Phosphorites_du_Quercy
The Quercy Phosphorites Formation (French: Phosphorites du Quercy) is a geologic formation and lagerstätte in Occitanie, southern France. It preserves fossils dated to the Paleogene period (latest Bartonian to Late Oligocene),[1][2] or MP16 to MP28 zones of the European land mammal age classification, ranging from approximately 38 to 25 Ma.
Quick Facts Type, Overlies ...
| Quercy Phosphorites Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: latest Bartonian-Late Oligocene ~38–25 Ma | |
| Type | Formation |
| Overlies | Fissure fillings in karstified Jurassic and Triassic rocks |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Phosphorite |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 44.3°N 1.6°E / 44.3; 1.6 |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 42.8°N 2.0°W / 42.8; -2.0 |
| Region | Occitanie |
| Country | France |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Quercy |
| Named by | Thévenin |
| Year defined | 1903 |
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It qualifies as a Lagerstätte because beside a large variety of mammals, birds, turtles, crocodiles, flora and insects, it also preserves the soft tissues of amphibians and squamates, in addition to their articulated skeleton in what has been called natural mummies.[3]
The genera Quercylurus, Quercymegapodius, Quercypsitta, Quercypodargus, Quercycerta and Quercygama, and species Mosaicomeryx quercyi, Robiacina quercyi, Palaeophyllophora quercyi, Archaeomys quercyi, Eomys quercyi, Eucricetodon quercyi and Tarnomys quercynus, as well as the lizards Paraplacosauriops quercyi and Pseudolacerta quercyini and the insect Palaeortona quercyensis were named after the formation.
The first phosphate deposits in Quercy were discovered in 1869 and published by Daubré and Trutat independently in 1871.[4] The first fossils from the formation were described by Delfortie (1872) and Gervais in the same year and extensively studied by Filhol from 1877 onwards. The first geologic investigation of the formation was performed by Thévenin in 1903, and apart from a description by Gèze in 1938, the paleontological richness was not studied until a team of researchers of the Universities of Montpellier and Paris visited the site in 1965.[5]
The karstified phosphate deposits are found from the Lot and Célé river valleys in the north to the left bank of the Aveyron in the south and from the Villefranche Fault in the east to the lacustrine deposits of the Aquitaine Basin in the west. The formation is found in fissures (karst) incising Jurassic and Triassic rocks east of Cahors.[6] The age of the fossiliferous unit, in which almost 12,000 specimens were found ranges from the MP16 to MP28 zones of the European land mammal age classification.[5] These ages correspond to the latest Bartonian to Chattian, from about 38 to 25 Ma.[7]
The Quercy Phosphorites Formation is a highly fossiliferous unit designated as a Lagerstätte due to the excellent preservation of fossils. The phosphorite conserves up to the nerves, digestive tract and stomach content,[8] insect larvae and other elements of the paleobiology in the formation. Nearly all Quercy fly pupae were preserved as isolated endocasts, of which many were still covered by the puparium, the hardened skin of the last larval instar.[9] The formation also straddles the Grande Coupure and shows diversity changes (number of species) of frog, salamander, lizard and snake fossil records across the formation.[10] It is assumed that the Quercy arthropods fossilized by a rapid fixation by phosphate-rich water followed by encrustation and mineralization.[11]
Fossil content
The following fossils have been reported from the formation:[1][2][12][13]
Mammals
More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cryptadapis | C. tertius[12] | An adapiform primate. |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chardinyus | C. sp.[12] | ||||
| Heterohyus | H. (Chardinyus) nanus[12] | ||||
| H. (Gervaisyus) pygmaeus[12] | |||||
