Morphologie, morphométrie et systématique des coraux plocoïdes jurassiques (sous-ordre Stylinina)
A review of Jurassic plocoid corals in morphology, morphometry, systematics and in nomenclature was necessary. This study was realized with collection materials, type specimens and material from the literature. The morphological study enables identifying structures such as a new type of wall, the etallonotheca and some new types of auricles. A tetrameral initial ontogenetic stage was observed for the first time in Heliocoenia and Pseudocoenia. This is in disagreement with the traditional definition of the septal development supposed to be fundamentally hexameral in Scleractinia. The systematic study led to a significant reorganization of families, genera and their synonyms. Species are described but their limits are still ambiguous and so still require more detailed morphometric approaches to be reproducible. The systematic positions chosen here are translated in terms of nomenclature in order to preserve the stability of names. This requires in various cases nomenclatural acts. Two morphometric methods were applied on 2D contours of calices sections. Elliptical Fourier analysis was used on theoretical and real transversal sections. The results show that the different symmetries and some genera can be distinguished by this method. Analysis of fractal dimensions has also been applied. Theoretical models and the sections studied in this work or issued from the literature were analyzed. The studied forms are placed according to an increasing complexity gradient of the contour corresponding to the maximization of the interface skeleton-porosity. The different taxa are distributed along this gradient, due to their small overlaps; their true distinction often remains difficult