A presente pesquisa pretende compreender a ocupação dos grupos caçadorescoletores na região central do Estado de São Paulo, na Bacia do Rio Tietê, em seu médio curso. Através da análise de três sítios líticos, dois na região de Araraquara e um na região de Jaú, realizamos estudos intra e inter-sítios, além da comparação dos resultados com trabalhos já realizados nas áreas adjacentes e também com a literatura específica. Destacando uma abordagem regional, buscamos trabalhar questões como intensidade de material arqueológico, estratigrafia, o tamanho dos sítios, a distância entre eles, como se deu sua implantação na paisagem; identificar as áreas de atividades restritas e a tecnologia da indústria lítica. A partir desses resultados, como intuito final, lançamos hipóteses sobre possíveis relações de contato entre os sítios, como os grupos caçadores-coletores se aproveitaram do ambiente nessa região, percebendo assim, sua mobilidade no território, e o tempo de ocupação. / This research aims to understand the occupation of hunter-gatherers groups in the central region of São Paulo State, on Tietê River Basin, in its middle course. Through analysis of three lithic sites, two in the Araraquara Region and one in Jaú Region, we have done intra and inter-sites studies, beyond the comparison of results with work done in areas adjacent and also with the specific literature. Emphasizing a regional approach, we sought work issues such as intensity of archaeological material, stratigraphy, the size of sites, the distance between them, how occurred their settlement in landscape, identify the restricted areas activities and the technology of the lithic industry. From these results, we released hypotheses about possible relationships of contact between the sites, how hunter-gatherers groups took advantage of the environment in this region, realizing thus, their mobility in the territory, and the time of occupation.

Les cultures néolithiques atteignent le territoire français vers 5600-5200 cal. BC. Bien que les données de l'ADN ancien apportent depuis peu un nouvel éclairage concernant les modalités de diffusion(s) du Néolithique en Europe, de telles données restaient inexistantes concernant les premiers groupes fermiers s'implantant sur le territoire français. Ce travail propose donc l'analyse inédite du pool génétique des groupes humains de cinq sites du Néolithique ancien et moyen (5200-3600 cal. BC), répartis sur la partie nord du territoire français et représentatifs de la diversité culturelle de la période, y compris au niveau des pratiques funéraires. Un total de 88 haplogroupes et 63 haplotypes mitochondriaux a pu être caractérisé. À l'échelle régionale, une continuité claire est démontrée entre les groupes du courant danubien et ceux de la moitié nord de la France. Cependant, les données issues de la nécropole de Gurgy (Yonne, sud du Bassin parisien) montrent un métissage avec des groupes néolithiques issus du courant méditerranéen et un métissage précoce avec des descendants des chasseurs-cueilleurs. Ce dernier, également détecté à Fleury-sur-Orne (Normandie), renforce l'hypothèse d'un métissage croissant entre chasseurs-cueilleurs et fermiers vers l'ouest du continent. À l'échelle locale, les résultats révèlent une frappante diversité des schémas de fonctionnement des groupes. À Obernai (Alsace) des groupes maternellement et culturellement différenciés semblent utiliser successivement la nécropole, mais de façon sectorisée. À Gurgy, aucune corrélation entre lignées maternelles et organisation de la nécropole ou pratiques funéraires n'a pu être identifiée, impliquant une acculturation totale (au niveau funéraire) d'individus aux origines multiples. Enfin, à Fleury-sur-Orne, une continuité maternelle entre individus déposés au sein de monuments de type Passy et de dolmens plus tardifs (sépultures collectives) est démontrée, suggérant une évolution sociale complexe du groupe. Enfin, l'importante diversité mitochondriale observée sur l'ensemble des sites apparaît cohérente avec un système matrimonial de type patrilocal, incluant l'intégration de femmes chasseurs-cueilleurs au sein des groupes fermiers au début du Néolithique. / The study of ancient DNA has recently shed new light on the different Neolithic expansion waves into Europe, however no palaeogenetic data was available for first farmer groups that settled modern day France from 5600-5200 cal. BC. Here we present the first analysis of the gene pool from five Early and Middle Neolithic sites (5200-3600 cal. BC) spread