroids which usually characterize a lot of Chinese sites of this period. Bose handaxes, thought their number is quite low, remind of the western Acheulian.     

Les kystes de dinoflagellés du Crétacé moyen de la marge atlantique brésilienne, le bassin de Santos

Organic dinoflagellate cysts are studied from the sedimentary sequence of hole 1-SPS-14A, drilled during oil exploration in the Santos Basin, Brazilian continental margin. The Ariri and Florianópolis Formations (Transitional sequence) do not contain any dinocysts. The oldest found dinocysts occur at the base of the Drift sequence in sediments, within platform carbonates of the Guarujá Formation. Continuous sea-level rise throughout the late Albian and Cenomanian submerged the carbonate platform with the terrigenous input of the Itanhaém Formation. The transgressive phase reached its peak during the Cenomanian/Turonian transition. Pelites were deposited during oceanic anoxic event (OAE-2), consisting the lower part of the Itajaí-Açu Formation. Normal oceanic conditions re-established in the late Turonian. The Brazilian dinocyst assemblage has tethyan affinities. Some species (i.e., Dinopterygium cladoides, Litosphaeridium arundum, Odontochitina rhakodes and Systematophora cretacea) suggest a middle Albian age for the carbonate platform of the Guarujá Formation. The lower part of the Guarujá Formation was not dated by other microfossils. An uppermost Albian or lower Cenomanian age is suggested for the base of the Itanhaém Formation on the basis of species Palaeohystrichophora infusorioides and Ovoidinium verrucosum. The Cenomanian-Turonian boundary cannot be characterized by dinocysts. Species Atopodinium iuvene, which is known from Turonian sediments in Europe, was found at the top of the Itajaí-Açu Formation. The observed dinocyst bioevents (i.e., last occurrence) are correlated with known foraminiferal, nannofossil and other palynological bioevents. The diversity of the assemblages remains constant throughout the various palaeoenvironments as these are reflected by the Guarujá and Itajaí-Açu Formations, but relative abundances of taxa are variable. Genera Coronifera, Florentinia, Ovoidinium, Spiniferites and Trichodinium are abundant in the carbonate platform assemblages (Guarujá Formation). Genera Cribroperidinium and Cyclonephelium are abundant in detrital sediments (Itajaí-Açu Formation). Only one species (Subtilisphaera guarujaensis n. sp.) is restricted to the carbonate platform environment.     

Les récentes découvertes à Baerya dans le district de Bijie, au nord de la province de Guizhou (Chine)

Fauna associated with stone artifacts have recently been uncovered, in the course of a survey from a cave site named Baerya, town land of Bijie, Guizhou province. The first observations suggest a human occupation. In the absence of chrono-stratigraphic data, it is not possible to assess the age of the site. Nevertheless the presence of lower Pleistocene fauna suggests a very ancient age for this human occupation. Further field research will be necessary to determinate the age and nature of the site.     

Les cétacés des gravures rupestres néolithiques de Bangu-dae (Corée du Sud) et les débuts de la chasse à la baleine dans le Pacifique nord-ouest

The Neolithic site of Bangu-dae (6000-1000 B.C.), south-east of the Korean peninsula, presents numerous rock carvings of cetaceans (n = 46, 19.9% of the figures), and especially large species. Among these two families of baleen whales (Balaenidae and Balaenopteridae) and the sperm whale can be identified. This site also presents whaling scenes suggesting that the Neolithic populations who lived along the coast of Korea were among the first to take advantage of coastal whales. All these carvings give exceptional evidence on the prehistoric beginning of whaling.     

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.     

Exemples de tératologie chez les Chitinozoaires du Pridoli de Libye et implications sur la signification biologique du groupe

Jaglin, J.-C. & Paris, F. 1992 04 IS: Exemples de tératologie chez les Chitinozoaires du Pridoli de Libye et implications sur la signification biologique du groupe. [Teratologic cases among Pridolian chitinozoans from Libya and implications on the biological interpretation of the group.] Lethaia , Vol. 25, pp. 151–164. Oslo. ISSN 0024–1164.
Fairly numerous chitinozoans displaying morphological anomalies are recorded in Late Silurian subsurface material from Western Libya. The individuals described and illustrated in our paper range exclusively in a short interval at the top of the investigated sequence. These abnormal vesicles are interpreted as teratologic cases related lo an event of unknown origin. From our conclusions, the hypothesis of vegetative reproduction stages stated by previous authors seems unlikely. Therefore we still interpret the chitinozoan vesicles as eggs (or to a lesser extent as spores) of marine organisms. * Libya, Chitinozoans, Silurian, teratology, chitinozoan affinities .     

