EVOLUTION OF RODENT POPULATIONS IN THE MIDDLE RHONE VALLEY (RIGHT BANK, ARDECHE, FRANCE) DURING THE LATE MIDDLE PLEISTOCENE AND THE EARLY UPPER PLEISTOCENE FROM MIS 6 TO MIS 4

摘要

Rodent faunas, through their high diversity, are relevant palaeoenvironmental indicators. Biostratigraphical, taphonomical and paleoecological analyses have been applied on rodent remains collected from several Middle Palaeolithic sites of the Rhone Valley. Thus, Barasses II, Baume Moula-Guercy and Payre were integrated in a climatic and environmental chronology of the studied area and compared with other sequences (Abri des Pecheurs and Grand Abri aux Puces). In addition, these analyses revealed the existence of many so-called "non-analogue" communities that, by the way of statistical analysis and diversity indices, allow a better understanding of the dynamics of rodent populations in the studied area. The role of migration corridor of the Rhone Valley is highlighted as well as the existence of "cryptic refugia" in the Massif Central and Western Alps.