What can be more difficult or more painful than to write about one's dearest friend and colleague in the past tense? Nevertheless, to obey the moral adage that requires ad perpetuam rei memoriam I will try to present Dr. Rãdulescu to posterity.

    Costin Constantin Radulescu, Doctor in Biology, Corresponding Member of the Romanian Academy, was the first director of the “Emil Racovitzã” Institute of Speleology after the 1989 Revolution.

    Born in Bucharest on February 23, 1932, he completed his primary school studies at the Gh. Lazãr Lyceum, between 1939 and 1947, then finished his secondary school education at the St. Sava Lyceum, between 1947 and 1951. He continued his academic studies at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Bucharest between 1951 and 1955.

    During Costin's second year in college, Margareta Dumitrescu, Prof. Dr. Docent, took notice of this talented and young pupil. She offered Costin her encouragement and support and helped develop his interest in the study of mammal paleontology. Prof. Dumitrescu, daughter of the well-known Professor in Geology, Sava Athanasiu inherited from her father the passion for the study of fossil mammals. Fortunately, the love of knowledge and dedication of his teacher found an extremely fertile soil in the mind of her student, who dedicated his career to the study of the evolution of mammals along the geological time scale. This area of study was so important to Costin that he spent 50 years of his life, from 1952 to 2002, focusing almost exclusively on this subject.

    In 1955, following his graduation, Costin was accepted, after passing a selection exam, to continue his studies in the field of comparative anatomy, under the scientific guidance of Theodor Dornescu, Prof. Dr. Docent, a post-bellum authority in the field of biology.

    In 1963, he got his Ph. D. degree and gave his dissertation on Contributions to the comparative anatomical study of the extinct and modern Artiodactyles in Romania and its importance to the stratigraphy of Upper Pleistocene (in Romanian).

    Since 1956, while preparing his thesis for his Ph.D. degree, he started working at the “Emil Racovitzã” Institute of Speleology, and was involved in the systematic excavations in the caves of the Central Dobrogea-Casimcea syncline: La Adam, Bordeiul de Piatra, Casian, Cheia, Gura Dobrogei.

    He also took part in the excavations of a number of caverns in the Carpathians: Coltul Surpat, Caves 1 and 2 in the Tãtarul Massif, Cioclovina.

    In 1958, Costin became a researcher at the “Emil Racovitzã” Institute of Speleology, whose active member until the end of his life. Progressively, he extended his research to other sediments in addition to the ones in the caves he excavated. This new research began around 1960-1961 in the median sector of the Oltet River and would expand over time to include the Pliocene and Miocene non-marine sediments, eventually reaching the Upper Cretaceous in the Hateg Depression.

    His subject matter of his 50 years of research could be defined in terms of several domains of major interest. This area of research included, on one side, studies of comparative morphology and the understanding of the filogenetic relationships of the groups and, on the other side, the investigation of biostratigraphic and paleogeographic dilemmas, supplemented with essays to reconstruct the paleoenvironment based on climatic oscillations, in particular for the glacial and interglacial periods of the Quaternary.

    It is worth mentioning that the specimens were collected through systematic excavations, which have applied modern methods in order to ensure the total recovery, of the paleontogical, archeological or other types of remains.

    Costin led numerous expeditions, in which particular attention was given to the microscopic remains of the fauna of the period by using the rigorous method of sifting - washings through calibrated sieves and then screening the gathered material under binocular magnifying glass. Thus, it was possible to collect fossil specimens, often of exceptional value, which made the subject of more than 155 articles and monographs he wrote or collaborated on with other Romanian and foreign researchers.

    Many of these papers have a great scientific value and were presented at various International Congresses and Conferences, beginning in 1964 with The VIII-th International Congress of the Soil Science in Bucharest, to the International Congress “Les premiers habitants de l'Europe”- in Tautavel, France, in 2002.

    His studies in the mammal paleontology resulted in the description of a considerable number of new taxa in this scientific field, belonging to eight orders and 15 families, from Multituberculates to Artiodactyles. These descriptions included one new family, 17 new genera, 29 new species, and 18 new subspecies.

    The discoveries of particular importance were:
        Crivadiatherium, a new genus of Embritopodes, rejected the theory that this particular group of Paleogene mammals was specific to the Egypto-Anatolian geographic area.
        Paradolipchopithecus geticus, a perfectly preserved skull of a cinomorphe of the Upper Pliocene in Romania
        Barbatodon and Kogaionon, the first new genera of Multituberculates in the Maastrichtian deposit in the Hateg Depression.

    Costin Rãdulescu was the first modern Romanian scientist in mammal paleontology whose expertise in the Miocene-Quaternary micromammals was internationally recognized. The list of his publications during his 50 years of activity in the paleontology of fossil mammals in Romania represents the material proof of Costin's scientific value and his exemplary standing in this field. His numerous accomplishments and devotion to the progress of this area of studies earned him the respect of the Institute of Speleology, which elected him as its Director in 1990. It would be hard, if not impossible, to fill the gap created by his demise as the head of this well-known institute.

    On May 1993, the General Assembly of the Romanian Academy elected him as a Corresponding Member, a supreme acknowledgment of his value as a great Romanian scientist. His huge scientific achievements were harmoniously coupled with a kind, tolerant and gentle character, all qualities that made him even more endeared and respected by his friends, colleagues and employees.

