Echinodermes (Homalozoa: Cornuta et Mitrata) nouveaux pour l'Ordovicien du Massif Armoricain et conséquences paléogéographiques

Two specific genera of Bohemian Llanvirn(Sarka Formation), Reticulocarpos and Lagynocystis have been recognized in Traveusot, le Pissot and Pierre Melière Formations (Llanvirn and Llandeilo of the Armorican Massif). Though three species are new (R. pissotensis, R. sp., Lagynocystis sp.) this discovery once more underlines the relationships between Bohemia and Armorican Massif during this period.     

Sélaciens nouveaux (Chondrichthyes,Neoselachii) du Paléocène supérieur de la région d’Ouarzazate,Maroc

Three new selachian species belonging to new genera from the Thanetian of Ouarzazate Basin are described: Tingaleus dakkai n. gen. et nov. sp., Microbatis sabatieri n. gen. et n. sp. and Garabatis atlasi n. gen. et n. sp. These new taxa as well as the associated selachian species confirm the original feature of this fauna in comparison with contemporaneous faunas occurring in the phosphate-bearing horizons of central Morocco.     

Mise en évidence de la zone à Platynota (Kimméridgien inférieur) dans le Massif du Montejunto (Portugal); conséquences stratigraphiques et paléontologiques

The section has been logged on the southern slope of the Montejunto Mountain, near Cabanas de Torres (North of Tage River, Portugal). Typical ammonites of the Platynota zone with species-index Sutneria platynota (Reinecke) have been found in the lower part of the «Marnes d'Abadia formation. Orthosphinctes and Desmoides subzones of early Kimmeridgian are paleontologically well characterized. Unlike what is usually thought, the lower Kimmeridgian does occur. More fossiliferous beds of the «Marnocalcaires de Tojeira formation are coincident with Upper Oxfordian (Planula zone and Upper part of the Bimammatum zone). They yield Ardescia gr. enayi Atrops which appear earlier in Portugal than in South-eastern France.     

Les ostracodes et foraminifères associés des dépôts de l’Éocène moyen et supérieur de la coupe de Jebel Serj (Tunisie centrale). Intérêt biostratigraphique,paléoécologique et paléobiogéographique

The ostracod fauna collected from the Cherahil formation that crops out at the Jebel Serj section (central Tunisia) contains 24 species belonging to 12 genera. These ostracods are associated with 9 genera of benthic Foraminifera (including 4 Nummulites species) and 7 genera of planktonic Foraminifera. The biostratigraphic study of ostracod assemblages results to the recognition of 6 biozones which are correlated with Lutetian-Priabonian. The Shannon Weaver, Margalef and equitability indices point to internal platform netritic conditions, with minor fluctuations in depth and oxygenation. The palaeobiogeographic distribution of ostracod species found in the study area of Central of Tunisia establishes a good connexion with the basins developed in Northern Africa (Tunisia, Algeria, Libya and Mauritania) and the Middle East (Egypt and Jordan).     

Découverte d’une nouvelle faune d’âge cénomanien dans la région de Forthassa (Atlas saharien occidental,Algérie) : Implications biostratigraphiques et paléoenvironnementales

The upper Cretaceous of the eastern part of the Ksour Mountains (Western Saharan Atlas, Algeria) is classically subdivided into three fossiliferous lithostratigraphic formations: El Rhelida (lower Cenomanian), Mdaouer (lower-middle Cenomanian) and Rhoundjaïa (upper Cenomanian-lower Turonian). The western part of the Ksour Mountains, which is less documented and poorly known, is here the subject of a detailed sedimentological and palaeontological study. Near Hassi Djeifa locality (Forthassa) the upper Cretaceous is represented by the upper part of Mdaouer Formation and by the lowermost part of Rhoundjaïa Formation. The deposits attributed to the Mdaouer Formation are composed of reddish or green marlstone intercalated by biolaminated limestone, bioclastic limestone with gastropods and bivalves, and sandstone. The selachians (Mafdetia tibniensis, Baharipristis bastetiae), pycnodontiform fishes, and ostracod fauna (Damonella spp., Ilyocypris? sp., Cypridea sp., Paracypria? sp.) coming from marly beds are studied in detail. The two selachian species (Order of Rajiformes) were so far restricted to the Early Cenomanian of Egypt. Our sedimentological and palaeontological data support a probable Early Cenomanian age of the studied deposits and indicate a coastal plain palaeoenvironment continually influenced by the action of tide.     

