The Carnivores of the late Pliocene site of Saint-Vallier (Drome, France)

Recent excavations carried out by M. Faure and C. Guerin in the Montrebut palaeontological site (Saint-Vallier, Drome, France) yield eleven species of Carnivores. They belong to the main Carnivores families (Canidae, Ursidae, Mustelidae, Hyaenidae, Felidae) and confirm most of the former list established by J. Viret (1954). Many new morphometric data have been collected. They give more precision to prior knowledges with which comparisons may be attempted. A complete skull of Chasmaporthetes lunensis (= Euryboas lunensis, Hyaenidae) has been discovered. As the site is better understood, it makes possible to precise the palaeoecology of the species when data is good enough. A spatial approach of the Camivore's distribution among bones accumulations is possible thanks to a rigorous space record of the fossils. The great number of species but low number of individuals for each of them makes this approach easy. (C) 2004 Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.