Anthropologists and ethnomusicologists assert that there is no society without song, and more specifically, there is no ritual or celebration without accompanying sound. The production of sounds in social contexts is very ancient. Here, we report on the study of a seashell from the decorated cave of Marsoulas and demonstrate that the Magdalenian occupants of this site transformed this shell into a wind instrument. It is one of the very rare examples, if not the only one for the Paleolithic period, of a musical instrument fashioned from a large shell, and the first conch shell of this use thus far discovered. We already know that prehistoric people transformed many shells into portable ornaments and that they thus attributed substantial corporal symbolism to them. This seashell horn, with its unique sonority, both deep and strong with an enduring reverberation, sheds light on a musical dimension until now unknown in the context of Upper Paleolithic societies.

The discovery of unpublished photographs of Eugene Trutat (1840-1910), a photography pioneer, allows specifying the exploitation method of the phosphorites of the Quercy to the XIXème century. The ore is manually exploited there by many workmen and women. The exploitation is rational, systematic and is organized on successive bearings. The technical installations necessary to the exploitation of the ore are put some places progressively needs.

A lower tooth row from the Miocene locality of Sartaaf (Bugti Hills, Baluchistan, Pakistan) bears close affinities with the rhinocerotid "Chilotherium intermedium" complanatum Heissig, 1972. The doubtful generic assignment to Chilotherium Ringstrom, 1924, which affinities are controversal, leads the authors to perform a phylogenetical analysis. The latter is based upon 282 morphological characters controlled in 32 ceratomorph perissodactyl species, among which the five living rhinos, and one/several representative(s) of each suprageneric taxon among Rhinocerotidae. Six equally parcimonious trees are obtained (CI = 0.2639; RI = 0.4745). The topology of the strict consensus tree is [[Elasmotheriini [Menoceratina, Elasmotheriina]], [Rhinocerotinae [Rhinocerotini [Rhinocerotina, Teleoceratina, Aceratheriina]]]]. The Rhinocerotina include Pleuroceros pleuroceros (Duvernoy, 1853) while Eurasian Aceratheriina include Aceratherium Kaup, 1832, Chilotherium, Acerorhinus Kretzoi, 1942, Alicornops Ginsburg & Guerin, 1979, and Hoploaceratherium Ginsburg & Heissig, 1989. Alicornops complanatum n. comb. is proposed as a new binomen for "Chilotherium intermedium" complanatum, sister group of the type species Alicornops simorrense (Latter, 1837) in the consensus tree. This is the first occurrence of Alicornops in South Asia. "Chilotherium intermedium" intermedium (Lydekker, 1884) is included within the Teleoceratina. The species "Alicornops" alfambrense Cerdeno, & Alcala, 1989, from the late Miocene of western Europe, is doubtfully referred to Acerorhinus, which geographical range was so far restricted to eastern Europe and Asia. A late Miocene age (MN10-13; approximate to 9.4-6 Ma) is estimated for the Sartaaf locality, owing to biochronological correlations with the Dhok Pathan Formation of the Middle Siwaliks of Pakistan.

The 'Sables fauves', showing tectonic deformations in the Aquitaine Basin during Middle Miocene. New data about the 'Sables fauves' clearly show two different kinds of organisations: stratigraphic superposition of Langhian and Serravallian units to the south and embankment of Serravallian sediments in Langhian deposits to the north. The result consists in two different palaeogeographic schemes. The Langhian Sea is widely extended, forming the 'Lectoure Gulf', whereas the Serravallian Sea is much more reduced, with valleys fillings to the north and a little gulf to the south. This involves a tectonic activity along a structure which orientation is N120degreesE ('flexure de la Douze') and a relative rising of the northern part, of about 30 m. (C) 2002 Academie des sciences / Editions scientifiques et medicales Elsevier SAS.

