Un elefant d'un mili�� d'anys trobat a Crespià

Descripci�� de la campanya arqueol��gica duta a terme entre el 27 de juliol al 12 d'agost de 1984 al jaciment paleontol��gic d' Incarcal. Les restes ��ssies excavades corresponien a les d'un elefant meridional jove

Roedores e insect��voros (Mammalia) del Mioceno superior de la Seu d'Urgell Catalu��a, Espa��a)

Se describen en este trabajo los Insectvoros y Roedores de tres localidades de la Seu d'Urgell. Dos de ellas (Ballestar y Can Petit, pertenecientes a la formacin Ballestar) presentan una microfauna del Vallesiense inferior con Cricetulodon hatanbergeri, Muscardinus crusafonti, Myoglis meini, etc. La otra (La Bastida, en la Formacin Piedra) presenta una microfauna perteneciente al Vallesiense superior, con Progonomys cathalai como especie predominante. El an��lisis de esa fauna modifica el esquema estratigr��fico propuesto hasta el presente para la cuenca de la Seu d'Urgell, ya que siempre se hab��a sostenido que la Formaci��n Piedra era anterior a la Formaci��n Ballestar. De ambas formaciones se da una breve descripci��n sedimentol��gica.

Sintesis biostratigrafica de la fosa de la Cerdanya (Pirineos orientales).

En el presente trabajo se describen las principales caracter��sticas estratigr��ficas y sedimentol��gicas del relleno de la fosa de la Cerdanya. A partir de ��stas se han diferenciado dos unidades: la Unidad Ne��gena Inferior y la Unidad Ne��gena Superior que reflejan dos situaciones tect��nicas diferentes. La Unidad Inferior corresponde al per��odo de formaci��n y posterior evoluci��n de la fosa bajo el movimiento direccional de la falla NE-SW de la Tet, mientras que la Unidad Superior refleja una situaci��n extensional generalizada. La revisi��n de los numerosos yacimientos de Mam��feros f��siles de la Unidad Ne��gena Inferior, expuesta en esta nota, permiten concluir que esta se sediment�� en el Vallesiense. Por contra, el hallazgo del nuevo yacimiento de Can Vilella, indican que la sedimentaci��n de la Unidad Superior se inici�� en el Turoliense superior (MN 13)

Sobre la edad oligoc��nica inferior del yacimiento de Santpedor (Cuenca del Ebro, provincia de Barcelona)

Un muestreo intensivo del clasico yacimiento de mam��feros f��sles de Santpedor ha dado como resultado la presencia de Theridomys aff. aquatilis, Gliravus aff. priscus, Eucricetodon atavus y Pseudoltinomys gaillardi. Esta asociacin permite atribuir 1os niveles del yacimiento al Oligoceno inferior mas bajo (nivel de Hoogbutsel)

A Mammalian Lost World in Southwest Europe during the Late Pliocene.

Over the last decades, there has been an increasing interest on the chronology, distribution and mammal taxonomy (including hominins) related with the faunal turnovers that took place around the Pliocene-Pleistocene transition [ca. 1.8 mega-annum (Ma)] in Europe. However, these turnovers are not fully understood due to: the precarious nature of the period's fossil record; the"non-coexistence" in this record of many of the species involved; and the enormous geographical area encompassed. This palaeontological information gap can now be in part bridged with data from the Fonelas P-1 site (Granada, Spain), whose faunal composition and late Upper Pliocene date shed light on some of the problems concerning the timing and geography of the dispersals.

The age of the"Grande Coupure" mammal turnover: New constraints from the Eocene Oligocene record of the Eastern Ebro Basin (NE Spain.)

