Didier Merle

Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle · Origines et Évolution

Bursa granularis (Röding, 1798) is a tonnoidean gastropod that is regarded as broadly distributed throughout the Indo-Pacific and tropical western Atlantic. Because of its variable shell it has received no less than thirteen names, now all synonymized under the name B. granularis. We sequenced a fragment of the cox1 gene for 82 specimens covering a...

The phenomenon of fluorescence can be used by animals to change effective colouration or patterning, potentially to serve functions including intra- and interspecific signalling. Initially believed to be restricted to marine animals, fluorescent colours are now being described in an increasing number of terrestrial species. Here, we describe unique...

With 59 Recent species, Bursidae, known as « frog shells », are a small but widely distributed group of tropical and subtropical gastropods that are most diverse in the Indo-West Pacific. The present study is aimed at reconstructing phylogenetic relationships of bursid gastropods based on extensive and representative taxon sampling. Five genetic ma...

Almost forty five years ago, two legendary semi-popular books on the family Muricidae were published in the same year: Radwin & D’Attilio (1976) and Fair (1976). Knowledge on the family has, however, increased enormously during the last forty years. Many new species and new genera have been added and progress in phylogenetic analysis has changed th...

The genus Subpterynotus Olsson and Harbison, 1953 was until very recently a composite genus in which several species, now attributed to Eofavartia Merle, 2002 and Exquisitor Merle, Garrigues and Pointier, 2022, were included. Its revision clarified its distribution in the geological record and the description of two new species, S. eocaenicus nov....

Late Miocene Conidae of Crete (Greece) have been recently evaluated for the genera Conilithes, Conus (Kalloconus), Conus (Lautoconus), Conus (Stephanoconus) and Conus (Plagioconus). We conclude the study of the family herein by discussing the subgenus Conus (Monteiroconus). With the aid of UV light, five species are discussed in detail, Conus (Mont...

The Sarmatian (upper Serravallian, middle Miocene) layers cropping out at Gramada (North-West Bulgaria) contain calcareous cylinders of metric dimensions characterized by a central and cavity also cylindrical. Their detailed study shows both vertical and concentric structuring features. The various component elements of the cylinders result from se...

The AGBP 2022 spring field trip took place from May 26 to 28, with the main theme of the Stampien of the Étampes region. Most of the sites visited are integrated into the National Nature Reserve of the Essonne geological sites. The first day was devoted to the reference sections of the Chalouette valley and Mérévillois. The second day was dedicated...

This presentation describes several aspects of the typotheque of the invertebrates paleontology at the MNHN.

Si les coquillages sont capables de traverser des millions d’années pour arriver jusqu’à nous, c’est le plus souvent sans leur parure. Il est pourtant possible de révéler leurs couleurs et motifs qui, ainsi “mis en lumière”, lèvent un nouveau voile sur l’évolution des mollusques.

Zetecopsis new name. In the book Fossil and Recent Muricidae of the world, Part Muricopsinae, Merle et al. (2022: 72) erected a new genus Zetekopsis for one Pliocene species from Western Atlantic (Costa Rica) and several extant species from Eastern Pacific (Northern Gulf of California to Guayaquil, Ecuador) previously attributed to Muricopsis Bucqu...

Excursion dans le stratotype Stampien (Rupélien) de la région d'Etampes Fieldguide in the stratotype Stampien of the area of Etampes.

Late Miocene Conidae of Crete (Greece) have recently been evaluated for the genera Conilithes and Conus (Kalloconus). We continue this first inventory of the Miocene Conidae from Crete by discussing the genera Conus (Lautoconus), Conus (Stephanoconus), Conus (Plagioconus) and two species, not attributed to a subgenus of Conus. With the use of UV li...

Reconstituer les fossiles tels qu’ils étaient de leur vivant est l’un des objectifs du paléontologue. Cependant, les coquilles fossiles présentent souvent une teinte blanchâtre, peu attirante. La raison est simple. Après la mort, les coquilles perdent vite leur couleur et il est fréquent de les voir sur les plages, blanchâtres et dépigmentées. Cett...

L’écosystème énigmatique des temps édiacariens : entre –580 et –540 millions d’années, un monde étrange prolifère dans tous les milieux marins de la Terre. Beaucoup de questions se posent sur les organismes de cette époque et leur mode de vie.

