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Economic significance of Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758 in the Gumelnița culture (5th mill. BC): from food to technical resources

Anthropozoologica 60 (13)

The region between the Danube and the Carpathians is a key area for research into prehistoric periods, particularly those relating to the 5th millennium BC. This period is marked by the evolution of the Kodjadermen-Gumelnița-Karanovo VI technocomplex characterized by significant changes in human subsistence strategies, social organization, and technical innovations. Key evidence of these upheavals includes: stratified sites that were occupied for generations, with villages rebuilt in the same locations. Archaeologically, the increased frequency of hunting practices during the Gumelnița period is particularly evident in the intensive exploitation of red deer (Cervus elaphus Linnaeus, 1758), both as a source of food and as a raw osseous material for the manufacture of equipment.

The rudist genus Sellaea Di Stefano, 1889 (Bivalvia, Hippuritida) in the Albian carbonate platforms of Cantabria (N Spain): biostratigraphical and paleobiogeographical implications

Geodiversitas 47 (22)

During the Cretaceous, the gradual and extensive diversification of rudists led this group to colonise the carbonate platforms of tropical seas all over the world, structuring new ecosystems. The Albian genus Sellaea Di Stefano, 1889 has a worldwide distribution ranging from the Caribbean to Tibet, with maximum diversity centered in the Mediterranean province. This genus, recently studied in American faunas, is an important witness of the paleobiogeographical dynamics at work during this process of diversification, which generated significant endemism and helped characterise the paleobiogeographical provinces of the late Early Cretaceous.

A third fossil argid sawfly (Hymenoptera, Tenthredinoidea) from the Upper Miocene of Ardèche, southern France

Zoosystema 47 (32)

Spinarge miocenicus n. sp., first fossil representative of an extant argine genus, is described from the Upper Miocene lacustrine maar of montagne d’Andance (Coiron Massif, Ardèche, France). The ­extant species of Spinarge Wei, 1998 are distributed from Japan, China, Korea, and eastern Siberia to Europe and live on broad-leaved trees, which are well represented in this paleoflora. During the Late Miocene the area of the Coiron Massif was probably quite favorable for Argidae Konow, 1890 as two of the three described fossil argids also originate from this area and period.

The Middle Paleolithic quartz assemblage from Gruta da Figueira Brava (Portugal)

Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (28)

For the understanding of Middle Paleolithic subsistence behaviors, Gruta da Figueira Brava (Setúbal, Portugal) is a key site, as it represents the earliest evidence of systematic subsistence exploitation of marine resources in Europe known to date. However, the associated lithic assemblage, more than 80% composed of quartz, has so far remained understudied. Although widely used during the Pleistocene and the Holocene, quartz, the most abundant mineral on Earth, has been traditionally considered as a “second-rate” resource. Due to the raw material’s specific fracture mechanics, quartz lithic assemblages have the tendency to be typologically and morphologically less standardized than flint ones.

Singular or plural Oldowan tool-makers during the Lower Pleistocene in eastern Africa?

Comptes Rendus Palevol 23 (27)

Over the last twenty-five years, the study of hominin evolution and archaeological assemblages has become increasingly complex, due to new archaeological and paleoanthropological discoveries, and the advent of innovative analytical approaches. Findings from paleontological and archaeological sites and localities along the East African Rift Valley reveal substantial cultural and biological diversity during the Lower Pleistocene. From this context emerge critical questions about the relationships between the different material cultures and hominins.

A new species and a new record for Pycnoporus P.Karst. (Polyporaceae) from the Brazilian Amazon, revealed by an integrative approach of classical taxonomy and phylogenetic studies

Cryptogamie, Mycologie 46 (5)

The cosmopolitan genus Pycnoporus P.Karst. groups together macrofungi that belong to the family Polyporaceae Fr. ex Corda, and these are identified by the dimidiate to flabelliform basidiome, coriaceous, reddish-orange, smooth pileus, hymenophore with 3-8 pores per 1 mm, trimitic hyphal system and smooth spores. During a search for poroid fungi of the genus Pycnoporus in Brazil, 37 specimens coming from herbaria and 66 recently collected were analyzed. The fungi were analyzed for their macro- and micromorphology, and the ITS, LSU and tef regions, which were sequenced and subjected to Bayesian analyses. These analyses showed which characteristics are specific to the genus and new characteristics not previously reported were evidenced.

