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Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

A new comparative study of the two crania, LGPUT RZO-03 and LGPUT RZO-68 attributed to Palaeoreas zouavei Bouvrain, 1980 from the Late Miocene of Axios Valley, Greece reveals great morphological and metric differences between them, which require the exclusion of LGPUT RZO-68 from this species and even from Palaeoreas Gaudry, 1861. This decision leaves unsupported many diagnostic features of P. zouavei applied by previous authors and along with recent data from Bulgaria put in doubt the validity of P. zouavei as a whole. As a result, the genus Palaeoreas is re-defined as monotypic and the cranial morphometric changes of P. lindermayeri (Wagner, 1848) are discussed on a temporal basis. An updated taxonomic analysis confirms the presence of P. lindermayeri in the Late Turolian mammal assemblage of Dytiko-1 (Axios Valley, Greece) but rejects its occurrence at Dytiko-2. Instead, a re-examination of old cranial specimens and a study of new ones suggest the presence in both sites of Majoreas Kostopoulos, 2004 a Late Miocene taxon previously mostly known from the eastern banks of the Aegean Sea. A reassessment of the LGPUT RZO-68 cranium, and its comparison with Palaeoreas and Criotherium Forsyth-Major, 1891, suggests that it deserves taxonomic distinction at genus and species levels: Stryfnotherium exophthalmon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Cenomanian witnessed a spectacular evolutionary radiation of cheilostome bryozoans, both in terms of species diversity and morphological disparity. However, Cenomanian cheilostome faunas are inadequately known. Twelve species of cheilostome bryozoans are here described from the Cenomanian Beer Head Limestone Formation of SE Devon, England, a nearshore facies of limestones and sands. Two of the cheilostome species are new – Wilbertopora manubriformis sp. nov. and Foratella cervisia sp. nov. – and five cannot be identified beyond genus level. Syntypes of Foratella forata (d’Orbigny, 1853), the Senonian type species of Foratella Canu, 1900, are illustrated using SEM and a lectotype is chosen. All of the species present are neocheilostomes, which were larval brooders. Compared with the non-brooding malacostegans that dominate pre-Cenomanian faunas, most species have avicularia and extensive frontal walls, features probably adaptive against small predators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shurabia taewani sp. nov., is the first representative of the reculid family Geinitziidae described from the Upper Triassic of South Korea. The preservation of numerous wing venation characters on this new fossil allows for its placement in the genus Geinitzia and a deep comparison with other genera of Geinitziidae. This discovery suggests that the insect paleofauna of the Amisan Formation is rich and needs to be further investigated. Shurabia taewani sp. nov. differs from the other species currently included in the genus, inter alia , because its vein ScP ends near wing mid-length, its fork of M is at the same level as the fork of R, its RP has five branches, its MA four branches, its MP two branches, and its vein m-cua 'M5′ originates from the stem of M and ends into CuA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The homogeneity of a large sample of Gassendiceras alpinum is tested statistically. The quantitative analysis did not reject the null hypothesis and the homogeneity of the sample is accepted. As a result, the different taxa used in the literature ( G. alpinum , “ Barrancyloceras barremense ”, Leroyiceras mascarellii and Spinocrioceras sauvanae ) all fall into the variability of a single species, although some doubt subsist for L. dolloi . Taxonomically, by the priority principle the only name that should be used is G. alpinum . The results and other examples about the intraspecific variability confirm the importance of the Westermann's laws in ammonites, but they show that there are other important sources of covariation. In Gassendiceras the variability is tripolar (both the classic robust-slender poles of the Westermann's laws plus a third morphological pole with thick section and not so robust ornamentation), which implies that the intraspecific variability is not always uniform or consistent from one group to another, or in any case do not necessarily respond to the same factors in equivalent proportions. Heterochronies, erasing of the ornamentation and uncoiling of the heteromorph ammonites are also considered as factors of the intraspecific variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Abstract: A new planktic foraminifer, Hartella harti nov. gen., nov. sp. is described from the Maastrichtian sediments of the Atlantic Ocean. H. harti likely evolved from Fleisherites glabrans (Cushman). Spiroplecta Ehrenberg is reviewed and considered monospecific. The only species assigned to this genus is Spiroplecta americana Ehrenberg, which evolved from Heterohelix globulosa (Ehrenberg). It is demonstrated that the early planispiral coil developed in at least three separate lineages of serial planktic foraminifera in the Late Cretaceous (late Campanian-early Maastrichtian). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In prolongation of the previous studies, the Gregoryceras Spath, 1924 (Ammonitina, Peltoceratina) species from the uppermost Middle Oxfordian (Rotoides sub-zone) to the Early Late Oxfordian (Bifurcatus zone), are revised. Sections providing most of the studied specimens in this work (Spain, Algeria, Tunisia) are described and dated based on faunal comparisons between Tethyan and Subtethyan domains. It appears that the best tool for correlations is the presence of the genus Gregoryceras, the succession of its species being similar for the two considered domains. It allows us to complete the biostratigraphic scale based on the Gregoryceras species succession, and parallel to the standard zonation. During this period the revised species of Gregoryceras are G. fouquei (Kilian, 1889) and G. pervinquieri (Spath, 1913). G. fouquei is only present in the Rotoides sub-zone (uppermost Middle Oxfordian), and not in the Stenocycloides sub-zone (early Late Oxfordian), where G. pervinquieri (Spath, 1913). A new species, G. benosmanae nov. sp. is described as the most recent species of the genus (Grossouvrei sub-zone). The evolution of the youngest species of Gregoryceras continues the peramorphocline described for older forms. Concerning a potential dimorphism, new data (size differences, umbilicus enlargement during growth) are particularly provided by G. pervinquieri. