The reproductive biology of living birds differs dramatically from that of other extant vertebrates. Distinctive features common to most birds include a single ovary and oviduct, production of one egg at daily or greater intervals, incubation by brooding and extensive parental care. The prevalence of male parental care is most exceptional among living amniotes. A variety of hypotheses exist to explain the origin of avian reproduction. Central to these models are proposed transitions from a condition of no care to maternal, paternal or biparental care systems. These evolutionary models incorporate a number of features potentially preservable or inferable from the fossil record (integument, skeletal adaptations for flight, egg and clutch size, nest form, hatchling developmental stage, the number and function of oviducts, and the mode of egg incubation). Increasing availability of data on dinosaur reproduction provides a means of assessing these hypotheses with fossil evidence. We compare dinosaur data to a selection of models that emphasize maternal, paternal or biparental care. Despite some congruence with dinosaur features, no single model on the evolution of avian reproduction conforms fully to the fossil record, and the ancestral parental care system of birds remains ambiguous. Further investigation into dinosaur parental care, nest structures, clutch geometry, egg-pairing, eggshell porosity, and embryo identification may eventually resolve these issues.  

Revision of ancient collections and study of new material from Provenchères-sur-Meuse (Rhaetian) lead to signíficant changes in the faunal list of this site. This bring to us important information about the effect of the rhaetian transgression on the evolution of the faunas at this period of time. However, study of
vertebrate microremains is always difficult and some points remain obscure, like the origin of the prosauropods which yield some remains at Provenchères-sur-Meuse and the survival in Europe during the Rhaetian of temnospondyl arnphibians different from the Plagiosauridae.

  

Le Mémoire Extraordinaire 1988 de PALAEOVERTEBRATA regroupe dix articles consacrés au gisement à mammifères du Miocène supérieur de Montredon (Hérault), connu et classique depuis la fin du siècle dernier, et auquel est lié le nom du savant paléontologue lyonnais Charles Depéret.
Cette monographie vient normalement à la suite de celle parue en 1982 dans PALAEOVERTEBRATA, dont les différents articles traitaient de la stratigraphie du gisement, et faisaient l'étude des différents groupes de micromammifères représentés dans la faune (insectivores, chiroptères, rongeurs). 

Afin d'étudier la magnétostratigraphie de la colline de Montredon, j'ai prélevé en Avril 1982, 93 carottes orientées réparties sur 29 sites. J.-P. Aguilar et I. Loridant m'ont aidé durant cette opération. Pour la stratigraphie de la coupe échantillonnée et pour le contenu faunique des deux gisements de mammifères de cette colline, voir J.-P. Aguilar & J.-Y. Crochet (1982).
[...] 

Editorial for celebrating the publication of the volume 20.

La revue PALEOVERTEBRATA a été fondée en 1967 par Louis THALER, à une époque où il n'existait, au plan international, que deux périodiques uniquement consacrés aux vertébrés fossiles. Actuellement ce nombre n'est que de quatre. A l'origine la revue fut essentiellement créée pour diffuser les résultats des chercheurs du Laboratoire de Paléontologie de l'Université de Montpellier, alors en début d'expansion et plusieurs thèses et de nombreux travaux directement liés à des thèses y furent publiés ce qui n'excluait déjà pas la publication d'articles d'auteurs étrangers.
[...] 

Sainte-Néboule has yielded only 4 species of Rodents. But the Theridomyids (Blainvillimys rotundidens and Patriotheridomys altus) are very significative of the age of the locality: Ste-Néboule is lower than the marker level of Escamps 

A new Devonian vertebrste locality has been discovered in 1976 in the basal part of the Khush-Yeilagh Formation in the eastern Alborz Mountains of Iran. The fossils occur in a band one centimeter thick which is identifiable at other outcrops in the area. A preliminary study of the remains has yielded the following faunal list : Placodermata (Phlyctaeniida indet.. Groenlandaspididae indet.. Coccosteidae indet., Holonema sp., Ptyctodontida indet., Antiarcha indet., Bothriolepis cf. kwangtungensis), Elasmobranchii (Ctenacanthidae indet.), Acanthodii (Gyracanthus sp., « Onchus » overathensis, Ischnacanthiforme indet.), Dipnoi (? Dipteridae indet.), « Crossopterygii ›› (Onychodus cf. sigmoides, Holoptychiidae indet., Osteolepididae indet.). This fauna is older than the Middle Givetian and probably of Middle or Lower Eifelian age. Owing to its diversity, it may prove possible to use it in the future as a reference fauna for the study of the Devonian vertebrates in Central Asia and the Middle East. 

