Premières données sur les Ostracodes du Cénomanien deYougoslavie (istrie du sud)

enAn Upper Cenomanian Ostracode assemblage has been identified near Premantura, South Istria (Yougoslavia), in an internal carbonate platform deposit. This appears of peculiar interest because of lack of datas concerning this area during the Cretaceous. Systematical studies are proposed and two new species erected: Rehacythereis apulicus nov.sp and Perissocytheridea istriana nov.sp. Some attempts are given upon paleoenvironments and paleobiogeographical signification.     

Nouvelles données micropaléontologiques(Foraminifères planctoniques et petits Foraminifères benthiques) sur le stratotype bordelais du Burdigalien

The present work deals with the microfauna of small benthonic and planktonic Foraminifera from the Burdigalian stratotype of Aquitaine basin (France) and from a few outcrops in the stratotype vicinity showing the upper or lower boundary of the stratotype.Benthonic fauna is rich: more than 250 species divided in 92 genera have been collected. The most frequent are hyaline Foraminifera (Pararotalia, Elphidium, Asterigerina, Florilus, Virgulopsis, Bolivina). The miocene feature is more pronounced than in the Aquitanian stratotype.Planktonic Foraminifera are much less abundant:only 20 species. However, some of them authorize to place the stratotype (or its equivalent l. s.) in N5 Blow's zone and perhaps in the basel N6 zone.The figurations of many species are made withthe scanning electronic microscope.     

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).     

Données nouvelles sur la stratigraphie du Miocènede St Florent (Corse)

Up to now the top of the marine miocenic sediments 0205 was thought to be white limestones, the so-called “molasses blanches, which stratigraphic position has been modified according to previous authors from the Langhian to Tortonian. We found, overlying the «molasses blanches, a thin marly-sandy formation very well dated of the top of the Langhian by microfauna and nannoplancton. This formation represents the most recent marine miocenic deposits known at this time in the St Florent basin.     

Deux nouveaux représentants du genre Ascidiella(Clavatoraceae,Charophyta)

Two new species of the genus AscidiellaGrambast are described: A. inflata et A. irregularis. They come from the Lower Cretaceous of the Iberian peninsula.     

Nouvelles espèces de Madréporaires dans le Kimméridgien supérieur du Jura (France)

The study of an Upper Kimmeridgian madreporarianfauna collected in the southern french Jura (between Valfin and Belley), allowed: 1) to describe five Scleractinian new species: Mitrodendron biennensis nov. sp., Hexapetalum nemorosum nov. sp., Thalamocoenia gironensis nov. sp., Cryptocoenia stelliserrata nov. sp., Columnocoenia miniflora nov. sp. and a new variety of Heliocoenia (Kobycoenia) claudiopolisensisBeauv., 1964, characterized by its small calices; 2) to modify the diagnosis and the systematic position of the species Baryhelia crassa (de From.) which was created as Heterocoenia crassade From.; 3) to increase of a new species the genus Hexapetalum only known, till now, by its Stramberg Tithon type-species; and 4) to give some palaeoenvironmental conclusions = the Upper Jurassic reef formations in the Southern Jura grew in shallow water characterized by an abundant carbonate sedimentation. Genera associations and distribution confirm the presence, between Oyonnax and Belley, of a low energy area, protected by a barrier reef and, northern of this barrier, of a higher hydrodynamic environment.     

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).     

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.     

Les séries carbonatées du Trias et du Lias prépiémontais de Corse. Présence d'une microfaune (Foraminifères) et d'une microflore Rhétiennes dans l'Allochtone de St Florent

A rich microfauna of Foraminifera has been recognized in the Allochtonous formations of St Florent. These families are: Ammodiscidae, Fischerinidae, Miliolidae, Archaediscidae and Nodosariidae. This microfauna and a palynological assemblage with Corollina confirm the presence of Rhaetian in this unit. The lithostratigraphic study of the Allochtonous units of St Florent and Macinaggio (North of the Cap Corse) shows that the triassic and liassic carbonates are very similar to those of the prepiedmontese units of the Ligurian Alps, which are characterized by a clear deepening of depositional environment during the Sinemurian time.     

