Guia (Algarve), gisement de vertébrés quaternaires à caractère saisonnier

A vertebrate (Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians) fauna From Guia (Algarve) is described. The site is the only one so far known in the «Faro-Quarteira sands». The fauna is upper Pleistocene in age (may even be younger). Its stratigraphical position shows it is younger than levels in the same unit that yielded mousterian/languedocian stone artifacts. A post Riss-Wurm age is admitted. The mammalian fauna nearly exclusively comprises small mammalremains; except for a few ones, only young individuals are represented. This unusual situation, coupled with data from the study of the Squamata and even more of the Amphibia, indicates that Guia locality corresponds to sedimentation in temporary, seasonal ponds originated in depressions in this sandy area during Winter and/or early Springtime.

Nouvelles espèces d'ostracodes du miocène du bassin du Tage (Portugal)

Twelve new species of miocene ostracoda from the Tagus basin (Portugal) are described. Paleoenvironments concerning each of these species are given.

Présence de Cuon alpinus europaeus BOURGUIGNAT, 1868 (Mammalia, Carnivora) dans le Pléistocène du Portugal

A fragment of the lower jaw of cuon (Cuon alpinus europaeus BOURGUIGNAT, 1868) found at gruta do Escoural is studied. It is the first occurrence recorded for the Pleistocene of Portugal.

Les plus anciens mammifères terrestres du Miocène marin de Lisbonne - le gisement du Km 10

For the first time, small mammals were found at the earliest marine level in the northeastern part of the lower Tagus basin, to the NE of Lisbon. At this new locality, at the 10 kilometer of the Lisbon-Oporto A1-IP1 highway,conglomerates yielded, along with marine fossils, more or less abraded teeth and bones from insectivores,lagomorphs, rodents and small artiodactyls (sec Tableau 1). Age may he ascribed to the lower Miocene, MN 2b Neogene mammal unit (about 22 My), but an early MN 3 age cannot be entirely excluded. That corresponds to latest Aquitanian (or less probably earliest Burdigalian) (sec Tableau 2). This is the first hitherto found locality with small mammals of this age as far as Portugal is concerned, as well as the oldest locality so far known in the Tagus basin. Km 10 is somewhat older than the localities of Universidade Católica and Avenida do Uruguay in Lisbon (ANTUNES & MEIN, 1986). Hence we can rather accurately date the age of the first marine transgression in the northeastern part of the lower Tagus basin. This shows that in this region there are no marine equivalents of the "Venus ribeiroi beds" (Aquitanian,Division 1 of the Lisbon Miocene series). Correlation between this unit and the uppermost levels of the essentially paleogene "Complexo de Benfica" may be possible. Fossils at km 10 point out to shallow, coastal, highenergy marine environments. Sedimentological features are compatible with this model. Dry land and swamps with brackish (or ev en fresh) waters were present nearby. From those areas came remains of mammals, crocodylians, as well as oysters and charophytes that were later transported to the sea. Sea was warmer than the extant Atlantic at the same latitudes, even if conditions were not strictly tropical then. These conditions surely influenced climate in the nearby regions. Ecological data concerning mammalian faunas distinctly point out to nearby forest-rich environments, much more so than for Universidade Católica and Avenida do Uruguay localities, from where drier, even steppe environment forms largely prevail.

La cuirasse ferrugineuse conglomératique de Cabatuquila (Malanje - R. P. d'Angola) et sa signification paléogéographique

Cabatuquila conglomerate ferricrete (Malanje Province, located North Central Angola) corresponds to a thick (1O-15m) and hardcornice at the top of "Baixa de Cassanje" escarpment. "Baixa de Cassanje" is a large graben part of South Congo basin. Cabatuquila conglomerate ferricrete seems to correspond to a Plio-Pleistocene morphology which has already disappeared. Laterization dynamics and ferricrete formation processes took place on the Tertiary surface, before being tilted to the Congo Basin. Materials submitted to these processes are mainly alluvial deposits from a pre-Cuanza drainage system. This drainage system flowed to the North before being captured to the Atlantic, as a consequence of the movement which deformed the Tertiary surface during the Pleistocene. The erosion dynamics, which created the Cassanje depression, has occurred after the late Tertiary surface deformation. That dynamics might be related to the Cuango drainage system, which was reorganized after that deformation.