Découverte de charophytes et ostracodes de l’Yprésien inférieur dans les Monts des Ksour (Algérie) : biostratigraphie et paléoécologie

A stratigraphic, palaeontological and sedimentological study was carried out in the red beds cropping out on the left side of Oued Tafarahit, south-east of the Ksour Mountains (Algeria). The studied succession consists of a non-marine fining-upward detrital formation, including microconglomerate, sandstone and clay beds, which were previously attributed to the Cenozoic sensu lato, since no palaeontological evidence was available. Sedimentology suggests deposition in a fluvial environment. The clayey levels yielded the assemblage formed by the charophytes Peckichara atlasensis, Maedleriella cristellata, Nitellopsis (Tectochara) thaleri, Grovesichara sp., and Lamprothamnium papulosum and the ostracods Neocyprideis meguerchiensis, Herpetocypris? sp. and Cyprinotus? sp. This assemblage allows constraining the age of the detrital series from Oued Tafarahit to the Ypresian. Ostracods are typical of freshwater to euryhaline environments. The freshwater taxa (Herpetocypris? sp. and Cyprinotus? sp.) would indicate phases of desalinisation during periods of flood. However, the brackish water species (Neocyprideis meguerchiensis) is characteristic of saline phases related to low water table periods. Moreover the charophyte and ostracod assemblage confirms a close palaeobiogeographic relationship between North Africa and Southern Europe during the Lower Eocene.     

Le prétendu rhinocéros de Nouvelle Calédonie est un marsupial (Zygomaturus diahotensis nov. sp.): Solution d'une énigmeet conséquences paléogéographiques

The first mammalian remain ever found in NewCaledonia is an upper tooth found by golddiggers in the Plio-Pleistocene terrace from the Diahot river. This tooth, given to the Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle (Paris) in 1876, was determined as a rhinoceros tooth and then completely forgotten. Its detailed study shows that it belongs to Zygomaturus, a large marsupial diprotodontid genus whose story is rather complicated. The Diahot tooth represents a new species of Zygomaturus, Z. diahotensis nov. sp., close to Z. trilobus from the Australian Pleistocene. That kinship suggests a Plio-Pleistocene land connection between Australia and New Caledonia, whereas till now New Caledonia was supposed to be separated from Australia since the end of the Cretaceous, because of the total absence of indigenous mammals, fossil or recent, in New Caledonia. The latest geological studies in the East Pacific do not contradict our hypothesis.     

Découverte de faunes d'Ammonites de la zone à Platynota(Kimméridgien inférieur) dans les Monts de Chellala (avant-pays Tellien,Algérie); Conséquences stratigraphiques et paléogéographiques

In Chellala mountains (Seba el Abiod), in Western Algeria, new biostratigraphic data, based on Ammonites, allow characterize, for the first time in North Africa, the Platynota zone with the species-index Sutneria platynota. This species was known, to the present time, only in the South European border. These new biostratigraphic data show the diachronism of flyschoid facies. They do not exceed middle Oxfordian in the Tlemcenian zone; on the contrary they go up to lower Kimmeridgian in the preatlasic zone.     