across northern France that are representative of both the period’s cultural diversity and variable funerary practices. A total of 88 mitochondrial haplogroups and 63 haplotypes could be identified. At the regional scale, a clear continuity is evident between Danubian populations and the farmer groups that settled the northern half of France. However, data from the Gurgy necropolis (Yonne) south of the Paris Basin evinces admixture with Neolithic groups from the Mediterranean expansion wave as well as early admixture with descendants of hunter-gatherer groups. This latter pattern is also observable at Fleury-sur-Orne (Normandy), reinforcing the hypothesis of increasing admixture between hunter-gatherers and farmers from eastern to western Europe. More locally, our data shows a clear diversity in the funerary organization of farmer groups. At Obernai (Alsace), maternally and culturally differentiated groups seem to have successively used different sectors to bury their dead. At Gurgy, no correlation between maternal lineages and necropolis organization or funerary practices could be identified, implying the complete acculturation of individuals with diverse ancestries, at least in terms of burial practices. Finally, at Fleury-sur-Orne, a maternal continuity between individuals buried in Passy-type structures and later dolmens (collective burials) is evident, suggesting a complex social evolution of the group. Finally, the substantial mitochondrial diversity observed in all sites appears consistent with a patrilocal kinship system, including the integration of hunter-gatherer females in Early Neolithic farmer groups.

La spectrométrie de masse est une technique analytique permettant de mesurer le ratio masse sur charge d’un ion. Cette technique, très répandue en chimie analytique permet d’élucider la composition moléculaire de mélanges complexes à partir de systèmes homogénéisés. De ce fait, toute l’information sur la distribution spatiale des molécules est perdue. L’imagerie par spectrométrie de masse (IMS) a été inventée afin de résoudre ce problème et permettre d’élucider la distribution spatiale de molécules cibles sur des sections tissulaires minces provenant de tissus biologiques tels que de mammifères ou de plantes. L’un des grands avantages de l’IMS est sa complémentarité à l’histopathologie, technique permettant de révéler la structure ainsi que la localisation de certaines biomolécules à partir de sections tissulaires minces. Cependant, cette dernière se limite principalement aux protéines et aux molécules pouvant avoir une interaction spécifique avec un anticorps. L’IMS permet la détection d’une vaste gamme de biomolécules allant des petits métabolites aux polymères de haut poids moléculaire. Parmi les biomolécules détectables par IMS, les lipides attirent de plus en plus l’attention des analystes. En effet, ils occupent différentes fonctions clés au sein des systèmes biologiques, autant structurales que métaboliques, comme constituants des parois cellulaires, acteurs de la signalisation cellulaires ainsi que dans le stockage d’énergie. Leur intérêt est d’autant plus important qu’aucune technique histologique classique ne permet actuellement de détecter de façon spécifique les différentes classes de lipides. De façon générale, l’IMS de lipides est effectuée en utilisant la désorption-ionisation laser assistée par matrice (MALDI). Ce procédé permet de révéler l’emplacement de ii différentes classes de molécules en exploitant l’affinité que ces dernières ont pour une matrice particulière. Au-delà du choix de la matrice, d’autres paramètres tels que le mode de déposition de la matrice, le choix des solvants ainsi que le type de lavage utilisé vont également affecter le type de molécules détectés lors d’une analyse MALDI. Malgré les très bonnes performances du MALDI pour l’analyse de lipides, ce mode d’analyse se limite souvent aux lipides polaires facilement ionisables. Les lipides neutres comme le cholestérol (CHO) et les triacylglycérols (TAGs) sont impliqués à différents niveaux de fonctions biologiques fondamentales. Ainsi, nous avons développé trois stratégies permettant l’analyse de ces lipides neutres et de faibles abondances comme les gangliosides, directement à partir de sections tissulaires minces par MALDI ainsi que par désorption-ionisation laser classique (LDI). L’implication du cholestérol en tant que molécule structurale et précurseur de la synthèse de diverses hormones et vitamines, en fait une cible de choix pour l’analyse par IMS. Historiquement, l’analyse