Dès 1751, le gisement lutétien (il y a entre 48 et 41 millions d’années) de Grignon est cité par Dezallier d’Argenville, mais sera immortalisé par l’inventaire des mollusques de Lamarck (1802-1809), source de beaucoup d’autres travaux. Leur retentissement sera si grand que Grignon deviendra un des pôles privilégiés des excursions géologiques intern...

Situer les principaux « points chauds » actuels de la biodiversité marine sur une carte est facile. Ils se trouvent en zone tropicale dans des secteurs riches en archipels de l’Indo-Pacifique et des Caraïbes. Mais plus on remonte le temps, moins leur trace devient saisissable. Les sédiments littoraux du Lutétien (entre 48 entre 41 millions d’années...

La paléontologie est une discipline qui s’appuie sur des objets que l’on trouve dans la nature. Il importe d’en conserver un certain nombre, car ils sont les éléments vérifiables sur lesquels s’appuie cette science.

Résumé Le conseil scientifique régional du patrimoine naturel (CSRPN) est une instance consultative placée sous la double tutelle de l'Etat et de la Région. Il est saisi par l’administration pour émettre des avis consultatifs. Il peut également s’autosaisir sur des dossiers à fort enjeu. Concernant plus particulièrement le patrimoine géologique, le...

We report the discovery of remains of a large chelonian from the base of the early Paleocene Khadro Formation exposed in the Ranikot Fort area (Ranikot Group, Sindh Province, Southern Pakistan). This formation already yielded the snake Gigantophis Andrews, 1901, studied by our friend Jean-Claude Rage. The chelonian specimens consist of a large cara...

Conidae is a diverse family of carnivorous marine gastropods. They rapidly diversified during the Miocene and now they inhabit tropical and subtropical seas. Here we attempt to provide the first inventory of fossil conids from the late Miocene of Crete (Greece). This paper deals with the genera Conilithes and Conus (Kalloconus) da Motta, 1991 and w...

This paper provides observations and results of sampling carried over a period of more than 50 years on 14 geological sites from North of Hurepoix (Essonne, France), among which 11 are now inaccessible. The stratigraphic sections document a complete series of the Stampian ranging from the Argiles verte de Romainville Formation to the Calcaire de Be...

A well-preserved muricid gastropod fauna is described from Wonosari, Gunung Kidul Regency, Special Region of Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia. In the Muricinae subfamily, six species of Chicoreus are recorded, of which three species and one subspecies are new: C. (Triplex) javanus spec. nov., C. (T.) solidus spec. nov., C. (T.) martini spec. nov., C. (T...

The paleobiogeographic range of Eofavartia Merle, 2002 (Gastropoda: Muricidae) was until now restricted to the Eocene (Ypresian to Priabonian) of the North Atlantic Ocean and the genus seemed to become extinct after the Priabonian. The description of E. dharmai nov. sp. from the Middle Miocene from Java (Indonesia) reveals the persistence of Eofava...

The first step of ice-sheet build-up on Antarctica at the Eocene-Oligocene boundary was followed by a phase of climate instability culminating during the Miocene with a warming event called the Middle Miocene Climate Optimum (MMCO), that ended with a marked cooling phase identified as the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT). While numerous ben...

Des arrêtés préfectoraux relatifs à la protection des sites d’intérêt géologique ont été pris pour la première fois en France, le 25 mai 2018, par le préfet des Yvelines. Annoncé comme des outils juridiques forts, simples et rapides à mettre en œuvre, leur signature a toutefois nécessité des étapes préliminaires et imprévues par la réglementation.

Dans le cadre de la procédure d’instruction du dossier d’autorisation de travaux dans le site classé de la carrière souterraine, dite Arnaudet, à Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine), la Commission régionale du Patrimoine géologique (CRPG) a été informée en préfecture, le 11 juillet 2019, des dispositions techniques proposées par le maître d’ouvrage afin de rép...

Until 2015, two regulatory tools, “site classé”, established in 1930, and natural reserves, created in 1976, have served to protect geological sites. Nonetheless, these tools are lengthy to implement vis-a-vis to the rapid destruction of geological objects. In response to this need, the French State issued a decree in 2015 concerning the protection...