Le gisement de Asseiceira, Portugal (Miocène supérieur) Données complémentaires sur Freiria de Rio Maior

A new upper Miocene locality at Asseiceira (Rio Maior), near the top of the "Calcários de Almoster e Santarém" unit (Almoster and Santarém limestones) is studied. Animal and plant fossils are described. Comparisons are drawn to other localities related to the same unit: Freiria and Azambujeira (middle and upper levels, both with large mammals). Small mammals from Asseiceira and Freiria point out to a rather old age amidst the upper Vallesian, MN 10 mammal-unit. This gives a fairly accurate datation for the "Calcários de Almoster e Santarém" and for the short time span of the corresponding sedimentation. Climate was warm and quite dry, with contrasting seasons and arid events. During upper Vallesian times, climate in Iberian Peninsula was varied but drier than in France, and specially so in the inner basins. However in Portugal and in Catalonia climate would he less different in comparison with that of the Rhône basin. Environmental evolution has been important: at Freiria and Azambujeira (middle level) there were mainly shallow lacustrine environments that received ressurgence waters from the nearby "Maciço calcário". Humid areas were closely surrounded by dense forests and these by broader and drier savanna or steppe areas. Still later, carbonate sedimentation ended. For some time there was still a river system with oxbows; humid areas probably were decreasing in favour of surrounding, rather dry environments. This study stressed the nced for revision of the geology of the region of Rio Maior and for a new geological mapping of that area. Environmental evolution has been important: at Freiria and Azambujeira (middle level) there were mainly shallow lacustrine environments that received ressurgence waters from the nearby "Maciço calcário".

Analyse paléoécologique des formations récifales du golfe de Skoura (bordure méridionale du sillon Sud rifain; SE de Fés; Maroc) implications paléogéographiques: communications Atlantique - Méditerranée au Miocène Terminal

The reef levels of the gulf of skoura belong to the reef formation of the Upper Miocene of the South-Rifan straits. A detailed analysis of the vertical distribution of various forms of colonies has led to the establishment of precise coral morphologies zonation. This palaeoecological approach leads us to distinguish between two environments in the Skoura gulf, probably corresponding to two reef episodes. The palaeogeographical implications (relationships between the Atlantic ocean and the Mediterranean sea) will be pointed out.

Les faunes de coraux (Anthozoaires Scléractiniaires) de la façade atlantique française au Chattien et au Miocène

The study of new abundant coral crops and a systematic revision of the historie collections allow us to extend significantly the data about the Upper Oligocene and Miocene Scleractinia of the French atlantic basins. The SW and W-NW France faunas have been considered, and complete lists of the different defined taxa are presented. The general lines of the evolution of this group are specified, and linked to the paleoclimatic and paleobiogeographic changes.

Répartition des foraminifères benthiques dans les gisements de surface du Miocène d'Aquitaine (SW de la France)

The Aquitaine Basin (southwestem France) is known since long ago for its richness in marine miocene deposits ofvarious facies. A few stratotypes concerning this period have bccn described in the investigated area. The stratigraphical framework has becn recently revised and the study of new exposures completes our knowledge on these levels. In the present work, the authors produce a biostratigraphical distribution of about 160 species (Iarger and smaller foraminifera), found in the surface exposures of Aquitaine, from the topmost Oligocene (Chattian) through to Middle Miocene (including Serravallian). As a rule, the common species without significant ranges have not bcen mentioned. The microfaunas of several exposures have been thoroughly revised, which has allowcd to precise the distribution of many species and induced a few modifications of the results previously produced. Synonymy problems and new taxonomical revisions have been taken into account. Of course, this work will be probably submitted to some changes according to new research on the already known exposures or other more recently discovered.