du cholestérol par MALDI permettait de le détecter sous sa forme déshydratée. De ce fait, il était impossible de le distinguer des autres métabolites tels que ses esters qui produisaient le même fragment. Afin de permettre l’IMS du cholestérol intact nous avons développé une nouvelle technique de préparation d’échantillons reposant sur le dépôt d’une couche nanométrique d’argent (16±2 nm) sur une section tissulaire mince par pulvérisation. Cette technique permet d’ioniser spécifiquement le cholestérol intact ainsi que divers acides gras sous forme d’adduits d’argent, et ce, avec une haute résolution spatiale (5 µm). iii Au-delà du cholestérol et des acides gras, une autre classe de lipides neutres très abondants, les triglycérides, reste difficilement analysable par MALDI IMS. En effet, les TAGs constituent la principale classe de lipides impliqués dans le stockage énergétique au niveau cellulaire. Ce rôle comme source d’énergie fait des TAGs un acteur incontournable de plusieurs maladies métaboliques telles que la stéatose hépatique, l’athérosclérose ainsi que la maladie d’Alzheimer. La difficulté d’analyser les TAGs par IMS provient de leur fragilité en milieu acide ainsi que de leur faible tendance à former des adduits sodium nécessaire à leurs analyses. En considérant ces limites, nous avons développé une méthodologie de préparation d’échantillon en deux étapes permettant l’analyse hautement spécifique des TAGs par LDI IMS. Dans un premier temps, les sections tissulaires minces sont initialement exposées à une solution aqueuse contenant un tampon carbonate à base de sodium (pH 10.3, 85 mM) ainsi que d’acétate de sodium (250 mM) afin de facilité la formation d’adduit sodium et de limiter la fragmentation des TAGs en source. Par la suite, une couche nanométrique d’or (28±3 nm) est déposée sur la section afin de permettre l’analyse des TAGs par IMS à haute résolution spatiale (> 10 µm). Lorsque ces derniers ont une abondance réduite dans les sections tissulaires, cette méthode permet aussi l’analyse d’esters de cholestérol (CE). La maladie de Hunter est une maladie génétique caractérisée par l’accumulation de glycosaminoglycanes (GAGs) ainsi que de l’accumulation secondaire de gangliosides. Ce phénomène est dû à l’absence de l’enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (IdS) qui permet la dégradation des GAGs. L’accumulation des GAGs et des gangliosides a pour conséquence l’apparition de problèmes fonctionnels et neurologiques majeurs entrainant la mort. Il existe une thérapie de remplacement enzymatique où une forme recombinante de l’enzyme IdS est injectée aux patients. Cette thérapie permet de rétablir le métabolisme normal des GAGs et iv gangliosides dans tous les organes sauf le cerveau où la barrière hémato-encéphalique empêche l’IdS recombinante d’atteindre les zones affectées. L’étude de la composition moléculaire des dépôts de GAGs et gangliosides au niveau cérébral constitue un défi important afin de comprendre la progression des troubles neurologiques engendrés par cette accumulation. À cette fin, nous avons développé une méthode MALDI spécifique à l’analyse des gangliosides à partir de sections tissulaires minces de cerveau de souris simulant la maladie Hunter (IdS-KO). Cette méthode d’analyse par MALDI IMS permet une révélation immuno-histochimique (IHC) des dépôts suivant l’analyse IMS. Nous avons pu visualiser cinq types de gangliosides dont quatre spécifiques au dépôt présent dans les cerveaux révélés par IHC sur la même section tissulaire. Cette étude nous a permis de distinguer pour la première fois des GM3 et GM2 selon la composition de leur chaine latérale et non de leur chaine polysaccharidique révélée par l’analyse IHC. / Mass spectrometry (MS) is an analytical technique that measures the mass-to-charge ratio of ions. This technique is widely used in analytical chemistry to solve the molecular composition of complex homogenized samples. The use of homogenized samples means that all the information with respect to the initial distribution of analytes is lost. Imaging mass spectrometry (IMS) is an MS technique which is able to provide the spatial localization of a given analyte on a surface, such as thin tissue sections from various animal sources. One of the greatest advantages of IMS is its complementarity with histopathology which normally reveals the general structure of thin tissue sections as well as the localization of certain biomolecules such as proteins or of any molecules capable of specific interactions with