Five new muricid species from the Eocene of Europe, Senegal and Pakistan are here described. Three species come the Parisian Basin and Cotentin: Typhina cryptica nov. sp. (Late Ypresian, Cuisian), Typhina radulfiensis nov. sp. and Murexsul primigenius nov. sp. (Priabonian), a fourth species comes from the Lutetian of Senegal: Siphonochelus (Trubats...

In this paper we review the Muricidae of the Tortonian (Assemblage I of Van Dingenen et al., 2015) of northwestern France. Thirty species are recorded of which five are new: Paziella (Flexopteron) gallica nov. sp., Paziella (Flexopteron) gracilenta nov. sp., Attiliosa gallica nov. sp., Attiliosa pouweri nov. sp. and Ocinebrina houarti nov. sp. The...

Bursidae Thiele, 1925 is a moderately diverse group of extant tonnoidean gastropods with a significant fossil record. We review the fossil record of the family. We exclude some taxa from Bursidae, particularly the most ancient ones: Hanaibursa aquilana (Parona, 1909) (Aptian) and Bursa saundersi Adegoke, 1977 (Selandian). We exclude the genus Olequ...

Le Danien, premier étage de l’ère Cénozoïque, est associé à la crise Crétacé-Tertiaire (K-T), à la fin des dinosaures non aviens et à l’apparition des premières faunes modernes. C’est donc une période riche d’événements divers et qui suscitent aussi l’intérêt du grand public. En créant cet étage en 1847, Desor a désigné des coupes types très éloign...

Exceptionally well-preserved ossicles of xenomorphic stalked crinoids (Echinodermata) were found into the Late Ypresian clay of the Tuilerie de Gan (Pyrénées-Atlantiques, southwestern France). Three kinds of columnal articulation correspond to three different genera, including the new genus Eocenocrinus. These columnals are attributed to Paraconocr...

Le gisement de Lăpugiu de Sus (Sud-Ouest de la Roumanie) est renommé pour la richesse et la diversité de la faune préservée dans les couches argilo-sableuses du Langhien (Miocène moyen). La faune corallienne y est également bien représentée. Sur la base des travaux réalisés depuis le 19ème siècle et de récentes récoltes de matériel, une révision en...

Gastropods and bivalve associations from the middle and? upper Eocene (Bartonian and? Priabonian) sedimentary succession of the Pamplona Basin are described. This succession was accumulated in the western part of the South Pyrenean peripheral foreland basin and extends from deep marine turbiditic (Ezkaba Sandstone Formation) to deltaic (Pamplona Ma...

In France, the conservation of geological heritage has a complex history that dates back to the middle of the 19th century. Two regulatory tools, “Site Classé”, established in 1906, and Natural Reserves, created in 1976, have served to protect geological sites in the past. Nonetheless, these tools are long to implement vis-à-vis to the rapid destru...

1802: the young Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle takes its first step into scientific publishing with the review Annals. 2018: nearly 220 years later, the Muséum periodicals are published online as fast-track articles, available in Diamond Open Access and with XML mark-up. This thorough technical modernisation has been implemented by the Scienc...

RÉSUMÉ 1802 : le tout jeune Muséum devient éditeur scientifique et publie les premières Annales. 2018 : presque 220 ans plus tard, les périodiques du Muséum sont publiés en flux continu, disponibles en accès libre diamant et au format XML. Cette modernisation technologique opérée par l'équipe des Publications scientifiques s'est étalée sur 20 ans....

RÉSUMÉ 1802 : le tout jeune Muséum devient éditeur scientifique et publie les premières Annales. 2018 : presque 220 ans plus tard, les périodiques du Muséum sont publiés en flux continu, disponibles en accès libre diamant et au format XML. Cette modernisation technologique opérée par l'équipe des Publications scientifiques s'est étalée sur 20 ans....

RÉSUMÉ 1802 : le tout jeune Muséum devient éditeur scientifique et publie les premières Annales. 2018 : presque 220 ans plus tard, les périodiques du Muséum sont publiés en flux continu, disponibles en accès libre diamant et au format XML. Cette modernisation technologique opérée par l'équipe des Publications scientifiques s'est étalée sur 20 ans....

