Les cervidés de la grotte du Vallonnet (Roquebrune-Cap-Martin Alpes-Maritimes)

Résumé En Fr

The cervid family is typical of the big mammals from Vallonnet cave (France), a site of the lower pleistocene. "Cervus" (s.l.) nestii vallonnetensis looks like the villafranchian species and "Praemegaceros" (s.l.) sp. is characteristic of the middle pleistocene period. The result of the comparison between the villafranchian species "Cervus" philisi, "Cervus" perolensis and the Vallonnet middle size specie is a similarity with teeth and bones, and a significant difference of the antlers form. The particularity of these antlers from Vallonnet cave incited us to give the original name : "Cervus" (s.l.) nestii vallonnetensis. There is a relation with the italian deers from lower and middle pleistocene but the ancient attribution to the genus Dama is wrong. New data from last excavations permit us to unify the population of big deer rests from vallonnet cave. There is one specie which is "Praemegaceros" (s.l.) sp. Indeed, the mandibular with a pachyostosis form and the antler form are caracteristic of this genus.

Les cervidés constituent un groupe biochronologiquement caractéristique du site de la fin du Pleistocene inférieur du Vallonnet. «Cervus» (s.l.) nestii vallonnetensis est proche des formes du Villafranchien alors que «Praemegaceros» (s.l.) sp. est typique du Pleistocene moyen.