an antibody. On the other hand, IMS is capable of imaging a wide variety of biomolecules ranging from small metabolites to the high molecular weight proteins and polymers. Among these, lipids are of particular interest for their key involvements in many biological processes. Their interest is even greater when considering that lipid imaging by classical histology is unable to differentiate between all lipid species. IMS of lipids is typically performed using matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI). MALDI IMS can differentiate various classes of lipids and their localization within a thin tissue section by taking advantage of the specific affinity that different classes of lipids have for different matrices. The matrix deposition process, along with the choice of solvents, are key parameters that need to be considered in MALDI IMS. While MALDI offers great coverage of the phospholipidome, it fails miserably for neutral lipid analysis. Indeed, cholesterol and triacylglycerols (TAGs) are two classes of neutral lipids with very important vi biological roles which are extremely difficult to image by MALDI. We have developed three new strategies that enables the detection of neutral lipids, some of which are expressed in low abundance such as gangliosides, directly from thin tissue section using either MALDI or laser desorption/ionization (LDI). Cholesterol is a precursor of many key biomolecules such as vitamins and hormones. It’s also a major component of the cellular membrane. MALDI IMS allows in some cases imaging of the dehydrated form of cholesterol. Unfortunately, detecting cholesterol as such makes it impossible to distinguish some of its metabolites which ionize in a similar fashion and dissociate to produce the same ions. To address this issue, we have developed a new sample preparation method involving the deposition of a nanometer scale silver layer (16±2 nm) over a thin tissue section. This enables the detection by LDI MS of intact cholesterol and some fatty acid species as silver adducts with up to 5 µm in spatial resolution. Beyond cholesterol and fatty acids, TAGs is another class of highly abundant neutral lipids still poorly detected by MALDI IMS. As TAGs are the main molecules involved in energy storage of cells, they have been implicated in many metabolic diseases such as non- alcoholic fatty liver disease, atherosclerosis and even Alzheimer’s disease. The reason why TAGs are poorly detected by MALDI comes from two key factors. First, TAGs are unstable in acidic environments, typical of MALDI matrices. Second, competition effects for the ionizing proton provided by the MALDI matrix prevent TAGs from easily ionizing through this main ionization process. To overcome these limitations, we have developed a new two-step sample preparation method for TAG LDI IMS. We initially deposited a solution of carbonate buffer (pH 10.3, 85 mM) and sodium acetate (250 mM) on the tissue section to increase the amount vii of available sodium for enhanced TAG ionization. The second step consisted of sputtering a nanometer scale UV absorbing gold layer (28±3 nm) that allows for the detection of TAGs by LDI IMS with spatial resolution as low as 10 µm. When TAGs are present in low amounts in the tissue section, this method also enables the detection of cholesterol esters. Hunter’s disease is a genetic disease characterized by the abnormal accumulation of glucoaminoglycans (GAGs) and the secondary accumulation of gangliosides due to the lack of iduronate-2-sulfatase (IdS) enzyme which controls their degradation. The accumulation of both GAGs and gangliosides form deposits which induces various functional issues to different organs as well as neurologic disorders. To minimize these effects, an enzyme replacement therapy has been developed. Unfortunately, it shows efficacy in all organs except the brain due to the inability of the recombinant enzyme to cross the blood-brain barrier. To further our knowledge of the progression of the disease, using a mouse model of Hunter’s disease we have developed a MALDI based method to specifically image gangliosides in brain deposits with a spatial resolution of 5 µm. This method also permits subsequent ganglioside staining by immunohistochemtry of the tissue section. With this method, we have identified four types of ganglioside which are specific to the Hunter’s disease pathology. We were also able to detect two types of deposits, one which is enriched in short chain gangliosides and the other in long chain gangliosides.