A skull of Parabos cordieri, undamaged by fossilisation, allows us to make an endocranial cast, which is compared to those of Bos taurus, Boselaphus tragocamelus and Hippotragus equinus. These are studied by general form (shape, volume, « rolling-up›› and inclination), and by detailed morphology (gyri and sulci patterns, rete mirabile, importance of rhinencephalon and cerebellum).
A preliminary study is made in order to recognize convolution topography, gyri, sulci, and the various encephalic regions as clearly on an endocranial cast as on a bare encephalon; an intermediate stage is the study of an encephalon covered with «soft» meninges.
The comparative study reveals great similarity between the endocranial cast of Parabos cordieri and that of Boselaphus tragocamelus, both belonging to the tribe Boselaphini. On the other hand, a marked differences separates the cast of Parabos cordieri from that of Bos taurus, representing the tribe Bovini to which Parabos cordieri had been referred. The endocranial cast of Hippotragus equinus, which had long been considered the descendant of Parabos cordieri, is also quite different from that of Parabos. 

The oldest european marsupials are described from some specimens (isolated upper molars) recently found from the Hainin sediment (Middle Paleocene of Belgium). These fossils document a new species of the Peradectes genus. They give evidence of a much older occurrence of the marsupials in Europe than it was assumed. They allow us to postulate a didelphid dispersal from South America towards the western-holarctic area operating in two phases : the first one of the Peradectes genus at the end of the Cretaceous; the second one of the Didelphíni tribe at the end of the Paleocene. A central american crossing is likely for the first one,  whereas a transafrican way is tentatively argued for the second one. 

A systematic analysis of an hipparionine horse assemblage from Maragheh, Iran is made. A brief orientation to systematic philosophy and informal superspecific characterizations of some Old World hipparionines is given as a background to this work. A character state analysis of skulls is made, and has revealed five distinct species. A character state and stratigraphic trend analysis of isolated check tooth and postcranial remains, with known provenance, is also made. These two combined analyses reveal that the most resolute discrimination of hipparionine species and their evolutionary relationships occurs when multiple character complexes of associated skulls, maxillary and mandibular dentitions are made. When this is not possible, skulls have provided the best basis for discriminating species and their evolutionary relationships. Traditional characters of isolated cheek teeth and postcranial remains are shown here to offer limited information content for hipparionine phylogenetic systematics. The systematic portion of this study includes a comprehensive description of cranial and postcranial remains, and has further corroborated the distinction of five species which belong to at least three superspecific groups including: «Hipparion» geltyi sp. nov., Group 1; Hipparion prostylum (s. l.), and Hipparion campbelli sp. nov., Group 3; «Hipparíon» aff. moldavicum and «Hipparion» ?matthewi, Group 2. These species stratigraphic ranges and evolutionary relationships are also given here and argued to be important for establishing future hipparionine geochronologic correlations between a number of Eurasian late Miocene provinces. 

A rear skull from the Quercy Phosphorites is described. It documents a new perissodactyl genus, likely assignable to the family Palaeotheriidae and probably paleogene of age. Owing to the lack of any tooth, this family assignment remains however somewhat hypothetical. The specimen is firstly characterised by the presence of a wide epitympanic sinus swelling and hollowing the squamosal shell and the post-glenoid process. This cavity might make up a peculiar pattern of improvement for the hearing apparatus by carrying out a kind of drum near the middle ear, whereas the bony tympanic remains barely bulged and forms but a few developed auditory bulla. This pattern appears an outcome of a trend observed with many palaeotheriids, such as Plagiolophus. Furthermore, the endocranial cast shows a rather high degree of gyrencephaly for a paleogene mammal. The prominent lambdoidal crest points out a powerful nape musculature and a lowered head bearing. Consequently, it is assumed that such an animal was probably living in somewhat open places, at the expense of rather tough vegetables. It might have been accordingly provided with a semi-hypsodont, cement covered, "plagiolophoid" dentition. 

Extensive sampling of the Siwalik deposits of the Potwar Plateau of northem Pakistan and from the Zinda Pir dome of central Pakistan has produced a fossil record of Miocene ctenodactylids that can be correlated with the paleomagnetic time scale. The early Miocene Prosayimys flynni (n. gen., n. sp.) is recognized as the first ctenodactylid in the Indian subcontinent. Prosayimys is ancestral to Sayimys. From the late early Miocene to the early late Miocene, there is an anagenetic succession of three species of Sayimys: S. cf. S. intermedius, S. sivalensis, and S. chinjiensis (n. sp.). Sayimys chinjiensis gave rise to the late late Miocene S. perplexus. A second lineage is represented by Sayimys minor, S. sp. A, and S. sp. B. 

The Paleogene faunal assemblage from Antofagasta de la Sierra (Catamarca, Argentina), is here presented, both in its geological and systematic aspects. The fossil bearing levels are referred to the Geste Formation (Pastos Grandes "Group"). The described specimens belong to the Classes Reptilia (Orders Crocodylia, Serpentes and Chelonii) and Mammalia (three taxa from the Superorder Marsupialia, representatives of the Orders Edentata, Condylarthra, Pyrotheria and Astrapotheria, and six families of the Order Notoungulata). This fauna is referred to the Mustersan Age, which in Patagonia represents the Middle Eocene. Such chronologic assignment is based on the presence of characteristic taxa, their evolutionary stage and on stratigraphic evidence. Finally, a brief comparison with other faunal assemblages from the Early Tertiary of Argentina and Chile, is presented. 