Les pistes d’archosauriens : Kayentapus ubacensis nov. isp. (théropodes) et crocodylomorphes du Bathonien des Grands-Causses (France). Conséquences paléo-biologiques,environnementales et géographiques

Two tracksites yielding tridactyl footprints II-IV of theropods as well as supposedly sauropod tracks from the Causses Basin, briefly described in 2006 are reinvestigated. They are the Capelan tracksite (Meyrueis, Lozère) and the Garène tracksite (La Roque-Sainte-Marguerite, Aveyron), both Bathonian in age. In 2012, one of them (Le Capelan) was excavated and enlarged, allowing the discovery of numerous new tracks. In the Capelan tracksite, 102 concave epireliefs, 11 to 36 cm long, represent at least 21 trackways; the longest being visible along 37 meters. Footprints are almost as long as wide and show a large divarication angle II-IV (up to 70°). The largest of them (more than 24 cm long) were statistically compared with different Middle and Upper Jurassic ichnotaxa for which a synthesis is proposed. Tracks from the Causses Basin as well as those from the Capelan and the Garène tracksites can be ascribed to the ichnogenus Kayentapus. We propose a new ichnospecies K. ubacensis nov. isp. Whose trackmakers were tetanurian theropods, probably megalosaurids. At the Capelan, some marks are tentatively interpreted as swim tracks of crocodylomorphs. The supposedly sauropod tracks are here reinterpreted and considered as erosion cups and as concavities indicating the location of tree trunks. The sedimentological analysis indicates a paralic environment including lagoons and freshwater to brackish bays. They were separated from dysoxic lagoons by calcarenitic coastal barrier spits, and by tidal flats where microbial mats contributed to the good preservation of trackways. Despite the presence of “mangroves”, the main track-bearing surface from the Capelan was quite open and visited by megalosaurid dinosaurs of various sizes, moving in all directions but preferably to the North. The regional palaeogeography of the early-middle Bathonian is in accordance with a coastal area with low relief, bordering the “Seuil Cévenol”, which was probably emerged.     

Prospections systématiques d’une vallée entre Rhône et Loire (France). Une cartographie de l’occupation à la fin de l’Acheuléen ?

Systematic surveys on the Rhins Valley, a little tributary of the Loire River (South East France), have yielded lithic assemblages for more than 20 years. The number of open-air localities totals at that moment 28. The assemblages are composed for the most of bifaces, cores, including many Levallois cores, and flakes. Although the number of pieces varies in localities, data recorded for more than 20 years are enough to map a small size territory and compare assemblages attributed to the end of the “Acheulean”. Comparison of strategies, debitage and façonnage, provides hypotheses on the type of occupation of the valley, with living spots located on the flint outcrops and asking both a heavy-duty component and flaking products. Some main categories of bifacial tools are present, mainly on flint. The ratio of bifaces and intensity of shaping seems to distinguish the series. The Levallois core technology is used in large quantity associated to diverse other core technologies. These sites located on the plateaus bordering the valley offer the opportunity to describe human occupations on a micro-regional scale, occupations sharing technological common features. These occupations are located between the Saône-Rhône corridor and the isolated basins of the Massif Central. The rhodanian corridor has yielded at that moment few evidence of Acheulean open-air human occupations. These sites attest that systematic surveys have to continue on these areas to complete the knowledge on the occupations.     

Paléoécologie des foraminifères benthiques de nouvelles coupes de basse latitude du passage Crétacé-Paléogène : Coupes de l’Oued Es Smara et de l’Oued Abiod (région de Téjerouine,NW Tunisie)