In the Powder River Basin of Wyoming, our nation's interest in protecting its cultural heritage collides with the high demand for carbon fuels. "Clinker" deposits dot the basin. These distinctive buttes, created by the underground combustion of coal, are underlain by coal veins; they also provided the main lithic resources for prehistoric hunter-gatherers. These deposits signify both a likelihood of extractable carbon and high archaeological site density. Federal law requires that energy developers must identify culturally significant sites before mining can begin. The research presented here explains the need for and describes a statistical tool with the potential to predict sites where carbon and cultural resources co-occur, thus streamlining the process of identifying important heritage sites to protect them from adverse impacts by energy development. The methods used for this predictive model include two binary logistic regression models using known archaeological sites in the Powder River Basin. The model as developed requires further refinement; the results are nevertheless applicable to future research in this and similar areas, as I discuss in my conclusion.

No description available.

The skeletal material used in this thesis consists of 258 individuals, whereas 179 individuals had the requirements entailed for an analysis of health and lifestyles. In other words, their sex and age had been osteologically determined. In addition, they are either young adults, adults, or seniors, as infants and subadults usually die before skeletal changes. Males represent 63 percent (n=112) and females 37 percent (n=67) of the material. The material is collected from a Stone Age dwelling site in Ajvide, Gotland, and six Medieval churches in Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud and St Mikael. One of the most noticeable traits caused by a change in subsistence strategies is an increase in enamel hypoplasia, cribra orbitalia, degenerative joint diseases, and activity-related pathologies, as well as a decrease in oral health. Therefore, the population of Medieval Visby was exposed to more stressors in the shape of infections and malnutrition. Furthermore, the high amount of degenerative joint diseases also indicates a more physically strenuous life. / Skelettmaterialet som använts i denna uppsats består av 258 individer, varav 179 individer uppfyllde de krav som krävdes för en lyckad analys. Individerna måste alltså ha en känd ålder och kön, dessutom exkluderades spädbarn och juvenila, då de oftast avled innan skeletala förändringar. I materialet representerade männen 63 procent (n=112) och kvinnorna 37 procent (n=67) av den totala mängden skelett. Materialet hade blivit insamlad från stenåldersboplatsen Ajvide på Gotland samt sex medeltida kyrkor från Visby, Gotland: St Hans, St Per, St Clemens, Ryska Kyrkan, St Gertrud och St Mikael. Noterbara förändringar är en ökning i emaljhypoplasi, cribra orbitalia, degenerativa ledsjukdomar, aktivitet-relaterade patologier samt försämrad oral hälsa. Detta tyder på att den medeltida befolkningen utsattes för mer stress i form av infektioner och undernäring. Mängden degenerativa ledsjukdomar indikerar dessutom på ett mer fysiskt ansträngande liv.

No description available.

