« N’est-il pas infiniment plus honorable de descendre d’un singe perfectionné que d’un ange déchu ? » La découverte de l’Homme de la Chapelle-aux-Saints dans son contexte historique

La découverte de l’homme de la Chapelle-aux-Saints le 3 août 1908 représente un moment clef de l’histoire de l’archéologie préhistorique, l’un de ces «moments critiques » évoqués par Kuhn (1983) qui fondent les changements de paradigme. Effectivement, en 1908, c’est bien sur des bases anthropologiques et épistémologiques inédites que la problématique néandertalienne est renouvelée. D’un point de vue matériel, le squelette de Néandertalien mis au jour représente « le moins incomplet et le mie..

L’enseignement de la préhistoire : un siècle en marge de l’Université

Il est malaisé voire impossible de définir une date de fondation des études préhistoriques. Certains penchent pour les premiers travaux de Paul Tournal dans les grottes du Sud-Ouest (1826) ; d’autres pour la reconnaissance officielle des études de Jacques Boucher de Perthes dans la Somme affirmant la contemporanéité de l’homme avec des espèces animales fossiles (1859). Quoi qu’il en soit, c’est seulement dans la seconde moitié du XXe siècle que ces recherches obtiennent le rang académique auquel elles pouvaient prétendre. La réorganisation du CNRS permet le recrutement de jeunes chercheurs et les premières thèses d’État sont soutenues dans les universités.The date of foundation of the prehistorical studies in France is controversial. Some see it with the work done by Paul Tournal in the caverns of the south-west of France (1826). Others prefer to remember Jacques Boucher de Perthes’ research in the Somme (north of France) that affirmed the simultaneity of man with animal fossil species. It is only in the second half of the XXth century that these researches have access to the academic rank that they deserved. The reorganization of the CNRS allows the recruitment of young researchers and the first thesis are defended in universities

L’institut de paléontologie humaine

L'unité mixte de recherche (UMR) intitulée « L'Homme préhistorique : son évolution, son milieu, ses activités est principalement implantée à Paris et à Marseille. Dans la capitale, elle est l'héritière des deux centres historiques de la recherche française en préhistoire : le musée de l'Homme et l'Institut de paléontologie humaine (IPH), premier établissement entièrement dédié à la préhistoire. Au début du xxe siècle, si l'archéologie préhistorique et la recherche sur les origines de l'Homme ..

Un prêtre, un savant dans la marche vers l’institutionnalisation de la préhistoire. L’abbé Henri Breuil (1877-1961)

A Priest, a Scholar in the March toward the Institutionalization of Prehistory: Abbé Henri Breuil (1877-1961) Although prehistory as a scientific discipline was born in France, it would have to wait until the end of the first half of the 20th century to receive complete acceptance by French universities. Numerous prestigious scholars had a determining role in this movement of studies of the origins of mankind toward institutionalization. One of the leaders of this movement, abbé Breuil (1877-1961), by reason of the magnitude of his scientific activity and his personality, occupies a considerable and singular place. Very early animated by a double vocation, the priesthood and science, he positioned himself to pursue both throughout his life. He was able to accomplish his scientific work while freed of parish obligations. Attached to his faith and his religious calling, he wanted to bring together prehistoric studies and the Church. He was a determined man who knew how to position himself and militate for scholars becoming real professionals, men who had the time and the means necessary to consecrate themselves to their research, to do fieldwork, explore and publish. Thanks to Prince Albert I of Monaco, who in 1910 offered abbé Breuil the chair of prehistoric ethnography at his Institute of Human Paleontology, he was able to become the first professional prehistorian and devoted himself entirely to his research. In 1928 the Collège de France created for abbé Breuil the first chair dedicated to this science, and in 1938, with his election to the Académie des inscriptions et belles-lettres, this discipline finally received official and institutional recognition in France

Les peintures préhistoriques de la grotte d’Altamira à Santillane (Espagne)

[animation:original-119] Introduction L’abbé Henri Breuil (1877-1961) et son magister ont profondément influencé les études préhistoriques. L’originalité et l’abondance de sa production scientifique – estimée à plus d’un millier de références bibliographiques –, sa double vocation de savant et de prêtre, sa quête de la « vérité » servie par un tempérament parfois ombrageux sont autant de caractères qui ont marqué une activité de plus de 60 ans dont les terrains s’étendirent de l’Europe, à l’A..

Un programme novateur : L’Institut de paléontologie humaine d’Emmanuel Pontremoli