Due to an impact of a bolide at the K/Pg boundary, the planktonic foraminifera have suffered sever mass extinction. However, no small Benthic Foraminifera species have documented mass extinction at the K/Pg boundary. Nevertheless, many species showed disturbance. The Maastrichtian assemblages may be different from those of the lower Paleogene by their species content, diversity and frequencies. At Oued Es Smara and Oued Abiod sections, the small benthic foraminifera indicate lower bathyal environment, and manifest significant faunal turnover. Until the uppermost Maastrichtian, their assemblages are highly diversified, with 77 species and 76 species respectively at Oued Es Smara and Oued Abiod sections. These are dominated by endobenthic morphotypes. At the K/Pg boundary, although 33 species (42,85%) (Oued Es Smara section) and 27 species (35,52%) (Oued Abiod section) of them seem to disappear, but only few species have really extinct such as Arenobulimina obesa. Nevertheless, the majority of species persist elsewhere at the Danian (e.g., Pseudoglandulina manifesta, Cibicioides proprius, Clavulinoides amorpha, Coryphostoma plaitum, Pullenia coryelli). At the lower Danian, the survivor Maastrichtian species are of 58% (Oued Es Smara) and 65% (Oued Abiod). Throughout the Parasubbotina pseudobulloides subzone, 4 others species were progressively disappeared. They are oligotrophic and low oxygen tolerant. About the Masstrichtian species, at the two studied sections (e.g. Gaudryina inflata and Tritaxia midwayensis) they seem to be more trophic exigent. Consequently, the benthic Foraminifera did not suffer massive extinction at the K/Pg boundary, but their assemblages underwent a significant faunal turnover which reflects important environmental changes. These changes are compatible with the catastrophic scenario induced by the large asteroid impact.     

Variation du taux d’infestation par Thaumetopoea pityocampa du pin d’Alep : effet sur les paramètres dendrométriques dans les forêts de la région de Djelfa (Atlas saharien,Algérie)

The forests of the Saharan Atlas represent the southern edge of the natural range of the Aleppo pine (Pinus halepensis Mill.). These are exposed to climatic stress in relation to drought and attacks of the pine processionary moth (Thaumetopoea pityocampa Schiff., denoted by CP in the French text). The purpose of our work is to study the variation of the infestation rate by the pine processionary moth and its density with climatic factors and dendrometric parameters. The infestation rate (7.82%) by the pine processionary moth and its density (2.74 ± 2.61 nests/tree) were lower in our pine forests than in the northern ones. It appeared that the attacks of the moth increase mainly with the number of days of frost and heatwave. The dendrometric parameters were negatively correlated with the moth's density per tree. On the other hand, the latter was positively correlated with the defoliation rate. The results were discussed in a biogeographic framework in the light of the current knowledge of the distribution of the pine processionary moth in the Aleppo pine, in relation with the climatic conditions.     

Premières découvertes sur les techniques de fabrication de cordages à partir de rouets (Bâtons-percés). Évidences sur le mobilier et l’art pariétal du Paléolithique supérieur (Magdalénien)

Certain types of Paleolithic perforated batons possess the characteristics of a type of composite tool, a spinning device, used to fabricate cords of different diameters. These devices are composed of a rotor (the perforated baton) made of antler and a stator or crank-shaft made of wood, examples of which have not yet been found. The batons’ knoblike projections can be seen as the point of attachment by which horse hair is twisted into strings and then laid up into larger-diameter cordage. These observations and analyses, partly based on the expertise of Texas cowhand B. Brett and partly on H. Glory's writings about the Lascaux rope, indicate other possibilities of cordage production and the use of ropes during the Upper Palaeolithic. Resuming work begun by E. Piette on possible Palaeolithic bridles and halters (“les chevêtres”), a new analysis of engravings and paintings shows the possible use of ropes extended on poles in the manner of lassos, hunting nets with square mesh or vertical strands, and prompts a hypothesis about the possible use of certain parts of these batons as fids. Distinctions between perforation types seen in perforated batons (type A and type B) demonstrate their possible employment as belaying devices. These objects could have used friction to safely and efficiently control ropes used in the hunting of large game animals.     

