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ABSTRACT Although recognized as an outstanding hotspot of biodiversity for both flora and fauna, the Mercantour massif remains almost totally unexplored for its groundwater fauna. This work reports the first overview on groundwater oligochaete assemblages of the “Parc du Mercantour” after a standardized exploration of both consolidated (fractured massif) and unconsolidated (porous) aquifers. About 40 species of oligochaetes were found in 49 stations representative of the main hydrogeological basins of the “Parc du Mercantour”, from both spring and hyporheic zone habitats. Five stygobiont species are identified, probably all new to science, of which two species are formally described, Aberrantidrilus stephaniae n. gen., n. sp. (Naididae, Phallodrilinae) and Marionina sambugarae n. sp., a species belonging to the widespread Marionina argentea species complex (Enchytraeidae). As a result, the genus Abyssidrilus Erséus, 1992 is now restricted to its marine, abyssal species. A dozen of species can be considered as stygophiles. Most stygobiont species are recorded from hyporheic habitats, and stygophiles have a more balanced distribution between both kinds of habitats. The nearly absence of stygoxene species from the hyporheic zone suggests that this habitat is less affected by the epigean environment than springs. The dominance of enchytraeids among the groundwater oligochaete fauna is here confirmed, and the lumbriculid genus Trichodrilus is also a characteristic faunistic element of the underground freshwater oligochaete communities. Lastly, the possibility that Aberrantidrilus cuspis n. comb. sensu Sambugar et al. (1999) is a complex of cryptic species is discussed in the framework of recent progress in the knowledge of groundwater biodiversity. Key words: Aquatic Clitellata, Oligochaeta, groundwater, Mercantour, new species, Aberrantidrilus n. gen., Marionina, Abyssidrilus RESUME Oligochètes (Annelida, Clitellata) des eaux souterraines du Parc du Mercantour (France), avec description d’un nouveau genre et de deux nouvelles espèces stygobiontes. Bien qu’il soit reconnu comme un remarquable point chaud de biodiversité pour sa flore et sa faune, le massif du Mercantour reste presque totalement inexploré quant à sa faune souterraine. Ce travail rapporte le premier aperçu des assemblages d’oligochètes des eaux souterraines du « Parc du Mercantour », suivant une exploration standardisée des aquifères consolidés (massif fracturé) et non consolidés (poreux). Environ 40 espèces d’oligochètes ont été trouvées dans 49 stations représentatives des principaux bassins hydrogéographiques du « Parc du Mercantour », ainsi que des sources et de la zone hyporhéique. Cinq espèces stygobiontes ont été identifiées, probablement toutes nouvelles pour la Science, parmi lesquelles deux ont été formellement décrites, Aberrantidrilus stephaniae n. gen., n. sp. (Naididae, Phallodrilinae) et Marionina sambugarae n. sp., une espèce appartenant au complexe d’espèces Marionina argentea (Enchytraeidae) à large répartition. Il en résulte que le genre Abyssidrilus Erséus, 1992 est maintenant restreint à ses espèces marines et abyssales. Une douzaine d’espèces peuvent être considérées comme stygophiles. La plupart des espèces stygobiontes proviennent des habitats hyporhéiques tandis que les stygophiles se répartissent de façon plus équilibrée entre les deux types d’habitats. La quasi absence d’espèces stygoxènes dans la zone hyporhéique suggère que cet habitat est moins affecté par l’environnement épigé que les sources. La dominance des enchytréides au sein de la faune des oligochètes des eaux souterraines est ici confirmée, ainsi que le genre Trichodrilus en tant qu’élément faunistique le plus caractéristique des communautés des oligochètes des eaux douces souterraines. Enfin, la possibilité qu’Aberrantidrilus cuspis n. comb. sensu Sambugar et al. (1999) soit un complexe d’espèces cryptiques est discutée dans le cadre des progrès récents dans la connaissance de la biodiversité des eaux souterraines. Mots clés : Clitellata aquatiques, Oligochètes, eaux souterraines, Mercantour, nouvelles espèces, Aberrantidrilus n. gen., Marionina

In the framework of the Belgian BELSPO AGORA 3D and DIGIT03 programs, we have evaluated 3D digitising technologies with regards to the quality of the acquisition, the capacities and limitations of each technique and also the direct cost of the different 3D digitisation processes. It is on this latest topic that the paper is focused. In order to evaluate the cost of 3D digitisation, we considered the time for the digitisation, cost of the equipment and cost of the staff. Our preliminary results show that the real cost by specimen depends on the amount of specimens to digitise. Techniques that appear to be low-cost can be the most expensive in the framework of massive digitization programs, whilst more expensive equipment can be more efficient in the long term. Therefore low-cost equipment is mainly recommended for occasional digitisation or small series of digitisations.

Neandertal discoveries in Belgium have played an important role in the history of European paleoanthropology. Late Neandertal fossils within the collections of the "Troisième caverne" of Goyet (Gesves, Belgium) have recently been identified by our multidisciplinary team. These fossils provide an opportunity to assess the variability of Late Neandertal mortuary practices. The "Troisième caverne" of Goyet, excavated at the end of the 19th and early 20th century, yielded a rich archeological sequence ranging from the Middle and Upper Paleolithic to historical times. In 2008 we began documenting the Paleolithic occupations of the "Troisième caverne" by reassessing the collections from the site, which heretofore had only een partially studied. The updated inventory of human remains was accomplished by conducting a detailed sorting of the paleontological collections in order to identify human remains that may have been overlooked thus far. As a result, the collections from the "Troisième caverne" now include nearly 200 human bones/bone fragments and isolated teeth that correspond to various materials from different periods. The morphometric study of the human specimens from Goyet, completed by direct radiocarbon dating and stable isotope analysis, reveals that they represent two main samples: a large and fragmentary series of Late Neandertal remains (Rougier et al. 2012) and a set of modern human specimens from the Upper Paleolithic (Rougier et al. 2013). The Neandertal remains include elements from the cranial and infra-cranial skeleton which represent at least 3 different individuals. The Neandertal specimens of Goyet also present numerous anthropogenic traces that are similar to those found on the fauna remains from the site. We have interpreted them as evidence of cannibalism and will discuss our observations in terms of mortuary behavior variability among Late Neandertals.