Nouveaux genres de Squaliformes (Chondrichthyes) du Paléogène des Landes (Sud-Ouest de la France)

Résumé  Parmi les nombreux squaliformes récoltés dans le Lutétien des Landes (SO de la France), deux genres et espèces nouveaux ont été reconnus:Squaliodalatias weltoni n. gen. n. sp. etAngoumeius paradoxus n. gen. n. sp. La morphologie dentaire du premier permet de le rapprocher des Dalatiidae. Les relations phylétiques du second taxon sont pour 1’instant moins claires, en raison de sa denture supérieure inhabituelle pour un Dalatiiforme aussi évolué au niveau de la denture inférieure. Ces taxa nouveaux viennent enrichir nos connaissances sur un groupe encore mal connu à l’état fossile en raison de son habitat bathyal ainsi que sur la mise en place et la radiation, encore trop peu documentée, des faunes profondes.      

Aethophyllum BRONGNIART 1828, Conifère (non Équisétale)du Grès à Voltzia (Buntsandstein supérieur) des Vosges (France): Note préliminaire

AethophyllumBRONGNIART 1828 is a plant genus from the Voltzia Sandstones (Upper Bunter) of the Vosges which has been classified first into the Monocotyledons and than into the Equisetales. A careful study of new material shows that it actually is a Gymnosperm and more exactly a Conifer. Male cones found separately have already been described under the name Masculostrobus acuminatusGRAUVOGEL-STAMM and GRAUVOGEL, 1973. This Triassic plant presents simultaneously affinities with some Cordaites (Poacordaites) and with some Podozamites (P. schenki-agardhianus group of Harris 1935 + Swedenborgia).     

High lytic infection rates but low abundances of prokaryote viruses in a humic lake (Vassivière, Massif Central, France)

We explored the abundance and infection rates of viruses on a time series scale in the euphotic zone of the humic mesotrophic Lake Vassivière (Massif Central, France) and compared them to nonhumic lakes of contrasting trophy (i.e., the oligomesotrophic Lake Pavin and the eutrophic Lake Aydat) located in the same geographical region and sampled during the same period. In Lake Vassivière, the abundances of virus-like particles (range, 1.7 × 10(10) to 2.6 × 10(10) liter(-1)) were significantly (P < 0.001) lower than in Lakes Pavin and Aydat. The percentage of virus-infected prokaryotic cells (mean, 18.0%) was significantly higher (P < 0.001) in Vassivière than in Pavin (mean, 11.5%) and Aydat (mean, 9.7%). In Vassivière, the abundance of prokaryotes was a good predictor (r = 0.78, P < 0.001) of the number of virus-like particles, while the potential grazing rate from heterotrophic nanoflagellates was positively correlated to the viral infection rate (r = 0.75, P < 0.001; n = 20), indicating the prevalence of cycling interactions among viruses, prokaryotes, and grazers, which is in agreement with past experiments. The absence of correlation between chlorophyll a concentrations (Chl) and viral parameters suggested that the resources for the lytic activity of viruses in Vassivière were mainly under allochthonous control, through host activity. Indeed, compilation of data obtained from several nonhumic lakes in the French Massif Central revealed that Chl was positively correlated to the abundance of virus-like particles at concentrations above 0.5 μg Chl liter(-1) and negatively at concentrations below 0.5 μg Chl liter(-1), suggesting that phytoplankton-derived resources could force prokaryotic growth to attain a certain threshold level when the host availability is sufficient to boost the proliferation of viruses. Therefore, based on the high level of lytic infection rates in Lake Vassivière, we conclude that viruses are key agents for prokaryotic mortality and could influence the food web dynamics in humic lakes, which may ultimately depend on the internal cycling of resources and, perhaps, mainly on the allochthonous inputs and the associated humic substances.     

Deux Dicladispa fossiles des gisements de diatomites néogènesde Bes-Konak (Turquie) et de Murat (France) (Coleoptera,Chrysomelidae, Hispinae)

Two fossil Hispini: Dicladispa bes-konakensis n. sp. from Bes-Konak (Miocene, Anatolia, Turkey) and Dicladispa muratensis n. sp. from Murat (Reuverien, Cantal, France) are described.Those species seem to belong to the mediterraneangroup in that genus.     