| Gervaisyus | G. sp.[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachitherium | B. guirounetensis[13] | ||||
| B. lavocati[13] | |||||
| Cryptomeryx | C. gaudryi[14] | ||||
| Dichobune | D. sigei[13] | ||||
| Dichodon | D. vidalenci[13] | ||||
| Iberomeryx | I. matsoui[13] | ||||
| Mosaicomeryx | M. quercyi[15] | ||||
| Paroxacron | P. bergeri[16] | ||||
| Plesiomeryx | P. cadurcensis[16] | ||||
| 'Prodremotherium | P. elongatum[15] | ||||
| Pseudamphimeryx | P. salesmei[13] | ||||
| Robiacina | R. lavergnensis[13] | ||||
| R. quercyi[13] | |||||
| Tapirulus | Tapirulus perrierensis[13] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphicynodon | A. typicus[17] | ||||
| Cephalogale | C. sp.[18] | ||||
| Cynodyctis | C. lacustris neboulensis[13] | ||||
| Dinailurictis | D. bonali[19][20] | ||||
| Eofelis | E. edwardsii[21][22] | ||||
| E. giganteus[23] | |||||
| cf. E. sp.[24] | |||||
| Eusmilus | E. bidentatus[21][22] | ||||
| Mustelictis | M. cf. major[25] | ||||
| M. aff. olivieri[25] | |||||
| Nimravus | N. intermedius[19][20] | ||||
| Pachycynodon | P. amphictina[26] | ||||
| P. crassirostris[27] | |||||
| P. cf. dubius[26] | |||||
| P. cf. filholi[28] | |||||
| Palaeogale | P. sectoria[22] | ||||
| Peignictis | P. pseudamphictis[29] | ||||
| Quercylurus | Q. major[19] | ||||
| Wangictis | W. tedfordi[30] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hipposideros Pseudorhinolophus | H. P. sehlosseri[12] | ||||
| H. P. trassounius[12] | |||||
| H. P. zbrjdi[12] | |||||
| Leuconoe | L. lavocati[12] | ||||
| Palaeophyllophora | P. oltina[12] | ||||
| P. quercyi[12] | |||||
| Stehlinia | S. bonisi[12] | ||||
| S. minor[12] | |||||
| Vaylatsia | V. garouillasensis[12] | ||||
| V. gerscheli[12] | |||||
| V. gracilis[12] | |||||
| V. lapradensis[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paracynohyaenodon | P. magnus[12] | ||||
| Parapterodon | P. lostangensis[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darbonetus | D. aubrelongensis[31] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Paroxyaena | P. pavlovi[32] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphidozotherium | A. cayluxi[12] | ||||
| Darbonetus | D. aubrelongensis[12] | ||||
| D. tuberi[12] | |||||
| Myxomygale | M. antiqua[33] | ||||
| Saturninia | S. beata[12] | ||||
| S. pelissiei[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amphiperatherium | A. bourdellense[12] | ||||
| A. lamandini[12] | |||||
| Peratherium | P. bretouense[12] | ||||
| P. cayluxi[12] | |||||
| P. lavergnense[12] | |||||
| P. perrierense[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pachynolophus | Pachynolophus bretovense[13] |
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- Proeutheria
More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pseudorhyncocyon | Pseudorhyncocyon cayluxi[12] |
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More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Archaeomys | A. intermedius[13] | ||||
| A. quercyi[13] | |||||
| Bernardia | B. marandati[13] | ||||
| Blainvillimys | B. gemellus[13] | ||||
| B. gousnatensis[13] | |||||
| B. langei[13][34] | |||||
| B. rotundidens[35] | |||||
| Elfomys | E. medius[13] | ||||
| Eomys | Eomys gigas[13] | ||||
| E. minus[13] | |||||
| E. quercyi[13] | |||||
| Eucricetodon | E. atavus[34] | ||||
| E. quercyi[13] | |||||
| Gliravus | G. garouillensis[13] | ||||
| G. itardiensis[13] | |||||
| Issiodoromys | I. limognensis[13] | ||||
| I. pauffiensis[13][34] | |||||
| Palaeosciurus | P. goti[13][34] | ||||
| Paradelomys | Paradelomys spelaeus[13] | ||||
| Patriotheridcmys | P. altus[13] | ||||
| P. altus neboulensis[13] | |||||
| P. sudrei[13] | |||||
| Pseudoltinomys | P. gaillardi[34] | ||||
| P. major[13] | |||||
| P. phosphoricus[13] | |||||
| Sciuromys | S. cayluxi[36] | ||||
| S. rigali[13] | |||||
| Tarnomys | T. quercynus[13] | ||||
| Theridomys | T. ludensis[13] |
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Birds
More information Genus, Species ...
