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New aquatic vertebrate and ichnological remains from the Upper Carboniferous of Decazeville (Aveyron, France): implications for the paleofauna of the French Variscan basins
Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (11)
The Decazeville Basin (Aveyron, France) is an Upper Carboniferous intra-Variscan basin of the southern part of the French Massif Central. Its geology and paleontological content (fauna and flora) have been the subject of regular studies before and during its coal mining activities, but unfortunately not since they ceased: no fossil from the Decazeville Basin has been described over the past 50 years. Recent fieldwork at the La Découverte locality led to the rediscovery of a vertebrate-rich deposit in the Bourran Formation, of which we describe new material here. This material consists of numerous specimens including new skeletal remains of the xenacanthiform Orthacanthus sp. and the acrolepid cf. Progyrolepis, two taxa never before reported in the Decazeville Basin.
Austinograea chubacarc n. sp. from the Manus and Woodlark Basins (western Pacific), and new records of A. alayseae Guinot, 1990 and A. hourdezi Guinot & Segonzac, 2018 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Brachyura, Bythograeidae)
Zoosystema 47 (12)
Collected in the Woodlark Basin and Manus Basin during the French CHUBACARC 2019 cruise, a species of the genus Austinograea Hessler & Martin, 1989 (Bythograeidae Williams, 1980) was found to be distinct from its four congeners from the western Pacific: A. williamsi Hessler & Martin, 1989, A. alayseae Guinot, 1990, A. hourdezi Guinot & Segonzac, 2018, and A. jolliveti Guinot & Segonzac, 2018. Established here as A. chubacarc n. sp., it displays an original and unique character, which is regarded as having specific importance, namely in the male a narrow depression on the upper margin of the dactylus of the major chela (but not in the female). The presence of A. chubacarc n. sp.
Biostratigraphic revision and systematic discussion of Granorotalia sublobata Benedetti, Di Carlo & Pignatti, 2011
Geodiversitas 47 (7)
Granorotalia sublobata Benedetti, Di Carlo & Pignatti, 2011 is studied in detail regarding the biostratigraphic range and systematic paleontology. Its biostratigraphic range extends from Cuisian to early Lutetian with the associated fauna in Memlik area, Central Anatolia and some former studies from Spain, Italy, Slovakia and Israel. In addition, the boundary between early and middle Lutetian (SBZ 13/14) is determined by reinterpreting data formerly obtained from Gölbayırı section. Also the close resemblance to Neorotalia alicantina Colom, 1954 in early Lutetian is discussed regarding the specific and generic characteristics.
From just a few to the most type-rich herbarium for Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) – The effect of digitization of the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle herbarium in Paris
Adansonia 47 (7)
Digitization of herbaria has revolutionized taxonomy, bringing type specimens dispersed globally to within a mouse-click of the researcher. Still, it requires in-depth taxonomic knowledge to identify the specimens as type and often determination on the species level is difficult or impossible due to the limitations of the resolution of photos online. The digitization of the herbarium Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle in Paris (P) has brought some of the oldest and type-rich collections of plants online. After investigation and redetermination of the about 16 000 specimens of Veronica L. in P, I checked the type status of these.
The cave hyena den of Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy): first faunal and environmental data from the MIS 4 deposit
Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (10)
Grotta Guattari (San Felice Circeo, central Italy) is a key site of Italian and European prehistory. The cave was a Late Pleistocene hyena den that became famous in 1939 following the discovery of one of the best-preserved Neanderthal skulls in the World. New archaeological investigations were carried out between 2019 and 2023 in a peripheral chamber previously unexcavated, known as the Antro del Laghetto. Thousands of bone remains, tens of coprolites and a small lithic collection were recovered from a deposit dating to 66-65 ka. This paper presents the archaeological investigations conducted and the recently uncovered large mammal assemblage.
New findings of cuckoo wasps for Yemen with nomenclatural changes and review of the Arabian hexadentate species of the genus Chrysis Linnaeus, 1761 (Hymenoptera, Chrysididae)
Zoosystema 47 (11)
Three species of the genus Chrysis Linnaeus, 1761 (Chrysididae Latreille, 1802) new for Yemen were discovered, namely C. lyncea Fabricius, 1775, C. oxyacantha Mocsáry, 1913 and C. smithii Gribodo, 1879, the latter two so far known for the Afrotropical region only. The finding of C. smithii allows us to discuss some previously proposed synonymies in four hexadentate groups of Afrotropical and Arabian species in the heymonsi, lyncea, oculata and smaragdula species-groups. We hereby propose two new synonymies for C. canaliculata (Brullé, 1846) n. syn. of C. stilboides Spinola, 1838 (oculata group) and C. gabonensis Mocsáry, 1889 n. syn.