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Complete, articulated starfish fossils are rare. However, more frequently encountered dissociated skeletal elements (ossicles) permit reliable taxonomic identification, making them a valuable data source for diversity estimates. Nearly 300 asteroid ossicles, collected from the middle Toarcian marls in western France can be assigned to five species. Four species and two genera are described: Comptoniaster vrinensis nov. sp. (Goniasteridae), Poncetaster crateri nov. gen. nov. sp. (Stauranderasteridae), Galbaster recurrans nov. gen. nov. sp. (Goniasteridae) and Pentasteria? liasica nov. sp. (Astropectinidae). The known diversity of Early Jurassic asteroids is increased from 12 to 16 species. These taxa illustrate the diversification of crown-group asteroids early in the Jurassic, following the Permo-Triassic crisis. They also reflect bias of the fossil record, and imply the existence of numerous ghost lineages in the evolutionary trees of extant groups. Variation in asteroid diversity across the “Seuil du Poitou” was driven by ecological constraints. The relative frequency (abundance of ossicles and diversity) of goniasterids and stauranderasterids increases in shallower environments. The Benthopectinidae, represented by Plesiastropecten hallovensis, occurred primarily from deep-shelf sediments. Similar ecological patterns are observed for more recent fossil and extant relatives, which further supports the idea of conservative evolution in post-Palaeozoic starfishes since the Early Jurassic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The Toarcian sediments exposed at Sainte-Verge (Deux-Se`vres, France) are especially rich in echinoderm remains. The present paper describes and illustrates the ophiuroids. On the basis of lateral arm plates, 13 species are distinguished, including two new ones: Sinosura fasciata sp. nov. and Sinosura extensa sp. nov. Most of the recognized species have been recorded previously from the Late Toarcian and Aalenian in Germany and, to a lesser extent, from the late Early Jurassic of England and Switzerland. High similarities between the faunas of northwest Europe suggest a boreal provincialism of ophiuroids. The recognition of 13 species is comparable to the diversity known from other stratigraphic levels (Jurassic and Cretaceous) or in the richest stations of recent oceans. The species association of the Toarcian of Sainte-Verge, with two Ophiolepididae, one Ophiacanthidae, four Ophioleucidae, two Ophiodermatidae, two Ophiuridae, and one Hemieuryalidae may be compared with species associations of recent shelf, offshore environments. Such persistence of components of diversity and ecological affinities of species suggests strong evolutionary conservatism of the ophiuroids, after a rapid radiation during the earliest Jurassic. © 2002 E´ditions scientifiques et me´dicales Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

La hie´rarchie des crite`res utilise´e pour la classification des Foraminife`res planctoniques du Cre´tace´ infe´rieur a e´te´ re´cemment a` la fois enrichie et destabilise´e par la prise en compte, parfois excessive, de la microstructure de leur paroi. Une utilisation plus raisonne´e de ce crite`re et de ceux portant sur la morphologie et le nombre des loges, une approche moins strictement typologique mais tenant compte de la variabilite´ intra-populationnelle, ainsi que de modalite´s e´volutives particulie`res (ite´rativite´, gradualisme), nous a conduit a` une simplification taxinomique qui devrait rendre ce groupe de microfossiles plus accessible aux utilisateurs non-spe´cialistes. Ainsi l''introduction ou la conservation dans la nomenclature des genres Alanlordella, Biglobigerinella, Blefuscuiana,Claviblowiella , Leupoldina, Lilliputianella et Lilliputianelloides ne nous paraıˆt pas ne´cessaire et est discute´e dans ce travail. En revanche la prise en compte du caracte`re microstructural nous paraıˆt justifier la cre´ation de Pseudoplanomalina nov. gen. Des pre´cisions, simplifications et synonymies sont aussi apporte´es au niveau de certaines espe`ces. Enfin notre re´vision nous permet e´galement de proposer un nouveau sche´ma phyloge´ne´tique (articule´ a` partir de deux espe`ces pe´rennes peu diffe´rencie´es) ainsi qu''une cle´ simplifie´e de classification dichotomique. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Copyright of Revue de Micropaleontologie is the property of Elsevier B.V. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This contribution presents a general account and summary of the research carried out over the past decades on the Quaternary faunas of France. This country is located in the center of Western Europe, and presents distinct topographical features and very varied climatic influences. This paper is the result of collaborative work between French teams and different researchers specialized in the paleontology of large mammals. Over a hundred paleontological or archaeological sites are mentioned in this review, which covers a broad chronological period, ranging from the Early (including the end of Pliocene/Gelasien) and Middle Pleistocene to the Late Pleistocene. One of the aims of this work is to present studies of the main families or subfamilies of herbivores (Equidae, Rhinocerotidae, Bovidae [Bovines, Caprines, Antilopines, and Rupicaprines], Cervidae, Proboscid) and carnivores (Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, Hyenidae, Felidae). It is not exhaustive at the generic and specific level, but details on the taxonomic status, evolutionary levels and biochronological importance of the most important taxa are given alongside an extensive and up-to-date bibliography of French works. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Statistical description and comparisons of the equids recently collected at Saint-Vallier (LD2 and LD3) and of the old collections. Estimations of the weight and height at the withers. Size indices. The fossils of the lower level (LD2) are intermediate in size between those of El Rincon 1 and of the younger level of Saint-Vallier. Moreover, they are as slender as those of El Rincon 1. Most fossils from the younger level (LD3) may be referred to A. stenonis vireti. A few fossils belong to a smaller and slenderer form. Weight estimations of equids aged between 2.5 and 1.5 Ma. Tentative classification according to weight and morphology. Taxonomical and chronological remarks, in particular on Livenzovka. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]