Pierre Mein

First hominid from the Miocene (Lukeino Formation, Kenya)

Abstract Remains of an early hominid have been recovered from four localities in the Lukeino Formation, Tugen Hills, Kenya, in sediments aged ca 6xa0Ma. 13 fossils are known, belonging to at least five individuals. The femora indicate that the Lukeino hominid was a biped when on the ground, whilst its humerus and manual phalanx show that it possessed some arboreal adaptations. The upper central incisor is large and robust, the upper canine is large for a hominid and retains a narrow and shallow anterior groove, the lower fourth premolar is ape-like, with offset roots and oblique crown, and the molars are relatively small, with thick enamel. A new genus and species is erected for the remains.

Revision of the genera Parapodemus, Apodemus, Rhagamys and Rhagapodemus (Rodentia, Mammalia)

Abstract This paper presents a revision of the taxonomy of the genera Apodemus Kaup , 1826 , Parapodemus Schaub , 1938 , Rhagamys Forsyth Major , 1905 and Rhagapodemus Kretzoi , 1956. A new classification is proposed, that makes Mus gaudryi Dames , 1883 from the Late Miocene the only species of the monospecific genus Parapodemus . Other species formerly included in this genus are transferred to the genus Apodemus. Rhagapodemus primaevus ( Hugueney & Mein , 1965 ) from the locality of Lissieu is redefined.

Galerix iberica sp. nov. (Erinaceidae, Insectivora, Mammalia) from the late Miocene and early Pliocene of the Iberian Peninsula

In this paper we describe a new species of Erinaceidae, Galerix iberica, from several Spanish localities, ranging inage from Late Miocene to Earliest Pliocene. The most characteristic feature of this taxon is the loss of a lower incisor; several other dental elements present morphological differences in comparison with other species of the genus.

Nouvelles découvertes de Vertébrés miocènes dans le synclinal de Dera Bugti (Balouchistan, Pakistan)

Resume Depuis 1910, avec Forster-Cooper, aucune expedition paleontologique navait inspecte la region de Dera Bugti (Balouchistan, Pakistan). En 1995 et 1996, deux expeditions francaises ont pu dresser une coupe dans le synclinal de Dera Bugti et faire de nombreuses recoltes paleontologiques. Au-dessus du calcaire eocene marin du Kirthar, repose un falun dâge Burdigalien, lui-meme recouvert dune serie continentale denviron 250 m depaisseur. Les premiers 100 m de cette serie continentale marno-greseuse ont livre six niveaux fossiliferes (Reptiles et Mammiferes), les cinq premiers dâge MN3 b et le sixieme dâge MN4; le milieu de la serie, denviron 140 m depaisseur, est plus greseux et sest revele azoique; la serie se termine par un niveau dâge Miocene superieur ( Hipparion ).

The Middle Miocene mammalian siteof Belometchetskaya, North Caucasus: An important biostratigraphic link between Europe and China

Abstract The Middle Miocene fauna from Belometchetskaya, North Caucasus, provides an important biostratigraphiclink that permits refinement of correlations between the European land mammal zones (MN zones) and the faunal ages of China. This study concentrates on a review of the mammalian fauna from Belometchetskaya because a certain degree of confusion has entered the literature regarding its correlation to the MN sequence (it has been variously correlated to MN 4, MN 5 or MN 6) as well as its position within the Miocene (Early Miocene or Middle Miocene). It is concluded that the faunal elements hitherto considered to be of Oligocene age are in fact typical of the Middle Miocene and that the best correlation of the fauna to the European sequence is to MN 6. This means that Belometchetskaya is close in age to Sansan (France), Pasalar and Candir (Turkey), Koujiacun (China), Chinji (Pakistan) and Fort Ternan (Kenya).

Un gliridé (mammalia, rodentia)planeur dans le miocène supérieur de l'ardèche: Une adaptation non retrouvée dans la nature actuelle

Resume Les diatomites du Miocene superieur de Saint-Bauzile (Ardeche) qui ont livre un certain nombre de vertebresfossiles avec lempreinte des parties molles ont fourni a lun de nous (Romaggi) un petit rongeur interessant. Contrairement a tous les autres mammiferes du gisement qui sont fossilises couches sur le cote, pattes repliees, ce specimen est conserve a plat, les quatre pattes ecartees. La finesse de lempreinte permet dobserver la peau dont la largeur au niveau du corps est le triple de celle du thorax. Ce patagium vient se resserrer sur le corps au niveau des chevilles et des poignets. Cette peau montre des empreintes de poils qui se differencient dun eventuel feutrage algaire par leur disposition parrallele; de plus vers lavant de la tete on distingue des vibrisses. Lextraction de quelques dents a permis didentifier lanimal comme un Glirulus aff. lissiensis Hugueney & Mein , 1965 presentant quelques caracteristiques morphologiques archaiques par rapport a la population type. Le Glirulus lissiensis est classiquement considere comme lancetre du Yamane (Glirulus japonicus) vivant dans les forets montagneuses du Japon et qui est un rongeur arboricole non planeur. Lanatomie du Glirulus fossile differe legerement de la forme actuelle par la proportion des segments des membres et surtout par la grande longueur de la queue tres touffue. Les rongeurs arboricoles planeurs actuels presentent une peau developpee en parachute (patagium) quils peuvent tendre entre leurs quatre membres ecartes. Cette adaptation a dapparaitre plusieurs fois de facon independante car on la rencontre dans deux familles non apparentees: les Ecureuils, les Anomalures. Cest la premiere fois quon met en evidence cette adaptation a linterieur des Glirides (Rats fruitiers).