In the archaeological literature, mountains are often portrayed as the boundaries between inhabited spaces. Yet occupying high elevations may have been an adaptive choice for ancient peoples, as rapidly changing elevations also offer variation in climate and resources over a relatively small area. So what happens, instead, if we put mountain landscapes at the center of our analyses of prehistoric seasonal rounds and ecological adaptation? This Ph.D. argues that, in order to understand any landscape that includes mountains, from the Alps to the Andes, one must include the ecology and archaeology of the highest elevations. Specifically, I base my findings on new fieldwork and lithic collections from the Absaroka and Beartooth Mountains in the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE) of the Rocky Mountains, which was a vital crossroads of prehistoric cultures for more than 11,000 years. I include five interlocking analyses. First, I consider the impacts of anthropogenic climate change on high elevation cultural resources, focusing on the diminishing resiliency of ancient high elevation ice patches and the loss of the organic artifacts and paleobiological materials they contain. Second, I create a dichotomous key for chronologically typing projectile points, suggesting a methodological improvement for typological dating in the GYE and for surface archaeology more broadly. Third, I use obsidian source data to consider whether mountain people were a single, unified group or were represented by a variety of peoples with different zones of land tenure. Fourth, I consider high elevation occupation in both mountain ranges as part of the seasonal round, using indices of diversity in tool types and raw material to study how the duration of those occupations changed through time. And, finally, I test the common contention that ancient people primarily used mountains as refugia from extreme climatic pressure at lower elevations. Ultimately, I find that, in both mountain ranges, increased high elevation activity is most highly correlated with increased population, not with hot, dry climatic conditions. In other words, the mountains were more than simply refugia for plains or basin people to occupy when pressured by climatic hardship. In addition, between the Absarokas and the Beartooths the evidence suggests two different patterns of occupation, not a monolithic pan-mountain adaptation. These results demonstrate the potential contributions of surface archaeology to our understanding of prehistory, and have important implications for the way we think about mountain landscapes as peopled spaces in relation to adjacent lower-elevation areas.

The Sámi’s past activities have been documented historically from a European perspective, and more recently from an anthropological viewpoint, giving a generalised observation of the Sámi, during the study period of AD200-AD1800, as semi-nomadic hunter gatherers, with several theories suggesting that interaction with Europeans, through trade, led to the adoption of European activities by certain groups of the Sámi (Eiermann, 1923; Paine, 1957; Manker and Vorren, 1962; Bratrein, 1981; Mathiesen et al, 1981; Meriot, 1984). However, there is almost no information on the impact the Sámi had on the landscape, either before or after any adoption of European activities, and none investigating what cultural footprint or indicators would remain from Sámi or European occupation and/or activity within the typically podzolic soils of Northern Sweden. Consequently the thesis aims to contribute to the gap in knowledge through the formation of a podzol model identifying the links between anthropogenic activity and the alteration of podzol soils, and through the creation of soils based models which identify the cultural indicators associated with both Sámi and European activity; formed from the identification of cultural indicators retained within known Sámi and European sites. The methods used to obtain the information needed to achieve this were the pH and magnetic susceptibility from bulk soil samples and micromorphological and chemical analysis of thin section slides through the use of standard microscopy and X-ray fluorescence from a scanning electron microscope. The analysis revealed that the Sámi had an extremely low impact on the landscape, leaving hard to detect cultural indicators related to reindeer herding in the form of reindeer faecal material with corresponding phosphorous peaks in the thin section slides. The European footprint however, was markedly different and very visible even within the acidic soil environment. The European indicators were cultivation based and included phosphorous and aluminium peaks as well as a deepened, highly homogenised plaggen style anthropogenic topsoil rich in ‘added’ materials. An abandoned European site which visibly and chemically shows the formation of a secondary albic horizon within the anthropogenic topsoil also provides an insight into the delicate balance of cultivated soil in northern Sweden, whilst reinforcing the outputs identified in the podzol model. Due to the almost invisible Sámi footprint on the landscape, areas of overlap were impossible to identify however, there was no evidence of the adoption of European cultivation activities at any of the Sámi sites investigated. The only known area of interaction between the two cultures was an official market place which had been a Sámi winter settlement prior to its use as a market site. This site showed none of the reindeer based Sámi indicators or the cultivation based European indicators, but did contain pottery fragments which could be linked to trade or occupation. Overall, the thesis reinforces the low impact expected of the semi-nomadic Sámi and sheds light on the underlying podzolic processes influencing the anthropogenically modified soils of Northern Sweden. The podzol model is reinforced by several findings throughout the thesis and the soils based cultural indicator models for both Sámi and European activity have been successfully tested against independent entomological and palynological data and therefore provide reliable reference material for future studies.