Observations sedimentologiques sur les depots du Neogene post-nappe dans la region de Moulay Yacoub (NW de Fes- Maroc)

Proceedings of the I" R.C.A.N.S. Congress, Lisboa, October 1992

Une vision systémique de la formation continue universitaire

Res-Systemica, Volume N°5, Numéro Spécial

Les formations fluviatiles quaternaires de la plaine de Doukkala (Méséta Occidentale Marocaine). Sédimentologie et nouvelles données chronostratigraphiques

The Quaternary fluvial formations of the Doukkala plain are, until now, slightly studied. Our study has allowed to precise that the fluvial terraces of the oued "the Ourn Rbia oued", are clearly distinguished from the secondary oueds terraces by the dynamic deposit of the alluvial materials. Moreover, the mammal fossils recolted from some of these terraces allow to review the ages attributed by Gigout (1951).

Sélaciens du Miocène terminal du bassin d'Alvalade (Portugal). Essai de synthèse

A rich uppermost Miocene selachian fauna from the Alvalade Basin (represented by more than 10.000 teeth) is accounted for. It is the most modern miocene fauna of neritic habit under warm-temperate to subtropical conditions, known in the european Miocene.

La biochronologie des Mammifères néogènes d'Europe. L'échelle MN, son application à la succession des faunes du Portugal

Similarly to other organisms, Vertebrates changed during the Cenozoic Era. Mammals are the only ones to change quickly; their well mineralised bones and teeth are often fossilised. They are highly diverse and even isolated teeth can be identified. They are thus a good tool for establishing a biochronological framewoork. Among Mammals, Rodents with a short lifetime evolve more quickly than the large Mammals. In Europe, the first elaborated zonation was investigated by the Regional Committee on Neogene Stratigraphy and issued as the MN Zonation (Mammals Neogene) by Mein, 1976. During the following years, progress in knowledge lead to new charts. The latest one resulted from collective work (de Bruijn et al., 1992). Bîochronology gives relative data; if we desire to have numerical age estimates, we must correlate these results with radiometrie data, marine biostratigraphîcal units or the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale. For Europe, these results are summarised by Steininger et al. (1989-1996) and Steininger (1999). After some recents developments on MN Zonation, here is discussed the succession of Neogene small mammals Portuguese localities. Fortunately these localities are in majority inbedded in marine context. Their assigment to MN Zones is proposed and correlations with the spanish Aragonian Scale (Daams el al., 1999) are also suggested. In fact, some differences appear between Portugal and Aragonian assemblages, probably for ecological reasons. Therefore, the MN zonation is always useful for short and long distance biochronological correlations.

Les Périssodactyles (Mammalia) du Miocène de Lisbonne

New data led us to revise Miocene Perissodactyla from Lisbon. Equids (Anchitherium) have been decribed by Alberdi & González (1999); we fully agree with their conclusions. On the other hand, the only Chalicotheriid cannot be clearly reported to any genus. It therefore will be left in open nomenclature Schizorheriinae ind.). The Rhinocerotids have been described in detail (1983). We could recognize now that: Protaceratherium sagicum is a synonym of P. minutum; Plesiaceratherium platyodon and Plesiaceratherium lumiarense should be ascribed to the genus Plesiaceratherium and not to Aceratherium; there are no reasons for name changes as far as the forms previously referred as Diaceratherium aurelianensis, Prosantorhinus germanicus and Hispanotherium matritensis are concerned; as the genera Dicerorhinus and Lartetotherium are distinct, Dicerorhinus (Lartetotherium) sansaniensis has to be named Lartetotherium sansaniensis; as Gaindatherium (Ïberotherium) rexmanueli cannot be reported to Gaindatherium, we therefore upgrade the subgenus Iberotherium to the genus'rank - hence the names of the concerned taxa become Iberotherium rexmanueli rexmanueli and I. rexmanueli zbyszewski; Chilotherium ibericus is but a dental variation of I. rexmanueli zbyszewski. The stratigraphic distribution and age of the Miocene Perissodactyla so far known in the Lower Tagus basin / Lisbon region are presented.