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La biochronologie des Carnivores est une réalité. Un exemple, celui de la population des Canis lupus de Romain-la-Roche (Doubs) illustre l’utilisation des Canidés. Le second exemple de la population d’Ursus spelaeus d’Azé 1-3 (Saône-et-Loire) montre tout l’intérêt de la biochronologie des Ursidés. Ces résultats biochronologiques sont discutés à la lumière de tous les éléments de datation obtenus par ailleurs. On peut utiliser certaines populations de Carnivores moyennant un certain nombre de conditions favorables qui doivent être réunies. The biochronology of the Carnivores has reality. The example of the population of Canis lupus of Romain-la-Roche (Doubs) illustrates the contribution of the Canids. The second example, the population of Ursus spelaeus of Azé 1-3 (Saône-et-Loire), demonstrates that the Ursids are of great interest. These biochronological results are discussed in relation to any of dating processes. Some of the populations of Carnivores can be used for dating by biochronology only if some favourable conditions join together.

International audience; The Château site, known since 1863, was rediscovered in 1968 and new excavations were carried out there between 1997 and 2006. Bear remains largely dominated the Château Breccia fossil assemblage, but the characteristic peculiarity of this site was the abundance of big cats. The old karstic system, including the Château Breccia fossil site, has been completely destroyed, primarily by erosion, but later by quarrying. During the Pleistocene the cave served as hibernation dens for bears. This was most likely also the birthplace for bear cubs. These bear cubs, whether alive or dead, could be a significant source of food for big cats during the winter. The stratigraphy of the infill (Northern Section) reveals successive phases of occupation. The two main fossiliferous layers were labelled Breccia 4 (Br. 4) and Breccia 2 (Br. 2), the former being the earliest. In both cases, we noticed different, though equivalent, animal associations: a bear (Ursus deningeri), a big cat (Panthera gombaszoegensis, Panthera spelaea fossilis), a canid (Canis lupus mosbachensis), and constantly Arvicola cantianus (= A. mosbachensis). Palynological analysis indicates a milieu of moderately cold temperatures for the two breccias. It suggests an open landscape with grassy areas and a forest of pine, fir, oak and other broadleaved trees. Thus far, all attempts to obtain absolute dates for the Northern Section of the site have been unsuccessful: 14 C and thermoluminescence cannot be used, U/Th and Uranium series dating has failed up to now and ESR is not possible because of the absence of herbivore molars with thick enamel. Therefore, only Ursus deningeri, Panthera gombaszoegensis, Panthera spelaea fossilis, lagomorphs and microfauna with Arvicola cantianus biochronologies allow us to suggest an early Middle Pleistocene age for Breccia 4 and a mid Middle Pleistocene age for Breccia 2. The Château Breccia stratigraphy permits biochronologic dating but also the reliable reconstruction of the evolution of two big cats. Panthera gombaszoegensis is found in the Breccia 4 sediments, the oldest from the site. P. spelaea fossilis and P. gombaszoegensis probably coexisted in Breccia 3. Breccia 2 contains only P. spelaea fossilis, which conforms exactly to what is known about its first appearance in Europe.

Resume Onze especes de Carnivores, appartenant aux familles principales (Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, Hyaenidae, Felidae) ont ete retrouvees dans le materiel des fouilles recentes conduites par M. Faure et C. Guerin, confirmant pour l'essentiel la liste de J. Viret (1954) . De nombreuses donnees morphometriques viennent preciser les connaissances anterieures et des comparaisons sont tentees. La decouverte, rarissime, d'un crâne complet de Chasmaporthetes lunensis (= Euryboas lunensis, Hyaenidae) apporte un document exceptionnel. Une meilleure comprehension du site permet de preciser la paleoecologie des especes. L'enregistrement rigoureux dans l'espace des vestiges recueillis autorise une approche spatiale de la repartition de ces Carnivores dans les differentes lentilles d'accumulation, ce que facilitent le grand nombre d'especes et le faible nombre d'individus pour chacune.

A very rich assemblage of ancient brown bears (Ursus arctos arctos Linnaeus, 1758) from Mont Ventoux caves (France) has been investigated using carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition of bone collagen. The isotopic data showed that these bears were feeding in an open environment and consumed mainly plant food items. The access to livestock meat appeared to have been much more limited for these ancient brown bears than for 20th-century Pyrenean bears, suggesting that husbandry patterns had kept bears away from domestic herds. The isotopic variations observed are large according to the ontogenic stage of the bears when they died, which could be accounted for by the isotopic changes that occur during hibernation of the lactating female bear and by different time periods averaged in bone collagen, and without the need to involve different food resources for cubs relative to adult bears.

During the Upper Pliocene, two subspecies of Nyctereutes megamastoides (Pomel, 1842) — N. m. megamastoides and N. m. vulpinus — have been described in Western Europe. Nyctereutes megamastoides vulpinus Soria and Aguirre, 1976 was defined for the distinctive form of Saint-Vallier (Drome, France) to which was associated the remains from Puebla de Valverde (Teruel, Spain). Helped by the recent descriptions and identifications, especially the one of a pliocene species from China, Nyctereutes tingi Tedford and Qiu, 1991, the statut of the taxon from Saint-Vallier is revisited. We suggest that the Nyctereutes remains from this locality (excavation Viret in 1946–1956 and excavation Faure and Guerin in 1993–1999) and those from Puebla de Valverde should be referred to a distinct species, Nyctereutes vulpinus comb. and stat. nov.

The Balme à Collomb cave opens at an altitude of 1700 m, at the foot of the urgonian cliff of Mont Granier, in the Chartreuse massif. A great number of bones of Ursus spelaeus has been discovered there in a vergin gallery. 14C -AMS datings and biochronolo-gy (Rabeder method) tend to indicate a population of bears belonging to the Group 3 and to place it in the isotopic stage 3 (Middle Wurm). Paleoenvironmental data are given by palynology and some microfaunal remains. They both point to climatic periods of warming, however colder than today. An attempt of correlation with the GRIP 8 180 curve allows to wonder wether there had been a single occupation during the relatively long isotopic interstadial 8, or successive reconquest of the cave by the bears at every long enough climatic warming, during a long period (24 160 to > 45200 BP)., La Balme à Collomb est une grotte s'ouvrant à 1700 m d'altitude au pied de la falaise urgonienne du Mont Granier en Chartreuse. Elle a livré une grande quantité de restes d' Ursus spelaeus dans une galerie encore vierge. Les datations 14C -AMS et la biochronologie (méthode de Rabeder) indiquent une population du Groupe 3 occupant la grotte principalement au stade isotopique 3, au Wiirm moyen. Les données paléoenvironnementales de la palynologie, confirmées par un peu de microfaune traduisent une période d'amélioration climatique tempérée mais plus froide que l'actuelle. Une tentative de corrélation avec la courbe du 8 180 GRIP permet de poser la question d'une unique occupation sur la période suffisamment longue de l'interstade isotopique 8, ou d'une répétition de reconquête du milieu par les ours à chaque période d'amélioration climatique suffisante sur une très longue durée (24 160 à > 45200 BP)., Argant Alain, Argant Jacqueline. Datations et environnement des ours de la Balme à Collomb (Entremont-le-Vieux, Savoie, France). In: Cahiers scientifiques du Muséum d'histoire naturelle de Lyon. Hors-série, tome 2, 2004. Actes du 9e symposium international sur l'ours des cavernes.