Wolf (Canis lupus Linnaeus, 1758) domestication has been the subject of many studies the last decades. All agree to consider that the dog (Canis familiaris Linnaeus, 1758) is the product of wolf domestication, and that this process occurred in Eurasia. Many divergences remain however on the geographic origin(s) of the process, whether domestication was a single event or multiple independent events, the earliest occurrences (roughly between 37 000 and 15 000 cal years ago), and the modalities of this process. A rarely debated question is why wolf domestication occurred so late and at such high latitudes, and not in Africa or Middle East, where humans and wolves have coexisted much longer. We hypothesize that domestication was triggered by one of the five extreme cold events (so-called Heinrich events) which occurred in Eurasia in the range of time between 37 000 and 12 000 cal years, which correspond to the range of wolf domestication. Use of a large-sized wolf/dog was probably an unprecedented way for first societies of Eurasia to survive in such extreme conditions.

Les données anciennes suggèrent que la loutre (Lutra lutra Linnaeus, 1758) était autrefois une espèce très largement répandue en Belgique. La chasse qui lui a été faite, favorisée par un système de primes, a largement participé au déclin de l'espèce. Les tableaux des statistiques de chasse, publiés dans les anciennes revues de pêche, montrent l'importance des prélèvements au sein des populations alors en place. Ces anciens témoignages montrent également la dureté avec laquelle cette espèce a été combattue à la fin du 19^e siècle et les moyens mis en oeuvre pour y parvenir. Dans le cadre d'une politique de repeuplement des cours d'eau, la loutre, considérée alors comme un véritable fléau nuisant à la ressource piscicole, a été pourchassée à travers tout le pays. À ce premier facteur de raréfaction de l'espèce, il faut en ajouter un second lié plus particulièrement à la pollution des cours d'eau. En effet, au cours de cette même période, le développement de nombreuses industries, principalement installées le long des cours d'eau, a fait disparaître une part importante de l'habitat et des ressources alimentaires nécessaires à l'espèce. À l'heure actuelle, on considère la loutre comme quasiment éteinte sur tout le territoire et bien que quelques individus soient régulièrement signalés, les conditions permettant le retour de cette espèce dans les rivières belges ne sont pas encore tout à fait réunies.

Among the five kinds of animals Mongolian herders breed (i.e. horses Equus caballus Linnaeus, 1758, camels Camelus bactrianus Linnaeus, 1758, cattle Bos taurus Linnaeus, 1758, Bos grunniens Linnaeus, 1766, and their hybrids, sheep Ovis aries Linnaeus, 1758, and goats Capra hircus Linnaeus, 1758), the horse holds a particular status, perceivable in the slaughtering techniques used and the way its skull is treated after death. Leaving horse skulls in high places (i.e. trees, mountains, and ovoos − stone cairns erected in homage to the master spirits of a place) is a common, though poorly understood, practice. This article studies the modalities of these horse skull repositories within an interdisciplinary approach, combining social anthropology and osteology. The study of the choice of place for the skulls and their associated objects highlights the differentiation processes among the horses as individuals, in relation to their lifetime status. This relation between human and horses unfolds into the landscape, which is invested with numerous ovoo cairns and horse skulls; a reminder that these spaces are shared between humans, horses and invisible entities. In the absence of private land ownership on the Mongolian steppe and in the interest of a balanced coexistence with all the inhabitants of this shared land, we show that the horse skull repositories subtly combine honour to individual horses, respect to the master spirits of the land, and discrete appropriation of territory by herders.

The excavation of the Abri des Autours, a rock-shelter located in southern Belgium, enabled the discovery of three human burials, two dated to the Early Mesolithic and a third dated to the Middle Neolithic. In addition to the human bones, more than 200 faunal remains were uncovered. A taphonomic analysis was undertaken to determine whether their presence resulted from anthropogenic activities and whether they are linked to the burials. Two assemblages were distinguished. The majority of the fauna corresponds to remains of animals found scattered throughout the cave, including in the Mesolithic levels. These are mainly portions of carcasses brought in to the rockshelter by scavengers or predators. Therefore, their deposition did not result from human activity. Thus far, no animal bone had been found in direct association with Mesolithic burials in Belgium, and this site conforms to that pattern. Moreover, this interpretation corroborates the archaeological study, which did not uncover any traces of domestic activity in the cave, during either the Mesolithic or the Neolithic. On the other hand, several bone artefacts, including various tools and a pendant, were also identified. With the exception of an isolated artefact, all of these were clearly associated with the Middle Neolithic burial (Michelsberg culture). This is only the fourth Neolithic cave burial to have yielded animal bone artefacts in Belgium. A preliminary micro-wear analysis has confirmed that these objects had been used before being deposited and has allowed us to propose several hypotheses concerning their original use.

The development and consolidation of the “huerta” (an agricultural system of irrigated fields) of Orihuela (Alicante, Spain) involved a series of historical changes in the ecosystem that have determined the configuration of the fauna associated with it in time. Focusing on the Medieval period (130^th to 16^th centuries), the sociocultural factors that caused these changes and their impact on fauna during this period are analyzed in this study. For this we have conducted a review of various sources that can reconstruct the most significant processes in the evolution of the landscape and wildlife of the area. To a large extent, the variety of environments that have historically been part of this territory, now much more homogeneous, are the source of its high animal diversity.