A comment on the earliest spalacinae (rodentia, Muroidea)

According to F. M. Catzefliset al. (Trends Ecol. Evol.7, 122–126, 1992), comparative dating of the oldest dichotomy in the muroid group (Spalacinae-other Muridae) by molecular and paleontological time scales produces conflicting results. For the earliest Spalacinae they refer to a date of 25–37 Ma; however, it has been demonstrated thatRhizospalax is not a muroid rodent, and a review of the record of fossil Spalacinae suggests that paleontological and molecular dating produces a comparable age (±19 Ma).

Eocene aridity in southwestern Africa: timing of onset and biological consequences

The Neogene history of the Namib Desert is reasonably well understood, thanks to the presence of abundant sediments and fossils in Namaqualand, the Sperrgebiet and the Namib-Naukluft Park. Hyper-arid desert has existed along the west coast of Southern Africa since the Early Miocene. It has been demonstrated on the basis of stable isotope studies of struthious eggshells and mammalian dental enamel, that throughout the Neogene winter rainfall regime occurred in the south and summer rainfall regime in the north, although the boundary zone between the two regimes fluctuated latitudinally by several hundred kilometres through the Miocene. The pre-Miocene geological history of the region is much less well understood. The aim of this contribution is to discuss the palaeoclimate and palaeoenvironment of the richly fossiliferous pre-Miocene deposits related to the recently recognised Lutetian-Bartonian Ystervark Carbonatite Formation in the Sperrgebiet, with a view to throwing light on the development of arid climatic conditions in the subcontinent during the Palaeogene, and the consequences that aridification had on the Southern African biota. In pre-Bartonian time the climate in the Sperrgebiet was relatively humid and tropical with summer rainfall, but by Bartonian time there were signs of increasing aridity and a switch to predominantly winter rainfall was achieved by the Aquitanian. Fluctuations in groundwater levels were driven by the rise and fall of sea levels, resulting in alternating cycles of erosion and deposition in the zone along the coast.

Donnees paleoclimatiques du neogene de la Vallee du Rhone (France)

Abstract The Mediterranean Neogene climatic history has been delineated on the basis of an analysis of various marine and terrestrial fossil groups: large Foraminifera, Madreporaria, Bryozoa, Mollusca, Crustacea, Echinodermata, Amphibia, Reptilia, macro- and micro-Mammalia, and the spore and pollen assemblages. Studies were conducted independently on these groups, and inter-group discrepancies in interpretation are of only a minor nature. A synoptic view of the climatic history is presented. Two kinds of climatic changes have been recognized, major and minor, occurring in the middle Miocene and middle Pliocene. The climate was warm and damp during the early Miocene, with a warming trend leading to maximum temperatures observed in the later part of the early Miocene. During the middle Miocene a reduction in temperature and moisture is observed. The late Miocene is characterized by increasing aridity. The Pliocene climate was more variable depending upon geographic location. During the late Pliocene climatic cooling occurred heralding the gradual intensification of cold climatic conditions during the Quaternary.

The late pliocene locality of saint-vallier (Drôme, France). Eleven micromammals

Abstract In this paper we will study the small rodents, the insectivores and the lagomorphs from the Late Pliocene (MN17) locality of Saint-Vallier (Drome, France), the specimens collected by Viret (Arvicolidae and Leporidae), as well as the ones we have obtained through screen-washing the sediment excavated during the 1999 campaign. The small mammals are very scarce, in contrast with the wealth of macromammals in the locality. The few specimens we found represent three species of rodents: Apodemus atavus Heller, 1936, Mimomys pliocaenicus ( Forsyth Major, 1902 ) and Mimomys cf. pusillus (Meheli, 1914); three species of insectivores: Talpa fossilis Petenyi, 1864, Sorex minutus L., 1766 and Beremendia fissidens (Petenyi, 1864); and only one lagomorph Oryctolagus lacosti (Pomel, 1853).