http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=5722 Entrées d’index fr 0 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6246 Les modalités du peuplement et de l’évolution des Hommes fossiles en Europe sont à l’heure actuelle l’objet d’un important débat où interviennent des arguments d’ordre biologique (évolution physique) et culturel (évolution des industries lithiques). De récentes études et des recherches en cours sur des faunes de grands mammifères provenant de gisements paléolithiques inférieurs et moyen du Nord de la France nous permettent d’apporter des éléments à ce débat. En effet, un cadre biostratigraphique et paléoécologique peut être établi pour une période comprenant le Pléistocène moyen et supérieur, cadre qui permet de suivre plus ou moins précisément les principales étapes du peuplement humain en France septentrionale. Il apparaît ainsi que les modalités des occupations humaines dans cette région sont indépendantes du stade d’évolution atteint par les hommes fossiles, mais que les facteurs paléoécologiques de type climatique et environnemental jouent un rôle prépondérant. L’évolution culturelle semble également étroitement liée à ces modifications des paramètres paléoécologiques mis en évidence par différentes méthodes. Par ailleurs, une révision des reconstitutions des paysages et des climats traditionnellement proposées pour ces périodes montre que le cadre paléoécologique des occupations humaines au Pléistocène était très probablement différent des modèles biogéographiques actuels. The modalities of the human settlement and evolution in Europe are actually the object of animated debates where biological (physical evolution) and cultural (lithic technology modifications) are used. Recent studies and current researches with large mammals faunas coming from Lower and Middle Paleolithic sites from Northern France give us some elements for this debate. Indeed, a biostratigraphical and paleoecological framework is established for the Middle- and Upper Pleistocene, which allow to follow sometimes very precisely the main stages of human settlement of Northern France. So, it seem that the modalities of human occupations in this geographical area are independant with the evolutionary stage of the Hominid, but that paleoecological factors like climat and environment have a preponderant effect. The cultural evolution seem also to be rather distinct from modifications of paleoecological parameters, which are put in evidence by several methods of ecological reconstitution. In other respects, a reexamination of landscape and climate reconstruction traditionally admitted for these periods show that the paleoecological framework of human settlement during Pleistocene was probably different from actualistic biogeographical patterns. Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:36:41 +0100 Thu, 12 Feb 2026 09:36:55 +0100 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6246 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6008 Under the conditions of the ultimate glacial, i.e. the Weichselian respectively Vistulian in the northern part of Central Europe and the Würmian of the Alpine area in the southern part the range of territory that was accessible and utilizable to man has been narrowly confined. The narrowing was on either side - by inland glaciation in the lowlands adjoining the Baltic Sea and by Alpine glaciers in the southern belt. On the other hand the glacial sea lowering has provided expansion of land, especially in the present North Sea, enabling a land connection to the British Islands. Above all the environmental record within the interposing belt between the glaciated areas can be based on palaeontological observations. Suitable findings are available due to the preservation of skeletal remains evidencing fossil mammals and of mollusc shells in calcareous sediments. Frequently they occur as in the basin areas in the northern foreland of the Central European highlands. They permit, moreover, correlations to the manifold and differentiated evidences of regional loess stratigraphy. The deposition of Central European loess covers took place under the conditions of glacial cold steppes, and the report circulates that actually no equivalent ecosystem can be found. However, detailed investigations prove a suitable actualistic model of the glacial environmental conditions in the non‑glaciated belt of Central Europe, deduced from present Central Asia. Such comparison may be enabled by the well‑known and intensively studied ecology of recent animals comparable with species recorded by Central European loess sequences. The actualistic model of glacial environmental conditions in Central Europe may be connected with a chronological resolution by means of mollusc shells reflecting changing of faunal assemblages due to the variations of environment in the course of glacial periods as recorded by loess stratigraphy. There, alternating loess covers and buried soils record climatic oscillations analogous to those during the Holocene. However, a superordinated trend of increasing continentality as a rule has effected and increasing inclemency of mean climatic conditions in a comparison of consecutive stadial phases or interstadial ones. The most extreme continentality took place immediately before the transition from the ultimate glacial to the Holocene warming. Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:24:34 +0100 Thu, 29 Jan 2026 16:24:41 +0100 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=6008 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=5715 La biochronologie fondée sur l'évolution des faunes mammaliennes permet d'ordonner une part des gisements paléoanthropologiques européens. De plus, les interprétations paléoécologiques et paléobiogéographiques des faunes peuvent apporter d'utiles informations applicables à l'évolution humaine. Enfin, les évolutions observables chez les Mammifères peuvent susciter la réflexion des paléoanthropologues. Bio-chronology founded upon the evolution of mammalian fauna allow us to shed light on some European palaeoanthropological sites. Moreover, paleoecological and palaeobiological interpretations of fauna supply useful information applicable to human evolution. Finally, observable mammal evolutions can give rise to reflection among palaeoanthropologists. Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:47:24 +0100 Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:47:30 +0100 http://popups.lib.uliege.be/3041-5527/index.php?id=5715