During the press conference given by Professor Yves Coppens on December 7th, 2010, Thierry Heulin (a microbiologist, member of the Lascaux International Scientific Council) has, according to the french press agency AFP, indicated that the fungus responsible for the black spots in the Lascaux cave was from now on well known and identified.

In an e-mail dated December 8th, we asked Dr Heulin which fungus this was, and if he could inform us about the research, posterior to the contradictory reports of the teams of Geneviève Orial and Claude Alabouvette made during the "Lascaux Symposium" of February 2009, which has allowed this final identification.

In his answer, Dr Heulin indicates that the identification of this fungus should result in the description of a new species which is in the process of writing in view of its publication. Dr Heulin indicates that we shall be informed as soon as the paper will be published.

We must therefore wait for this publication to know who is the "black sheep" in the cave.

Let us hope that the Scientific Council, unlike us, is fully informed about this finding and will be able to use this information for the benefit of the safeguard of the cave.