Jean-Renaud Boisserie - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Jean-Renaud Boisserie

Vertebrate paleobiology and paleoanthropology series, 2023

NOW (New and Old Worlds) is a global database of fossil mammal occurrences, currently containing ... more NOW (New and Old Worlds) is a global database of fossil mammal occurrences, currently containing around 68,000 locality-species entries. The database spans the last 66 million years, with its primary focus on the last 23 million years. Whereas the database contains records from all continents, the main focus and coverage of the database historically has been on Eurasia. The database includes primarily, but not exclusively, terrestrial mammals. It covers a large part of the currently known mammalian fossil record, focusing on classical and actively researched fossil localities. The database is managed in collaboration with an international advisory board of experts. Rather than a static archive, it emphasizes the continuous integration of new knowledge of the community, data curation, and consistency of scientific interpretations. The database records species occurrences at localities worldwide, as well as ecological characteristics of fossil species, geological contexts of localities and more. The NOW database is primarily used for two purposes: (1) queries about occurrences of particular taxa, their characteristics and properties of localities in the spirit of an encyclopedia; and (2) large scale research and quantitative analyses of evolutionary processes, patterns, reconstructing past environments, as well as interpreting evolutionary contexts. The data are fully open, no logging in or community membership is necessary for using the data for any purpose.

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Sep 30, 2005

... Brunet, M., F. Guy, D. Pilbeam, HT Mackaye, A. Likius, D. Ahounta, A. Beauvilain, C. Blondel,... more ... Brunet, M., F. Guy, D. Pilbeam, HT Mackaye, A. Likius, D. Ahounta, A. Beauvilain, C. Blondel, H. Bocherens, J.-R. Boisserie, L. de Bo-nis, Y. Coppens, J. Dejax, C. Denys, P. Duringer, V. Eisenmann, G. Fanone, P. Fronty, D. Geraads, T. Lehmann, F. Lihoreau, A. Louchart, A ...

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 2009

Journal of Human Evolution, May 1, 2023

The origin of Australopithecus, the genus widely interpreted as ancestral to Homo, is a central p... more The origin of Australopithecus, the genus widely interpreted as ancestral to Homo, is a central problem in humanevolutionary studies. Australopithecus species differ markedly from extant African apes and candidate ancestral hominidssuch as Ardipithecus, Orrorin and Sahelanthropus. The earliest described Australopithecus species is Au. anamensis, theprobable chronospecies ancestor of Au. afarensis. Here we describe newly discovered fossils from the Middle Awashstudy area that extend the known Au. anamensis range into northeastern Ethiopia. The new fossils are fromchronometrically controlled stratigraphic sequences and date to about 4.1–4.2million years ago. They include diagnosticcraniodental remains, the largest hominid canine yet recovered, and the earliest Australopithecus femur. These newfossils are sampled from a woodland context. Temporal and anatomical intermediacy between Ar. ramidus andAu. afarensis suggest a relatively rapid shift from Ardipithecus to Australopithecus in this region of Africa, involving eitherreplacement or accelerated phyletic evolution.

Pour la science, Jan 2, 2023

Afriques, Jan 25, 2011

ABSTRACT

University of California Press eBooks, Jul 20, 2010

Zoologica Scripta, Mar 1, 2005

ABSTRACT The old debate on hippopotamid origins is still unresolved, balancing between two main p... more ABSTRACT The old debate on hippopotamid origins is still unresolved, balancing between two main phylogenetic hypotheses: origins within the Anthracotheriidae vs. origins within the Tayassuidae. The characters used in the literature to support one, the other, or both hypotheses were re-examined in light of a better known primitive hippopotamid morphology. A cladistic analysis was performed on the basis of these characters. On the one hand, although many features similar in hippopotamuses and anthracotheres appear to have evolved in parallel, the family Anthracotheriidae remains the best putative hippopotamus stem group on the basis of the reviewed characters. However, the precise identification of a stem group within this family is still uncertain. On the other hand, the lineage proposed in the tayassuid hypothesis should not be retained, being mostly based on some incorrect observations and without taking into account the derived or primitive nature of the features. The anatomic similarities seen between modern peccaries and Hippopotamus amphibius are the results of convergences between advanced species of both families.