La fin du Pléistocène et le début de l’Holocène sont marqués par des bouleversements environnementaux d’une ampleur et d’une intensité exceptionnelles en Europe de l’Ouest. Ces quelque huit millénaires ont été scindés en périodes chronoculturelles principalement à partir de critères typotechnologiques de l’industrie lithique, correspondant au Paléolithique final, et au premier et au second Mésolithique. L’identité biologique des groupes humains de cette période n’avait jusqu’alors jamais été étudiée de façon spécifique et la réalité anthropologique de ces partitions pose question. À partir d’un corpus réactualisé de 70 sites couvrant les territoires actuels de la France, de l’Allemagne, de la Belgique, du Luxembourg, de la Suisse, de l’Italie, de l’Espagne et du Portugal, ce sont 617 spécimens pour les restes osseux et 251 pour les restes dentaires qui ont été analysés. Des caractéristiques squelettiques ont été enregistrées et analysées selon un protocole unique : proportions squelettiques comme la stature, l’indice brachial et l’indice crural, morphométrie crânienne et mandibulaire, analyse par morphométrie géométrique de la conformation du neurocrâne et variations anatomiques non métriques crâniennes et dentaires. L’ensemble des données recueillies a fait l’objet de traitements statistiques adaptés, descriptifs, multivariés et exploratoires. Parmi les résultats obtenus, l’analyse métrique et morphologique de la mandibule révèle des changements microévolutifs de la morphologie mandibulaire en lien avec l’intensification de l’élargissement du spectre des ressources consommées au cours du Mésolithique. Un fonctionnement différent des groupes est proposé entre ceux établis sur les zones côtières et les continentaux. Les groupes côtiers seraient organisés selon un système plutôt fermé, traduit par la structuration régionale des données anthropobiologiques, alors que les groupes continentaux, bien qu’ayant un ancrage local, possèderaient des réseaux d’échanges plus larges et/ou plus réguliers. Enfin, la permanence des groupes humains du Paléolithique final au Mésolithique est avancée, ainsi qu’au sein des zones côtières durant tout le Mésolithique, alors qu’une discontinuité populationnelle entre premier et second Mésolithique est mise en évidence dans l’aire continentale. L’hypothèse d’une arrivée de nouveaux groupes depuis les régions situées plus à l’est, poussés par la progression néolithique en Europe centrale à partir du VIIème millénaire cal BC est avancée, rejoignant un des scenarii proposés à partir de l’analyse de l’ADN ancien. / Environmental changes of exceptional magnitude and intensity occurred during the Late Pleistocene and the Early Holocene in Western Europe. These- some eight millennia- have been divided into chronocultural periods based on typotechnological lithic industries, corresponding to the Late Palaeolithic and the Early and Late Mesolithic. The biological identity of the human groups from this lengthy period of time has never previously been studied in a systematic way, and the anthropological meaning of these divisions remains unclear. In order to fill this gap in knowledge, this thesis presents the results of analyses of an up-to-date sample of 617 skeletal specimens and 251 dental remains covering 70 sites from France, Germany, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain and Portugal. Skeletal characteristics, including skeletal proportions- stature, brachial and crural indices -, cranial and mandibular morphometrics, geometric morphometric analysis of the neurocranium, and non-metric skeletal and dental traits were recorded and analysed using a single protocol. All data collected were subjected to suitable descriptive, multivariate and exploratory statistical treatments. Among the results obtained, the metric and morphological analysis of the mandible reveals micro-evolutionary morphological changes related to the intensified exploitation of a broader spectrum of food resources during the Mesolithic. Human groups in coastal zones differ from those located further inland. Coastal groups evince a rather closed system, reflected by a regional structure of bioanthropological data, whereas inland groups, while locally based, are characterized by broader and/or more regular networks of population interaction. Finally, there appears to be continuity between human groups from the Late Palaeolithic to the Early Mesolithic, as well as throughout the Mesolithic in coastal areas, while population discontinuity between the Early and Later Mesolithic is highlighted in the continental area. The arrival of new groups from areas further east, driven by Neolithic population advances through Central Europe from the 7th millennium BC cal is hypothesised, similar to one of the scenarios proposed from the analysis of aDNA.