The Grande Coupure represents a major terrestrial faunal turnover recorded in Eurasia associated with the overall climate shift at the Eocene-Oligocene transition. During this event, a large number of European Eocene endemic mammals became extinct and new Asian immigrants appeared. The absolute age of the Grande Coupure, however, has remained controversial for decades. The Late Eocene-Oligocene continental record of the Eastern Ebro Basin (NE Spain) constitutes a unique opportunity to build a robust magnetostratigraphy- based chronostratigraphy which can contribute with independent age constraints for this important turnover. This study presents new magnetostratigraphic data of a 495-m-thick section (Moi��-Santpedor) that ranges from 36.1 Ma to 33.3 Ma. The integration of the new results with previous litho- bio- and magnetostratigraphic records of the Ebro Basin yields accurate ages for the immediately pre- and post-Grand Coupure mammal fossil assemblages found in the study area, bracketing the Grande Coupure to an age embracing the Eocene-Oligocene transition, with a maximum allowable lag of 0.5 Myr with respect to this boundary. The shift to drier conditions that accompanied the global cooling at the Eocene-Oligocene transition probably determined the sedimentary trends in the Eastern Ebro Basin. The occurrence and expansion of an amalgamated-channel sandstone unit is interpreted as the forced response of the fluvial fan system to the transient retraction of the central-basin lake systems. The new results from the Ebro Basin allow us to revisit correlations for the controversial Eocene-Oligocene record of the Hampshire Basin (Isle of Wight, UK), and their implications for the calibration of the Mammal Palaeogene reference levels MP18 to MP21.

L'enigma sobre l'origen dels mamífers s'amaga en un petit crani

ELS MAM��FERS CONSTITUEIXEN EL GRUP D'ANIMALS m��s complex des del punt de vista morfol��gic i de comportament. Actualment hi ha unes 5.500 esp��cies, per�� la seva diversitat ha anat variant al llarg del temps. Molts mamífers prehist��rics encara s��n un enigma en termes cient��fics, ja que de la majoria se n'han trobat ��nicament petites restes fòssils, com dents a��llades i fragments d'os i de crani a partir dels quals ��s complicat construir un perfil general. Els avantpassats dels mamífers menys coneguts s��n els gondwanaterians, molt abundants durant els per��odes cret��cic i paleogen, fa entre 23 i 146 milions d'anys. David W. Krause i els seus col��laboradors, de diverses universitats i centres de recerca dels EUA, Alemanya i Madagascar, han publicat un article a Nature en qu�� descriuen les caracter��stiques d'un crani complet de vintana, un mam��fer prehist��ric que pertanyia al grup dels gondwanaterians, trobat a Madagascar.

Technological trampolines for new venture creation in Catalonia: the case of the University of Girona

Recent trends in technology transfer show an intensification of spin-off creation as a modality of university research commercialisation, complementary to the conventional ones, contract research and licensing. In this paper we analyse the evolution, objectives, resources and activities of a specialised unit ���Technological Trampoline (TT) - in charge of new venture creation at the University of Girona (Catalonia-Spain). Based on two theoretical frameworks, Resource-based-view and Institutional Theory, we adopt a multi-dimensional approach to study the strategy of spinning-off new ventures at the University of Girona in terms of resources and activities, how this process is organised and if the outputs fit with this UdG���s objectives and the local environment. Our main contribution is an in-depth analysis of the spin-off creation unit with special emphasis on its variety of resources and activities. The results have a series of implications and recommendations at both university and TT level.

Milk, from medicine to food Mediterranean Europe: Catalonia, 19th-20th centuries

The spread of milk consumption was a significant change in the diet of Europeans, however it is one that has not been greatly studied with regard to the populations of Mediterranean Europe. In this article we shall analyse the ain circumstances that conditioned that process in Catalonia between the middle of the 19th century and 1936. In our study we shall argue that the consumption of milk in this area was only relevant in the 19th century in situations of illness or old age, and that it subsequently increased and acquired a new significance as a result of various factors. In particular, we shall emphasise: (a) the scientific advances in microbiology and nutrition, (b) the activities carried out by doctors and various public institutions to promote the consumption of fresh milk, and (c) the technological innovations in the milk producing sector. In Appendix 1 we show two maps representing the main territorial references that we shall mention.