Our knowledge of the functional and taxonomic diversity of the fossil colobine fauna (Colobinae J... more Our knowledge of the functional and taxonomic diversity of the fossil colobine fauna (Colobinae Jerdon, 1867) from the Lower Omo Valley is based only on craniodental remains. Here we describe postcranial specimens of fossil colobines from the Usno Formation and Shungura Formation, and provide in-depth insights into their functional anatomy and taxonomy. Comparisons with previously described fossil colobine specimens from eastern Africa led us to identify specimens similar to Paracolobus mutiwa Leakey, 1982 and Rhinocolobus turkanaensis Leakey, 1982. Our results highlight the mixed locomotor substrate preferences of Paracolobus mutiwa and add new insights regarding its locomotor behaviors by identifying anatomical characteristics of the forelimb associated with climbing. Postcranial remains reminiscent of Rhinocolobus confirm the peculiar elbow morphology of this taxon and its apparent preference for arboreal substrates. We also document femoral, humeral, and tibial specimens with arboreal traits similar in size and morphology to extant Colobus Illiger, 1811 in Member L of the Shungura Formation. By providing these new data on the colobine paleocommunity from Shungura, our results contribute to the understanding of the biotic context surrounding Plio-Pleistocene faunas of the Turkana Depression and pave the way for future ecomorphological analyses.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), Sep 23, 2019

Annales d'Ethiopie, 2001

Résumé : Bien qu'ils soient très bien représentés dans les sites du Plio-Pléistocène d'Af... more Résumé : Bien qu'ils soient très bien représentés dans les sites du Plio-Pléistocène d'Afrique, les Hippopotamidae constituent un groupe peu étudié. Ainsi, la systématique de cette famille est encore largement débattue. L'origine des Hippopotamidae, tout d'abord, est incertaine : sont-ils issus des Anthracotheriidae ou bien des Tayassuidae ? Ensuite, le genre Hexaprotodon, le plus important en nombre d'espèce doit vraisemblablement être abandonné, car, d'une part, il n'est pas monophylétique ; d'autre part, il n'est même pas possible de le considérer en tant que stade évolutif primitif. L'abandon de ce genre devrait conduire à des remaniements majeurs au sein de la famille. Enfin, la grande variabilité intra-spécifique à l'intérieur du groupe alliée à des descriptions d'espèces à partir de matériel insuffisant sont la cause de difficultés d'identification de nouveaux restes.

Le tumulus 2 de Meshalä Maryam (Mänz) a livré un abondant matériel osseux. Les restes humains son... more Le tumulus 2 de Meshalä Maryam (Mänz) a livré un abondant matériel osseux. Les restes humains sont dominants (19 individus, dont deux individus âgés et cinq juvéniles). Des éléments de trois bovins et deux ovins ont été déposés avec les humains, peut-être au cours de plusieurs phases d’utilisation. Le reste du contenu ostéologique est vraisemblablement non-anthropique et secondaire aux dépôts funéraires.Excavation of the tumulus 2 at Meshalä Maryam (Mänz, Amhara region, Ethiopia) yielded numerous osteological remains. Human remains are most common (19 individuals, including two senile individuals and five juveniles). Parts of three bovines and two ovines were buried with the human bodies, maybe through several occurrences. Other osteological content is probably non-anthropogenic and secondary to the funerary deposits

Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, Jun 11, 2004

In the present study, populations of small-sized smiliogastrin barbs with a thickened and serrate... more In the present study, populations of small-sized smiliogastrin barbs with a thickened and serrated last simple dorsal-fin ray distributed in the Main Ethiopian Rift were analysed. An integrated approach combining genetic markers and a variety of morphological methods based on a wide set of characters, including osteology and sensory canals, proved to be very productive for taxonomy in this group of fishes. The results showed that Ethiopian Enteromius species with a serrated dorsal-fin ray are distant from the true E. paludinosus (with E. longicauda as a synonym) and the so-called E. paludinosus complex involves several supposedly valid species with two distinct species occurring in the Main Ethiopian Rift area. A new species, Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov., is described from the Afar Depression in the northeastern part of the Northern Main Ethiopian Rift. Enteromius akakianus is resurrected as a valid species including populations from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift (basins of lakes Langano, Ziway, and Awasa). No genetic data were available for E. akakianus from its type locality. Enteromius yardiensis sp. nov. is clearly distant from E. akakianus from the Central Main Ethiopian Rift by CO1 and cytb barcodes: pairwise distances between the new species and the Ethiopian congeners were 5.4 % to 11.0 %. Morphologically, the new species most clearly differs from all examined Ethiopian congeners by three specialisations which are unique in the group: the absence of the anterior barbel, the absence of the medial branch of the supraorbital sensory canal, and few, 1-3, commonly two, scale rows between the lateral line and the anus.

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2005

The phylogeny and taxonomy of the whole family Hippopotamidae is in need of reconsideration, the ... more The phylogeny and taxonomy of the whole family Hippopotamidae is in need of reconsideration, the present confusion obstructing palaeoecology and palaeobiogeography studies of these Neogene mammals. The revision of the Hippopotamidae initiated here deals with the last 8 Myr of African and Asian species. The first thorough cladistic analysis of the family is presented here. The outcome of this analysis, including 37 morphological characters coded for 15 extant and fossil taxa, as well as non-coded features of mandibular morphology, was used to reconstruct broad outlines of hippo phylogeny. Distinct lineages within the paraphyletic genus Hexaprotodon are recognized and characterized. In order to harmonize taxonomy and phylogeny, two new genera are created. The genus name Choeropsis is re-validated for the extant Liberian hippo. The nomen Hexaprotodon is restricted to the fossil lineage mostly known in Asia, but also including at least one African species. The genus Hippopotamus is confirmed. These changes represent substantial advances for understanding the evolutionary history of the Hippopotamidae, and provide a new framework for future studies.

HAL (Le Centre pour la Communication Scientifique Directe), 2013

Journal of Human Evolution, Mar 1, 2020

New hippopotamid specimens recently collected at Kanapoi (ca. 4 Ma) are similar to the taxon prev... more New hippopotamid specimens recently collected at Kanapoi (ca. 4 Ma) are similar to the taxon previously recognized in this site and referred to aff. Hippopotamus protamphibius. Their examination provided the opportunity to reassess the taxonomic status of this taxon. It appears different from the late Miocene hippopotamids from the Turkana Basin (prominently Archaeopotamus harvardi), but also differs from the late Plioceneeearly Pleistocene aff. Hip. protamphibius, which is smaller and displays more advanced features (notably canine expansion and orbit elevation). In contrast, the Kanapoi material appears very similar to the material from the Hadar Formation (3.4 Mae2.9 Ma). However, the current confusion surrounding the taxonomic status of the Hadar specimens, previously attributed to various taxa that may be identical, does not allow attribution of a specific name to the Kanapoi material for now and, while waiting for the revision of Hadar hippopotamid diversity, it is referred here to aff. Hippopotamus cf. sp. Hadar. This contribution allows recognizing that a large hippopotamid, possibly a transitional form between the late Miocene species and Plio-Pleistocene species, was distributed from Afar to Turkana between 4.2 Ma and 2.95 Ma. The marked endemism of hippopotamids in the Pleistocene rift basins therefore initiated after 2.9 Ma.

Comptes Rendus Palevol, Sep 21, 2022

On page 697, in Figure 6A, the Y axis corresponds to δ 18 O and not to δ 13 C. Figure 6 is reprod... more On page 697, in Figure 6A, the Y axis corresponds to δ 18 O and not to δ 13 C. Figure 6 is reproduced here. À la page 697, dans la Figure 6A, l'axe Y correspond au δ 18 O et non au δ 13 C. La Figure 6 est reproduite ici.