Plusieurs points caractéristiques de l’histoire de l’architecture du début du XXe siècle convergent pour conférer à l’édifice de l’Institut de paléontologie humaine conçu par Emmanuel Pontremoli (1865-1956) son intérêt particulier. L’observation méthodologique met en exergue trois lectures imbriquées : celle du commanditaire, celle du programme spécifique et celle de l’architecture symbolique d’une période. Cet institut illustre une étape du développement des études préhistoriques (de la curiosité savante à la régulation institutionnelle) fondé sur un mécénat actif. La conception et la réalisation de l’établissement scientifique sont marquées par la collaboration de deux artistes renommés associés sur la base d’un programme précis. La conjugaison de la composition générale de l’édifice, son langage architectural et l’influence fonctionnelle en font un témoin d’une période qui porte la marque d’une lente transformation culturelle bouleversant le « milieu » des Beaux-Arts, alors partagé entre éclectisme et mouvement moderne, dont le médiateur sera Pontremoli comme directeur (1934-1938) et chef d’atelier.Several characteristics of early 20th century architectural history converge to give the Institute for Human Paleontology designed by Emmanuel Pontremoli (1865-1956) a particular interest. Three interlinked points of view are brought out by methodological observation, whether speaking of the one commissioning, the specific planning or the contemporary architecture. This institute illustrates one stage in the development of prehistoric studies (from scholar curiosity to institutional control) based on an active sponsorship. The design and the construction of this scientific establishment are marked by the collaboration of two famous artists who started working together from a precise program. Regarding the general structure of the building, the architectural language and the functional influence, the building testifies of a period of slow cultural transformation changing completely the Beaux-Arts circle, at that time torn between Eclecticism and Modern style. With this matter, Pontremoli will act as a mediator, as a headmaster (1934-1938) and as a school teacher in the Ecole des Beaux-Arts.Das von Emmanuel Pontremoli (1865-1956) konzipierte Pariser Institut für Paläontologie des Menschen bietet in mancher Hinsicht ein hervorragendes Beispiel für die Geschichte der Architektur des frühen 20.Jahrhunderts. Die methodologische Untersuchung des Gebäudes bietet drei aufeinanderwirkende Leseebenen : Rolle des Auftraggebers, spezifische Eigenschaften des Bauprogramms, architektonische Formen als Spiegelbid der Zeit. Die Gründung des Instituts, von aktivem Mäzenatentum unterstützt, entspricht einer neuen Entwicklungsphase in der vorgeschichtlichen Forschung, zwar deren Übergang von gelehrter Neugierde zu institutioneller Regelung. An der Überarbeitung und der Fertigstellung des wissentschaftlichen Institutsbaus beteiligen sich zwei berühmte Künstler, die gemeinsam an dem festgestellten Programm mitwirken. Die Gesamtauffassung des Gebäudes, dessen architektonische Formensprache, sowie die funktionalistische Orientierung des Ganzen führen die langsamen kulturellen Änderungen vor Augen, die das « Milieu » der École des Beaux-arts, geteilt zwischen Eklektizismus und Moderne, ins Wanken bringen. Pontremoli, von 1934 bis 1938 als Direktor, dann als Atelierchef, übernimmt die Vermittlerrolle in dieser Umgestaltung

The GenTree Dendroecological Collection, tree-ring and wood density data from seven tree species across Europe

The dataset presented here was collected by the GenTree project (EU-Horizon 2020), which aims to improve the use of forest genetic resources across Europe by better understanding how trees adapt to their local environment. This dataset of individual tree-core characteristics including ring-width series and whole-core wood density was collected for seven ecologically and economically important European tree species: silver birch (Betula pendula), European beech (Fagus sylvatica), Norway spruce (Picea abies), European black poplar (Populus nigra), maritime pine (Pinus pinaster), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), and sessile oak (Quercus petraea). Tree-ring width measurements were obtained from 3600 trees in 142 populations and whole-core wood density was measured for 3098 trees in 125 populations. This dataset covers most of the geographical and climatic range occupied by the selected species. The potential use of it will be highly valuable for assessing ecological and evolutionary responses to environmental conditions as well as for model development and parameterization, to predict adaptability under climate change scenarios

The GenTree Platform: growth traits and tree-level environmental data in 12 European forest tree species

Background: Progress in the field of evolutionary forest ecology has been hampered by the huge challenge of phenotyping trees across their ranges in their natural environments, and the limitation in high-resolution environmental information. Findings: The GenTree Platform contains phenotypic and environmental data from 4,959 trees from 12 ecologically and economically important European forest tree species: Abies alba Mill. (silver fir), Betula pendula Roth. (silver birch), Fagus sylvatica L. (European beech), Picea abies (L.) H. Karst (Norway spruce), Pinus cembra L. (Swiss stone pine), Pinus halepensis Mill. (Aleppo pine), Pinus nigra Arnold (European black pine), Pinus pinaster Aiton (maritime pine), Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine), Populus nigra L. (European black poplar), Taxus baccata L. (English yew), and Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl. (sessile oak). Phenotypic (height, diameter at breast height, crown size, bark thickness, biomass, straightness, forking, branch angle, fructification), regeneration, environmental in situ measurements (soil depth, vegetation cover, competition indices), and environmental modeling data extracted by using bilinear interpolation accounting for surrounding conditions of each tree (precipitation, temperature, insolation, drought indices) were obtained from trees in 194 sites covering the species’ geographic ranges and reflecting local environmental gradients. Conclusion: The GenTree Platform is a new resource for investigating ecological and evolutionary processes in forest trees. The coherent phenotyping and environmental characterization across 12 species in their European ranges allow for a wide range of analyses from forest ecologists, conservationists, and macro-ecologists. Also, the data here presented can be linked to the GenTree Dendroecological collection, the GenTree Leaf Trait collection, and the GenTree Genomic collection presented elsewhere, which together build the largest evolutionary forest ecology data collection available

Between but not within species variation in the distribution of fitness effects

New mutations provide the raw material for evolution and adaptation. The distribution of fitness effects (DFE) describes the spectrum of effects of new mutations that can occur along a genome, and is therefore of vital interest in evolutionary biology. Recent work has uncovered striking similarities in the DFE between closely related species, prompting us to ask whether there is variation in the DFE among populations of the same species, or among species with different degrees of divergence, i.e., whether there is variation in the DFE at different levels of evolution. Using exome capture data from six tree species sampled across Europe we characterised the DFE for multiple species, and for each species, multiple populations, and investigated the factors potentially influencing the DFE, such as demography, population divergence and genetic background. We find statistical support for there being variation in the DFE at the species level, even among relatively closely related species. However, we find very little difference at the population level, suggesting that differences in the DFE are primarily driven by deep features of species biology, and that evolutionarily recent events, such as demographic changes and local adaptation, have little impact

L’abbé Breuil : Un préhistorien dans le siècle

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