The Total fiscal cost of indirect taxation: an approximation using Catalonia's recent input-output table

In this note we quantify to what extent indirect taxation influences and distorts prices. To do so we use the networked accounting structure of the most recent input-output table of Catalonia, an autonomous region of Spain, to model price formation. The role of indirect taxation is considered both from a classical value perspective and a more neoclassical flavoured one. We show that they would yield equivalent results under some basic premises. The neoclassical perspective, however, offers a bit more flexibility to distinguish among different tax figures and hence provide a clearer disaggregate picture of how an indirect tax ends up affecting, and by how much, the cost structure.

Why Catalonia will see its energy metabolism increase in the near future: an application of MuSIASEM

This paper applies the so-called Multi-Scale Integrated Analysis of Societal and Ecosystem Metabolism (MuSIASEM) to the economy of the Spanish region of Catalonia. By applying Georgescu-Roegen's fund-flow model, it arrives at the conclusion that within a context of the end of cheap oil, the current development model based on the growth of low productivity sectors such as services and construction must change. The change is needed not only because of the increasing scarcity of affordable energy carriers, or because of the increasing environmental impact that the present development represents, but also because of an ageing population that demands labour productivity gains. This will imply industry requiring more energy consumption per worker in order to increase its productivity, and therefore its competitiveness. Thus, we conclude that energy intensity, and exosomatic energy metabolism of Catalonia will increase dramatically in the near future unless major conservation efforts are implemented in both the household and transport sectors.

Els agrocombustibles a Catalunya : mecanismes i efectes de l'europe��tzaci�� en la pol��tica p��blica

En els darrers temps els agrocombustibles s���han promocionat com una alternativa als combustibles fòssils,adquirint un pes important en les agendes pol��tiques internacionals. Les dues grans pot��ncies econ��miques mundials, els Estats Units i la Uni�� Europea, han impulsat els agrocombustibles a trav��s de diferents estrat��gies; plans, legislaci��, per�� tamb�� amb excempcions fiscals i obligacions de barreja amb combustibles fòssils. En aquest marc, Catalunya va ser de les comunitats aut��nomes de l���Estat espanyol pioneres en la potenciaci�� d���experi��ncies de producci�� i consum d���agrocombustibles. A partir de l���an��lisi de la pol��tica i el debat a Catalunya es pot destacar la gran influ��ncia de l���esfera europea a trav��s de diversos mecanismes en el proc��s, el que s���ha anomenat en la literatura com europe��tzaci��. Darrerament Europa s���ha convertit en un important centre de producci�� de pol��tiques p��bliques, especialment en pol��tiques ambientals i agr��coles a partir dels anys 80. ��s per aquest motiu que resulta rellevant con��ixer les din��miques europees en una pol��tica complexa com la dels agrocombustibles a Catalunya, que presenta components energ��tics, per�� tamb�� amb altres aspectes relacionats amb el m��n agr��ri i el medi ambient.

Barriers to innovation and public policy in Catalonia

The present paper analyses the link between firms��� decisions to innovate and the barriers that prevent them from being innovative. The aim is twofold. First, it analyses three groups of barriers to innovation: the cost of innovation projects, lack of knowledge and market conditions. Second, it presents the main steps taken by Catalan Government to promote the creation of new firms and to reduce barriers to innovation. The data set used is based on the 2004 official innovation survey of Catalonia which was taken from the Spanish CIS-4 sample. This sample includes individual information on 2,954 Catalan firms in manufacturing industries and knowledge-intensive services (KIS). The empirical analysis reveals pronounced differences regarding a firm���s propensity to innovate and its perception of barriers. Moreover, the results show that cost and knowledge barriers seem to be the most important and that there are substantial sectoral differences in the way that firms react to barriers. The results of this paper have important implications for the design of future public policy to promote entrepreneurship and innovation together.