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The extinct “false mako” shark, Parotodus benedenii (Lamniformes: Otodontidae), is essentially known from large, robust teeth that are widespread but overall rare in Oligocene to Pliocene deposits worldwide. More than 150 years after its description, this species still represents a palaeontological conundrum, as very little is known about its body aspect and palaeoecology. Here, we describe new specimens of P. benedenii from the Pliocene of Tuscany, central Italy. These new finds comprise some of the geologically youngest finds of P. benedenii worldwide, witnessing to the survival of false makos until the Late Pliocene at least, which in turn suggests that P. benedenii may have been the latest surviving member of the family Otodontidae. Building upon a thorough literature review, we provide an updated synthesis of the palaeobiology of P. benedenii. In light of the morphological evidence, and considering previously published suggestions, P. benedenii may be reconstructed as a large-sized, carnivorous shark that dwelt in pelagic settings and fed primarily on large, soft prey and scavenging items. Thus, some ecological partitioning did likely exist between P. benedenii and other elasmobranch apex predators of the Neogene mid-latitude seas (including, in Pliocene times, the extant species Carcharodon carcharias, Carcharhinus leucas and Galeocerdo cuvier).

For each x0∈[0,2π) and k∈N, we obtain some existence theorems of periodic solutions to the two-point boundary value problem u′′(x)+k2u(x-x0)+g(x,u(x-x0))=h(x) in (0,2π) with u(0)-u(2π)=u′(0)-u′(2π)=0 when g:(0,2π)×R→R is a Caratheodory function which grows linearly in u as u→∞, and h∈L1(0,2π) may satisfy a generalized Landesman-Lazer condition (1+sign(β))∫02πh(x)v(x)dx<∫v(x)>0gβ+(x)vx1-βdx+∫v(x)<0gβ-(x)vx1-βdx for all v∈N(L)\\{0}. Here N(L) denotes the subspace of L1(0,2π) spanned by sin⁡kx and cos⁡kx, -1<β≤0, gβ+(x)=lim infu→∞(gx,uu/u1-β), and gβ-(x)=lim infu→-∞(gx,uu/u1-β).

Résumé Au cœur des travaux des fondateurs de la sociologie des bureaucraties des années 1940-1950, le concept de bureaucratisation a été réactivé depuis les années 1980 pour décrire les effets produits par les réformes inspirées du New Public Management, et notamment par le gouvernement par la performance à l’aide d’objectifs et d’indicateurs. Cet article montre le caractère toujours heuristique de la grammaire d’analyse des premiers sociologues des administrations (Alvin Gouldner, Peter Blau, Michel Crozier), centrée sur les règles et leurs usages, pour penser les spécificités du « nouveau phénomène bureaucratique » axé sur les nombres, la quantification et la mesure. Il en pointe aussi les limites et souligne l’importance de penser l’encastrement économique et surtout politique des dispositifs de gouvernement par la performance.

A poem is presented.