Two new species and new records of Catapagurus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Anomura, Paguridae) from the southwestern Pacific

Zoosystema 47 (31)

Two new species of the genus Catapagurus A. Milne-Edwards, 1880, C. poupini n. sp. and C. thysanodactylus n. sp., from the western pacific are fully described and compared with their morphological closest congeners. The horizontal distribution of two others species is considerably expanded eastward to the Fiji Islands, for C. franklinae McLaughlin, 2004 (previously known from the Coral and ­Tasman Seas, and New Caledonia); and for C. tanimbarensis McLaughlin, 1997, previously known from the Kai and Tanimbar Islands and Indonesia.

Découvertes de tracés inédits par imagerie hyperspectrale dans la grotte ornée paléolithique Mayenne-Sciences (France)

Comptes Rendus Palevol 24 (26)

Rock art research requires precise redrawing, which began in the late 19th century to authenticate and disseminate Palaeolithic paintings and engravings. Currently, redrawing methods have evolved towards digital photography and computer-assisted analysis, revealing details invisible to the naked eye. However, accurate documentation still requires specific equipment and meticulous image processing. Image processing software is essential for enhancing the contrast of photographs and revealing subtle details, making it a crucial tool for the analysis of rock art. Rock art studies are now benefiting from technological advances in imaging.

Redefining the Mexican genus Diguetinus Roewer, 1912 (Opiliones, Phalangioidea, Globipedidae) based on morphology and molecular phylogenetic data, with the redescription of Diguetinus spinulatus (Banks, 1898) stat. restit.

Zoosystema 47 (30)

The genus Diguetinus Roewer, 1912 (Opiliones, Globipedidae) is a monotypic genus that includes the widespread species Diguetinus raptator Roewer, 1912 from Mexico. Some studies have suggested that additional species could be included within the genus, particularly Metopilio spinulatus (Banks, 1898). This species has a brief but complicated taxonomic history, being originally described in Leptobunus Banks, 1893, considered in Hadrobunus Banks, 1900, later transferred to Diguetinus and currently in Metopilio Roewer, 1911, all changes without a solid justification. The aim of this study was to conduct a morphological revision of D. raptator and M. spinulatus using specimens from their respective type localities.

Back from presumed local extinction: the case of Sargassum hornschuchii C.Agardh (Fucales: Heterokontophyta) in the Spanish Mediterranean

Cryptogamie, Algologie 46 (6)

We report on a new record of Sargassum hornschuchii C.Agardh in the Spanish Mediterranean after having no reports for more than a century. Sargassum hornschuchii was found in a deep-water rocky bottom offshore Menorca together with the kelp Laminaria rodriguezii Bornet and the rockweed Ericaria zosteroides (C.Agardh) Molinari & Guiry. We make an accurate morphological description and provide pictures of the specimens collected. This new record puts into question the assignment of the IUCN “extinct” category for deep-water rare macroalgae as they can go unnoticed for a long time. This also highlights the need to protect remote deep-water spots where biodiversity can still be flourishing.

Enjeux de conservation de la macrobiodiversité des lacs de montagne français : synthèse bibliographique

Naturae 2025 (14)

Mountain lake ecosystems have long been considered unchanging, invulnerable and free from pollution because of their isolated location and their remoteness from human activity. Many scientists consider them to be “sentinels” of climate change because they are highly sensitive to climate variations. In reality, they are subject to many pressures, on a global scale but also more locally. These include fish introduction, pressure from invasive exotic species and new pathogens, and environmental pollution resulting in trophic, chemical and mechanical disturbance. This article summarises the literature to provide a better understanding of the issues involved in conserving the macrobiodiversity of high-altitude lakes in France.