Contribution to the knowledge on the Iberian endemic subgenus Platyzabrus Jeanne, 1968 (Coleoptera, Carabidae)
Zoosystema 47 (10)
The endemic subgenus Platyzabrus Jeanne, 1968 has two species with restricted distributions in the Iberian Central System Mountains. Both species are morphologically very close, being the aedeagus the only unequivocal character for differentiation. A total of 244 specimens have been studied, providing a detailed chorology. A morphometric study has been developed measuring 54 specimens, and multivariate (CDA, ANOSIM) and univariate (ANOVA/ANCOVA) analyses have been used to detect subtle differences in body proportions among three geographical units.
The tropical ant Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) in France and discrimination with the local Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849)
Naturae 2025 (4)
Introduced ants appear to be more and more frequent in many countries, becoming sometimes invasives. Recently, Pheidole megacephala (Fabricius, 1793) was signaled in greenhouses near Mont-Saint-Michel and Paris. As the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has identified it as one of the 100 worst invasive alien species worldwide, it was interesting to verify the identity of this species. We used morphological measures, cuticular hydrocarbons and genetical analyses (COI) compared to the local Pheidole pallidula (Nylander, 1849). All the items confirmed the presence of P. megacephala. Now, it does not appear to be invasive, but it needs to be surveilled.
European origins of Squamata supported by biogeographic analysis of fossil-tip-dated phylogenies using paleocontinental plate-tectonic models
Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (9)
A pressing issue in historical biogeography for clades with long evolutionary histories and intercontinental distributions is the ever-changing position of tectonic plates. Over time, this shifting alters the proximity between areas, a factor that very few models can easily account. In addition, the absence of fossils from most molecular phylogenies often erases biogeographic signals not retained in trees of extant taxa. Here, we adapt the paleogeographic model from Landis (2017), a potentially powerful tool for ancestral-range estimation at global scales through time. This model creates “communicating classes” of areas by assigning discrete geographic units to adjacency matrices that change across multiple time slices in the Phanerozoic to model continental drift.
The earliest chinch bug (Hemiptera, Blissidae): A new genus from mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber
Zoosystema 47 (9)
The earliest known fossil of the chinch bug family Blissidae Stål, 1862 is described and figured from a macropterous male preserved in mid-Cretaceous Kachin amber of northern Myanmar. Prosthoblissus primigenius n. gen., n. sp. is noteworthy for the putatively plesiomorphic retention of open procoxal cavities, a character state shared with a swath of arguable early-diverging extant genera. It is distinguished from those genera based on a unique combination of plesiomorphic and apomorphic character states, as well as from Eoblissus gallicus Garrouste, Schubnel & Nel, 2019, the prior earliest fossil of the family.
Typification of three names in Indian Justiciinae Nees (Acanthaceae)
Adansonia 47 (6)
In course of on-going taxonomic studies on the subtribe Justiciinae Nees (Acanthaceae Juss.: Justicieae Dumort.), lectotypes for three names viz. Justicia craibii W.W. Smith, Rungia muralis Nees and Rungia punduana Wall. ex Nees are designated here.
An integrative model of chimaera jaw links mechanical stress to localized cartilage mineralization
Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (8)
Chondrichthyans possess a tessellated cartilage which is characterized by a layer of mineralized minute plates (i.e., the tesserae) that sheathe soft cartilage. This tissue type composes most of the endoskeleton (including the fins, the branchial arches and the skull). Using the example of the adaptation of Holocephalans to durophagy, here we aim to test the capacity of the tessellated cartilage to strengthen in response to mechanical stress.
Les Bryophytes de France. Volume 1 : Anthocérotes et Hépatiques
Deuxième édition
Atlas des Amphibiens de Guyane
Les Bryophytes de France. Volume 2 : Pleurocarpes et Sphagnales
The Redouté brothers
Master of scientific illustration in Paris
Tropical Deep-Sea Benthos volume 34
Deep-Sea Chirostylids and Stylasterids from South-West Indian Ocean
Atlas des mammifères sauvages de France volume 3
Carnivores et Primates
Atlas français des champignons du sol
Oiseaux de Nouvelle-Calédonie
Grande Terre, Îles Loyautés et archipels éloignés