Systematische Zoologie by A. REMANE, V. STORCH, and U. WELSCH.
1986, Edition 3. Cloth and paperbound. Stuttgart and New York : Gustav Fischer Verlag.
xvi + 698 pp. DM 86. (Geb.) & DM 72 (kart.). 

Several different taxa of jawed vertebrates are reported for the first time from the Devonian of south-eastern Montagne Noire, France. Besides some undeterminable fragments of placoderm fishes from the Pragian and Lower Emsian, the material from the Upper Devonian is mainly represented by Melanosteus occitanus gen. and sp. nov. (Frasnian) and Thoralodus cabrieri LEHMAN, 1952 ("Famennian"). The good state of preservation of Melanosteus allows a detailed anatomical study leading to a phylogenetic analysis of the selenosteid pachyosteomorphs. 

The study of dental variations in Landenodon from Dormaal (early Eocene, Belgium) shows that only one
species is present in this locality : L. woutersi QUINET, 1968 (Condylarthra, Arctocyonidae, Arctocyoninae). A high morphological variability is described, especially concerning the metaconid of P/4, the paraconid of M/2, and some characters of M1/ which have been found to be independant of each other. This variability is discussed. 

Sieving and washing of about 700 kg of sediment from the miocene site at Montpeyroux produced otoliths of 34 teleost species, of which four still occur in the present day fauna or are near to extant species. Among the fossil species, eight are new : Ilisha lerichei, «genus Clupeidarum ›› orbiculatus, Dipulus mediterraneus, Morone cornuta, Chanda nelsoni, Pomadasys steurbauti, «genus Sciaenidarum ›› barthassadensis and Paraplagusia roseni. The fauna found is typical for a tropical or subtropical very littoral, probably even estuarine environment; it was living in a period near the boundary between Lower and Middle Miocene, perhaps somewhat earlier. 

The recent excavation of the Upper Miocene locality of Montredon (Hérault) provides a rich material of Mammals. The present study deals with rodents. The new quarry is 10 meters above the classical Depéret's Quarry. No differences have been noticed between the rodent populations coming grom these two sites. The description of two new species : Hispanomys mediterraneus and Muscardinus heintzi is given and the dormouse Eliomys is recorded there for the first time. The new zonation of the Miocene given by Aguilar (1982) and the previously established correlations between marine and continental chronological scales give Tortonien age (estimated between 9 and 10 M.Y. old) to the site of Montredon, which belongs to the Mammal zone D 2. 

The East African Miocene Macroscelidea, lnsectivora and Chiroptera are revised on the basis of new material. New taxa proposed are: Miorhynchocyon, .n. gen. (Macroscelididae): Míorhynchocyon meswae, n. sp.: Pronasílío ternanensis. n. gen.. n. sp. (Macroscelididae); Hiwegicyon juvenalis, n. gen. n. sp. (Macroscelididae); Parageogale, n. gen. (Tenrecidae): Prochrysochlorinae, n. subfam. (Chrysochloridae): Propottininae, n. subfam, (Pteropodidae); Chamtwaria pickfordi, n. gen., n. sp. (Vespertilionidae). Gymnurechnínus songhorensis is synonymised with G. camptolophus. The new material provides additional information on the dentition, especially of Myohyrax oswaldi. Galerix africanus. Amphechínus rusingensis, Protenrec tricuspis and Parageogale aletris. Partial skulls are described of Amphechinus rusingensis, Protenrec tricuspis, Prochrysochloris míocaenicus and Taphozous incognita. The oldest member of the Macroscelidinae (Pronasilio) is described from Fort Ternan. Galerix africanus is closely related to G. exilis from Europe. Amphechinus rusingenesis is compared with Asiatic Oligocene Erinaceinae. The Miocene age of Crocidura is rejected. On the evidence of humeri, the following families of Chiroptera are newly reported: Pteropodidae, Nycterididae, Vespertilionidae, Molossidae. Propotto is regarded as an offshoot from the Pteropodidae, not ancestral to modern forms. Chamtwaria is a primitive vespertilionoid, provisionally placed in the Kerivoulinae. Erinaceidae probably entered Africa at the beginning of the Miocene, before 20 Ma. Faunistic differences between deposits are largely to be ascribed to differences in local environment. 

The subfamilies Murinae and "Dendromurinae" both include 4 species at Chorora. Among the former, while Preacomys nov. gen. seems to be a forerunner of Acomys, the affinities of the remaining, poorly known taxa, are more difficult to evaluate. The bulk of the fauna, remarkably, consists of Dendromurines. Their similarities with those of Ngorora tends to pull the site back in time, but the large size and diversity of Murines fit better an age more recent than the very beginning of the Late Miocene.