Evaluation des dégâts par les vers blancs (Coleoptera : Scarabaeoidea) dans les parcelles de régéneration du chêne-liège (Quercus suber L.) en forêt de la Mamora (Maroc) et recherche de médiateurs chimiques pour une lutte biologique

Résumé

Au cours des dernières décennies, les essais de régénération du chêne-liège en forêt de la Mamora se sont heurtés à des attaques massives de vers blancs sur les racines des jeunes plants, avec un taux de réussite des plantations ne dépassant guère 12% dans la majorité des parcelles de régénération. La biologie de Sphodroxia maroccana Ley (Coleoptera : Melolonthidae), le ravageur principal, a été en partie élucidée, avec encore des lacunes concernant la période exacte ?émergence des mâles par rapport aux femelles, la longévité des imagos et la sex-ratio. La sècheresse esti vale est parmi les autres causes de dépérissement des jeunes plants. Lors de la première année suivant la plantation dans des parcelles expérimentales, la mortalité cumulée due aux attaques larvaires et à la sècheresse a varié entre 41% et 68% selon les blocs considérés dans les parcelles. La mortalité liée aux attaques des larves de S. maroccana était comprise entre 24 et 43%, avec une distribution en taches des dégâts, plus ou moins importantes selon la densité initiale des plants. L’isolement par micro-extraction en phase solide des effluves femelles de S. maroccana a permis ?identifier le résorcinol (1,3-benzènediol) comme composé phéromonal présumé. La fonction de cette molécule comme phéromone reste toutefois à démontrer.     

Nouvelles datations (Hauterivien supérieur–Barrémien inférieur) dans les « Couches rouges » continentales du Haut Atlas central marocain ; conséquences sur l’âge du magmatisme et des structurations mésozoïques de la chaîne Atlasique

In the Moroccan Central High Atlas, between the Bathonian and the Aptian, marine deposits are present in three continental formations. Known to be unfossiliferous for the main part, they are attributed to the Middle Jurassic or to the Lower Cretaceous, depending on the authors. Charophytes from the top of the second formation (Iouaridene Fm), and from the base of the third one (Jbel Sidal Formation), give an Upper Hauterivian–Lower Barremian age. Thanks to these biostratigraphical data, it has been possible to distinguish the different phases of the magmatic activity and the synsedimentary tectonic events, either linked to the closure of Tethyan Atlasic troughs during the Bathonian or associated with the development of the new basins, diachronous in the Atlasic Belt, during the Lower Cretaceous.     

Étude rétrospective des conséquences de l’administration d’une préparation de FDG contenant de 5 % à 10 % de fluorure (18F) libre sur l’imagerie TEP/TDM de l’os sain et des foyers osseux pathologiques. Comparaison avec un groupe apparié de patients ayant reçu une préparation de FDG contenant moins de 5 % de fluorure (18F) libre

Following administration in January 2010 of a commercial preparation of FDG containing between 5 and 10% of fluoride (18F), our aim was to evaluate by means of a retrospective study the consequences of this content of free ¹⁸F on the visual and semi-quantitative approaches of the skeletal uptake on PET/CT.MethodsTwo groups of 30 patients (princeps and control) were matched for pathology, age, sex and glycaemia. The group “princeps” received the FDG preparation containing more than 5% of fluoride (18F). All examinations were done according to the standard protocol of FDG PET/CT. The SUVmax was determined in six regions of interest (ROI) in visually normal bone. For pathologic foci, we calculated a ratio of SUVmax between the focus and healthy bone (T/NTR).ResultsThe analysis of normal bone showed, for the spine, a significant difference in SUVmax between the two groups and a significant correlation with the time elapsed between FDG preparation and injection. Concerning the pathologic foci, the T/NTR of two groups were significantly different (P = 0.04).ConclusionWe observed a slight increase of the SUVmax in the healthy spine of patients who received more than 5% of fluoride (18F), explained in part by a longer delay before imaging. The pathologic foci showed a T/NTR lower in the group princeps, however metastases were detected in both groups. Thus, a preparation of FDG close to the end of its shelf life can be used without real consequences for the quality of images for a given patient; in contrast, an accurate quantification of the FDG uptake in the spine requires a minimal proportion of fluoride (18F).