ABSTRACT During the Eocene in the Corbières–Minervois foreland basin, southern France, there was a transition from marine carbonate to fluvial–lacustrine sedimentation. This evolution took place in six depositional sequences, the first controlled by a eustatic rise or flexural downwarping, then following under compressive tectonic conditions. The second to the fourth sequences show marine to marshy, mainly carbonate sediments with a transgressive–regressive evolution, while the last two comprise terrigenous and carbonate continental sediments. The tectonic evolution is marked by blind fault‐propagation folds which deformed the basin during the Ilerdian–Cuisian. A paroxysmal compressive tectonic phase occurred at the Bartonian when the ancient blind thrusts started to emerge. A model for the evolution of the basin is presented, involving the northward propagation of structural culminations, which focused shallow water or emergent conditions, and structural lows in which deeper water sedimentation took place. The diachronous migration of these structural zones can be constrained from the high biostratigraphic resolution of the foreland basin fill.

Les specimens crâniens et mandibulaires du rhinocerotide «Ceratorhinus sansaniensis mut. Harlei» REPELIN, 1918 du Miocene de Captieux (Gironde) sont pour la premiere fois decrits et figures. Ils sont rapportes au teleoceratine Pmsantorhinus douvillei (OSBORN, 1900). Un âge orleanien superieur (partie inferieure de la MN 5) est attribue a la localite de Captieux, grâce aux extensions stratigraphiques de la faune associee. C'est la premiere mention de P. douvillei dans la MN 5 du bassin d'Aquitaine.

Since Forster-Cooper in 1910, no paleontologist has visited the area of Dera Bugti in Baluchistan (Pakistan). In 1995 and 1996, two small French expeditions prospected the syncline of Dera Bugti. They established stratigraphical sections and discovered many fossils, mainly reptiles and mammals. On top of the Eocene marine limestone of the Kirtbar there lies a Burdigalian marine falun, Above, about 250 m of continental marls, sands and sandstones are deposited. The first 100 in have yielded five fossiliferous levels of MN3 b in age, and one of MN4, surrounded by a more sandy series. The top of the series has yielded Hipparion of the Upper Miocene.

The discovery, for the first time in Europe and in two Lower Miocene localities, one in Spain (Els Casots) and the other in France (Montreal-du-Gers), of complete ruminant skulls traditionally attributed to the genus Palaeomeryx allows us to discuss the validity of this taxon. A new species Ampelomeryx ginsburgi nov. gen., nov. sp, is created. The relationships between Palaeomerycidae and the American family Dromomerycidae are discussed.

La decouverte, pour la premiere fois en Europe et dans deux gisements differents d'âge Miocene inferieur (MN4), l'un espagnol (Els Casots), l'autre francais (Montreal-du-Gers) de restes crâniens complets de ruminants traditionnellement attribuees au genre Palaeomeryx permet de discuter de la validite de ce taxon. Une nouvelle forme Ampelomeryx ginsburgi nov. gen., nov. sp. est creee. Les rapports entre la famille des Palaeomerycidae et la famille americaine des Dromomerycidae sont discutes.

One of the previously mapped discontinuities at the eastern edge of Aquitain molassic basin is shown as the result of an erosive event erasing much of Rupelian molasses, now only preserved as marginal deposits. That event occurring between Rupelian and Chattian is likely to concern the whole basin. The sudden drop of hydrographic base level registered by an erosive magnitude of one hundred meters is only compatible with the sea level drop known during the great Oligocene regression.

Mammalian faunas from the continental Paleogene formations located North and South of the Pyrenees have largely contributed to the setting-up of a biochronological scale based on reference levels. Nine of these reference levels are defined on localities from this area. New faunas from previously poorly documented time intervals allow the establishment of a dense sequence of localities, which range from the early Eocene (MP 7) to the end of the Oligocene (MP 30). An overview concerning the chronology of these very numerous localities is presented here.

Paleontologic study of mammals from the Toulouse area allows us to define the first biochronologic scale for this area. It is composed of four reference levels (Dieupentale, Ginestous, Colomiers and Bonrepos-sur-Aussonnelle) going from La Milloque level (MP29) to an earlier level than Artenay (MN4a). The most part of the molassic sediments from the South of Toulouse, usually referred to Oligocene is now considered as belonging to lower Miocene. A gap, corresponding with lower Burdigalian, is pointed out between Colomiers and Bonrepos-sur-Aussonnelle levels.