    His exceptional professional expertise along with the results of his valuable research brought him the recognition of the international scientific circles. Thus, he was a member of several scientific societies, among which: The Subcomission of Loess Stratigraphy within The International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA), The Subcomission of the Neogene-Quaternary boundary within INQUA, International Stratigraphy Comission of non-marine Tertiary within the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS), Romanian Society for Speleology and Karstology (SRSC), the Subcomission for the Environment Protection of the Romanian Comission of UNESCO.

    Costin Rãdulescu was a superlative man in both professional and personal senses. He was loved, respected and well esteemed by all that knew him and has left behind a legacy of not only research and learning but also of kindness and tolerance. He will be missed.

Ad perpetuam rei memoriam

    Y-a-t il quelque chose de plus difficile ou de plus douloureux que de parler de ton meilleur ami et collègue en employant le passé? Néanmoins, pour respecter le dicton moral qui nous demande ad perpetuam rei memoriam, j'essayerai de présenter Dr. Rãdulescu à la postérité.

    Costin Constantin Rãdulescu, docteur en biologie, membre correspondent de L'Académie Roumaine, a été le premier directeur de l'Institut de Spéléologie “Emil Racovitzã” après La Révolution de 1989.

    Né à Bucarest, le 23 Février 1932, il fait ses études primaires au lycée Gh Lazãr entre 1939 et 1947, et puis les études secondaires au lycée Sf. Sava entre 1947 et 1951. Il continue ses études à la Faculté de Biologie de L'Université de Bucarest entre 1951 et 1955.

    Pendant la deuxième année d'études il se fait remarqué par Prof. Dr. Docent Margareta Dumitrescu, qui le soutient et le dirige vers l'étude de la paléontologie des mammifères. Fille du bien connu Professeur de géologie Sava Athanasiu, Margareta Dumitrescu hérite de son père la passion pour l'étude des fossiles mammaliens. Heureusement, la passion pour la connaissance de son professeur trouve un sol extrêmement fertile dans l'âme du jeune étudiant qui dédie toute sa vie à l'étude de l'évolution des mammifères au cours du temps géologique.

    En 1963 il passe son doctorat après la soutenance d'une thèse intitulée Contributions à l'étude anatomique comparé des artiodactyles actuels et fossiles de notre pays et leur importance pour la stratigraphie du Pléistocène supérieur (en roumain).

    En même temps avec la préparation de sa thèse il commence, en 1956, dans le cadre de l'Institut de Spéléologie “Emil Racovitzã” où il a été recruté après la fin des études, des excavations systématiques dans les grottes du centre de la Dobrogea le synclinal Casimcea: La Adam, Bordeiul de Piatrã, Casian, Cheia, Gura Dobrogei. Il collabore également à des excavations dans les grottes des Carpates: Coltul Surpat, les grottes 1 et 2 du Mont Tãtarului, Cioclovina. En 1958 il devient chercheur au même institut - il y reste jusqu'à la fin de sa vie. Il développe ses recherches et étudie de même des fossiles découverts à l'extérieur des grottes. Cette étape commence en 1960-1961 dans la région moyenne de vallée d’Oltet et se développe progressivement avec des sédimentes nonmarines, pliocènes et miocènes, culminant avec le Crétacé supérieur de la dépression de Hateg.

    Toute son activité de 50 années peut être présentée dans les termes de plusieurs domaines d'intérêt majeur - d'un côté des études de morphologie comparée et de compréhension des rapports phylogénétiques entre les groupes, de l'autre côté l'investigation des problèmes de biostratigraphie et de paléogéographie, supplée par des essayes de reconstitution du paléoenvironemment en relation avec les oscillations du climat, particulièrement pour les glaciations et les interglaciations du Quaternaire.

    Le résultat de ses recherches est la description d'un grand nombre de nouveaux taxons qui appartient à 8 ordres et 15 familles, rangeant des Multituberculates jusqu'aux Artiodactyles. Les descriptions incluent une nouvelle famille, 17 nouveaux genres, 29 novelles espèces et 18 novelles sous-espèces.

    Des découvertes d'importance majeure sont :
        Crivadiatherium, nouvel genre d'Embritopodes qui rejette la théorie soutenant que la zone spécifique pour ce groupe particulier de mammiferes paléogènes serait l'espace égyptieno-anatolien ;
        Paradolipchopithecus geticus, crâne de cynomorphe parfaitement conservé du Pliocène supérieur de Roumanie ;
        Barbatodon et Kogaionon, les premiers genres de multituberculates du dépôt Maastrichtien de la dépression Hateg.

    Costin Rãdulescu est le premier paléomammalogiste roumain modern, spécialiste de haute tenue au domaine des mammifères miocènes-quaternaires.
Au-delà de son excellence professionnelle, ce qu'on remarquait chez lui étaient la bienveillance, la chaleur, la délicatesse et la sensibilité. Il a été aimé, respecté et stimmé, car Costin Rãdulescu manquait de mauvaises sentiments. On regrette beaucoup sa disparition.

Prof. Dr. Docent Theodor Neagu
Membre de l’Académie Roumaine