In this study, we test the potentiality of using dasycladales and charophytes, calcareous shallow-marine and non-marine algae respectively as palaeoclimatic recorders. These algae mineralize their carbonate during short periods in summer. Throughout the Palaeogene, we compare the δ¹⁸O variation of these two taxa to identify a possible common factor...

The marine shells are used in a recurring way by the Mesolithic populations of Europe as ornaments. The resumption of the excavations of the Rochefort cave (Saint-Pierre-sur-Erve, Mayenne, France) comes to complete the existing corpus. The scientific interest of these ornaments is also underlined by the distance of the site to the sea, more than 15...

This project forms part of a national and European initiative of conserving Geological Heritage. Historically, geological studies in France first developed in the Ile-de-France. In this region, the threat to the geopatrimony is particularly high due to the rapid growth of urbanisation. Ile-de-France is comprised of eight departments with diverse en...

In this paper we review the Muricidae of the Zanclean lower Pliocene assemblage of Le Pigeon Blanc, Loire-Atlantique department, which we consider the ‘type’ locality for Assemblage III of Van Dingenen et al. (2015). 14 species are recorded, of which 2 are new: Hexaplex (Trunculariopsis) ledoni spec. nov. and Ocinebrina lauriatrageae spec. nov. Mur...

A new set of Paleocene and Eocene decapod crustaceans is described from the Kirthar Range of Pakistan. Two new ghost shrimps (Crustacea, Decapoda, Callianassidae) are described: Neocallichirus khadroensis Hyžný & Charbonnier, n. sp. from the Paleocene (Danian, Khadro Formation) of Gawar Band, Ranikot District, and Neocallichirus lakhraensis Hyžný &...

Grignon: Holy land of the Palaeontological Science. Defend it!– Abstract: Eight months ago the news regarding the move of Paris Faculty of agronomy AgroParisTech from Thiverval-Grignon began to concern the French community of geologists and palaeontologists. What will happen to the renowned site of Grignon, referred to as “scientific holy land” by...

New coleoid cephalopods are described from statolith remains from the Middle Eocene (Middle Lutetian) of the Paris Basin. Fifteen fossil statoliths are identified and assigned to the Sepiidae (Sepia boletzkyi sp. nov.,? Sepia pira sp. nov.), Loliginidae (Loligo clarkei sp. nov.), and Ommastrephidae (genus indet.) families. The sediments containing...

Fossil associations from the middle and upper Eocene (Bartonian and Priabonian) sedimentary succession of the Pamplona Basin are described. This succession was accumulated in the western part of the South Pyrenean peripheral foreland basin and extends from deep-marine turbiditic (Ezkaba Sandstone Formation) to deltaic (Pamplona Marl, Ardanatz Sands...

The examination of the type material of Cardita hebertiana d’Orbigny, 1850 from the Maastrichtian of Vertus (Marne) and from the Danian of Le Port-Marly (Yvelines) and Meudon (Hauts-de-Seine) shows that several species were confused. The specimens from Vertus are completely in accordance with the description and thus correspond well to C. hebertian...

The football team Paris-Saint-Germain pursues its transformation. According to the newspaper "The Parisian", the club would have chosen to move his training center, for instance installed in Saint-Germain-en-Laye (Yvelines), to Thiverval-Grignon (Yvelines), on the site of a famous engineering school (INAPG) and a prestigious paleontological site: l...

Dans l'histoire de la géologie sédimentaire, les variations à long terme du climat au Céno-zoïque ont souvent été révélées grâce aux travaux réalisés sur les séries tertiaires déposées dans les bassins margino-littoraux en considérant notamment l'évolution de leurs contenus paléon-tologiques. Le Bassin de Paris est un des sites historiques du dével...

Lithification is stressed as a major bias for the palaeobiodiversity evaluation. Although this bias is often discussed in the literature, it has rarely been quantified. This work offers a first estimation of diagenesis impact over mollusc diversity record for a single bed of the “Falunière” of Grignon (middle Lutetian, France). This bed possesses t...

The constraint of temperature evolution in coastal environments is an important factor in deciphering the Earth’s global climatic history. In this study, we reconstruct the evolution of sea-surface palaeotemperatures from the oxygen stable isotope compositions in four marine molluscs families in the Paris Basin during the Palaeogene. The combinatio...