Deux nouveaux genres,Palaeocyclammina et Ijdranella,foraminifères (textulariina) D'un niveau liasique à Orbitopsella praecursor (Gümbel) du moyen atlas (Maroc)

The study of a foraminiferal association issued from a same liassic bed with Orbitopsella praecursor from Jebel Ijdrane (Middle Atlas, Morocco), induces to describe two new genera and species, classified in Hauraniidae (Textulariina): Paleocyclammina complanata n. gen. n. sp., small pseudocyclamminid sometimes quoted under the name of Pseudocyclammina liasica Hottinger and Ijdranella atlasica n. gen. n. sp. with a coarse well developed exoskeleton. Observations are exposed about the other species of the association referred to the genera Orbitopsella, Paleomayncina, « Mesoendothyra , Ammobaculites?, Duotaxis, Siphovalvulina, Planiinvoluta, Hoyenella, Meandrospiranella, Ophthalmidium, Nodosaria and Aeolisaccus. From local and regional data an Upper Carixian-? Lower Domerian age, post-Demonense Zone, is asserted.     

Analyses de sols et matériaux de termitières du Congo Belge

Summary This work deals with analysis of soils from mounds belonging to the following Termites:Bellicositermes bellicosus Smeathman,Bellicositermes natalensis Haviland,Amitermes unidentatus (evuncifer) Silvestri,Nasutitermes ueleensi Sjöstedt andCubitermes fungifaber Sjöstedt. The following data were collected: texture, organic carbon and nitrogen rates, loss by calcination,pH and colour of dry soil.In order to compare the different materials, samples were always taken in the mounds and on the adjacent land. The native building materials differ with the Termite species.As for theMacrotermitinae which take soils from the depth, the texture is finer in the soils coming from the mounds than in the adjacent soils; there is no difference forAmitermes mounds; but for the mounds ofCubitermes andNasutietermes, the rate of fine elements is greater than in the surrounding soils which contain an important amount of iron oxyde concretions.The buildings ofMacrotermitinae are poorer in organic matter than the adjacent land, but the contrary occurs with the mounds ofCutitermes, Nasutitermes andAmitermes.

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Zusammenfassung Diese Arbeit handelt über die Analyse von Termitennesterböden welche folgenden Arten angehören:Bellicositermes bellicosus Smeathman,Bellicositermes natalensis Haviland,Amitermes unidentatus (evuncifer) Silvestri,Nasutitermes ueleensis Sjöstedt undCubitermes fungifaber Sjöstedt.Es wurden analysiert: Textur, organischer Stickstoff und Kohlenstoffgehalt, Aschgehalt,pH und Farbe des trockenen Bodens. Um einen Vergleich zu ermöglichen wurden jedesmal Proben entnommen einerseits in den Termitennestern und andererseits in den angrenzenden Böden. Der Ursprung des Baumaterials ändert mit der Termitenart. Bei denMacrotermitinae welche die Materialien aus der Tiefe entnehmen, stellt man fest daß die Textur der Termitennester feiner ist als in den angrenzenden Böden; im Falle derAmitermes bestehen keine Texturunterschieden. Die Nester derCubitermes undNasutitermes sind reicher an feineren Elementen als die benachbarten Böden welche stark mit Lateritkonkretionen angereichert sind. Die großen Gebäude derMacrotermitinae sind viel ärmer an organischem Material als die Außenböden; das Gegenteil wird beobachtet bei den Nestern derCubitermes, Nasutitermes undAmitermes.

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Ingénieur agronome Lv. Licencié en Sciences zoologiques Lv. Assistant à la Division d'Agrologie de l'INÉAC.     

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”.     

Révision de la faune de mammifères du Miocène supérieurde Menacer (ex-Marceau), Algérie: Discussion sur l'âge du gisement

The revision of the fauna from Menacer (formerly Marceau), Algeria, has resulted in important modifications in the faunal list initially established by Arambourg (1959). Thirteen taxa are thereby counted. The Menacer locality has been classically paralleled with the Vallesian site of Bou Hanifia. Now the new faunal indications and the geologic data concerning the age of Menacer suggest, rather, a Turolian age.     

Caractères taxinomiques et spécificité dans le genreAsplanchna (Rotifère)

A comparative analysis of eight characters in two clones ofA. brightwelli and a clone ofA. intermedia, fed withParamecium orBrachionus, is made to determine the intraclonal, interclonal and interspecific variations in this complex of species.The trophi morphology appears the most species specific criterium whereas the other features (size of males, diameter and ornamentation of resting eggs, nuclear number in syncytial glands) show variability, either genetic or related to environmental conditions. The variation observed in the ornamentation of resting eggs and in the nuclear number of vitellogen was distributed along a continuous gradient.