Les Formations Vegetales de la Moyenne Vallee du Kaboul et des Massifs Montagneux du Nuristan (Afghanistan)

Conclusion Le territoire de l'Afghanistan examiné se situe dans le N.E. du Pays, entre Kaboul et la frontière pakistanaise. Il occupe une surface d'environ 20000 km² et se trouve soumis à un climat de transition, recevant les influences méditerranéennes et tropicales. Ce caractère ressort nettement de la comparaison des courbes pluviométriques annuelles. Dans l'ensemble la tendance climatique globale penche cependant vers le climat méditerranéen, dans sa variante sèche.Dans un pays aussi montagneux que l'Afghanistan, les variations d'altitude entraînent des modifications climatiques, qui se traduisent à leur tour dans la distribution caractéristique de la végétation. On observe ainsi, en s'élevant du Sud au Nord, c'est-à-dire de la vallée du fleuve Kaboul, jusqu'aux montagnes du Nuristan, la séquence suivante: steppe semi-désertique, forêt subtropicale sempervirente sèche, forêt sèche àQuercus baloot, forêt de Conifères, enfin végétation alpine. Cette dernière n'a pas été abordée, et la forêt de Conifères a seulement entrevue.Une telle séquence est classique, fréquente en particulier dans les montagnes méditerranéennes. Mais l'originalité réside ici dans la composition floristique du territoire où confluent plusieurs éléments floristiques: un groupe de Taxons appartient à l'empire holarctique par ses éléments himalayens, mediterranéens et iranotouraniens; les éléments eurosibériens lui appartiennent aussi, mais beaucoup d'auteurs considèrent ces derniers comme constituant un empire floristique autonome. L'empire paléotropical est représenté par des taxons asiatiques, auxquels on peut joindre les espèces africaines du bloc saharosindien. De l'Ouest à l'Est, lorsque l'altitude dimunue, on passe ainsi de la flore méditerranéo-iranotouranienne des hauts plateaux iranoafghans, à la flore saharosindienne-paléotropicale de la cuvette de Jalalabad. Vers le Nord, lorsque l'altitude augmente, apparaît une flore eurosibériennehimalayenne. Il est sans doute peu de régions qui possèdent, sur une surface aussi réduite, un échantillonnage floristicogéographique aussi diversifié, aux confins des grands empires floristiques de l'Ancien Monde.

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Summary We examined Afghanistan territory lying at the North-East of the country, between Kabul and the Pakistani frontier. It spreads on nearly 20000 km², and has got a transition climate, receiving mediterranean and tropical influences. This character is implied when likening the yearly pluviometric curves. On the whole, the climate tends to incline towards the dry variety of the mediterranean climate.In a country as mountainous as Afghanistan the altitude variations involve climatic modifications which have influence on the characteristic state of the vegetation. Climbing from the South to the North, that is to say from the Kabul river to the Nuristan mountains, we can observe, the following gradation: half-desertic steppe, subtropical evergreen dry forest, Quercus baloot forest, coniferous forest, and at last, alpine vegetation. The latter was not studied and the coniferous trees forest only seen. Such a gradation is common, frequent chiefly in the Mediterranean mountains. But the originality lies here in the floristic constitution of the territory where several floristic elements meet: a group of taxons belongs to the holarctic empire by its Himalayean, Mediterranean and Iranotouranian elements. The Eurosiberian elements belong to it, too, but many authors consider them as forming a autonomous floristic realm.The paleotropical realm is represented by Asiatic taxons to which we can add the African species belonging to the Saharosindian block. From West to East, going down the mountain, we go through the Iranoafghan high tablelands and the Mediterraneo-iranotouranian flora to the Saharosindian-paleotropical flora of the Jalalabad cuvette. Northwards, rising up the mountain, a Eurosiberian Himalayan flora appears. There are, no doubt, few countries that have got, on such a small surface, such a diversified floristic and geographic sampling, at the large floristic empires limits of the Old World.

     

Galets aménagés en provenance des terrasses supérieures du Rhône au sud de Lyon (Sud-Est de la France)

Between 1990 and 1993, we found 175 pebble-tools and two flake-tools on the western high-terrace south of Lyon (Southeast, France) at two different levels (290 m and 235 m NN). Most of them show the classical spectrum of choppers and chopping-tools, joined by six protobifaces. They all belong to the developed Olduvan (Olduvan II). On the lower terrace, corresponding with its younger age, we met a more progressive pebble-tool culture. Both stocks are secondary sites, brought from the East by the most extreme tongue of the Rhône glacier and, therefore, cannot be dated exactly.     

Les statues-menhirs du Rouergue et du Haut-Languedoc : la posture des jambes et la technique de représentation des effigies féminines et masculines

Wex (1993) observes through the statuary of great historical cultures how body language appears to reflect the evolution of the respective status of man and woman. On the other hand, Serres (1997) reports that the feminine statues-menhirs of his so called groupe rouergat are represented with legs spread out, while masculine statues show broad as well as narrow postures. We examined this observation more systematically and further applied to it the properly ethological reading grid of Wex as a contribution to the history of gender relationships. A preliminary quantitative analysis aimed to determine which attributes give certainty about the sexual identity of the statues-menhirs. Special attention is given to the figures who underwent a gender change.