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.     

Use of intravaginal ultrasonography in obstetrics and gynecology]

A role and advantages of the vaginal transducer ultrasound in obstetric and gynecological diagnosis is discussed. Sixteen selected ultrasonograms illustrate cases of selected diagnoses made with this technique. Authors' own experience justify a conclusion that this technique is a significant progress in obstetric and gynecological diagnosis. It is well tolerated and very useful, specially in cases difficult to diagnose with routine ultrasound techniques.