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Images |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ameghinornis | A. sp.[12] | ||||
| Horusornis | H. vianeyliaudae[12] | ||||
| Idiornis | I. itardiensis[12] | ||||
| Itardiornis | I. hessae[12] | ||||
| Leptoganga | L. sp.[12] | ||||
| Necrobyas | N. minimus[12] | ||||
| Nocturnavis | N. sp.[12] | ||||
| Palaeoglaux | P. perrierensis[12] | ||||
| Palaeotodus | P. escampsiensis[12] | ||||
| P. itardiensis[12] | |||||
| Paleseyvus | P. escampensis[12] | ||||
| Primocolius | P. sigei[12] | ||||
| P. minor[12] | |||||
| Quercymegapodius | Q. brodkorbi[12] | ||||
| Quercypsitta | Q. ivani[12] | ||||
| Q. sudrei[12] | |||||
| Recurvirostra | R. sanctaeneboulae[12] | ||||
| Sylphornis | S. bretouensis[12] | ||||
| Ventivorus | V. ragei[12] |
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- Caprimulgiformes
Reptiles
- Crocodiles
- Alligator gaudryi[38]
- Lizards
- Ayalasaurus tenuis[39]
- Brevisaurus smithi[39]
- Cadurciguana hoffstetteri[12]
- Cadurcogekko piveteaui[39]
- Dracaenosaurus croizeti[39]
- Eurheloderma gallicum[39]
- Geiseltaliellus lamandini[39]
- Mediolacerta roceki[39]
- Necrosaurus cayluxi[39]
- N. eucarinatus[39]
- Omoiotyphlops priscus[39]
- Paraplacosauriops quercyi[39]
- Placosaurus rugosus[39]
- Plesiolacerta lydekkeri[39]
- Pseudeumeces cadurcensis[39]
- Pseudolacerta mucronata[39]
- P. quercyini[39]
- Quercycerta maxima[39]
- Quercygama galliae[39]
- Uromastyx europaeus[39]
- Placosaurus sp.[39]
- Snakes
- Cadurcoboa insolita[12]
- Coluber cadurci[12]
- Dunnophis cadurcensis[12]
- Eoanilius europae[12]
- Natrix mlynarskii[12][40]
- Palaeopython cadurcensis[38]
- P. filholi[38]
- P. neglectus[38]
- Paleryx cayluxi[38]
- Platyspondylia lepta[12]
- Plesiotortrix edwardsi[38]
- Turtles
- Ptychogaster cayluxensis[41]
- Testudo phosphoritarum[38]
- Testudinidae indet.[41]
Amphibians
- Frogs
- Bufo serratus[38]
- T. gezei[3]
- Thaumastosaurus bottii[38]
- Salamanders
- Heteroclitotriton zitteli[38]
- Megalotriton filholi[38]
- M. portisi[38]
- Phosphotriton sigei[42]
Insects
- Coptera anka[43]
- Onthophilus intermedius[44]
- Palaeortona quercyensis[43]
- Xenomorphia handschini[43]
- X. resurrecta[9]
- Blattodea[44]
- Coleoptera[44]
- Diptera[44]
- Ensifera[44]
- Hymenoptera[44]
- Lepidoptera[44]
- Myriapoda[44]
Flora
- Palmocaulon sp.[45]
- Anacardiaceae indet.[46]
- Caryophyllales indet.[47]
- Malvaceae indet.[47]
- Menispermacae indet.[47]
- Sapotaceae indet.[47]
- Ulmaceae indet.[47]
- Vitaceae indet.[46]
- Laloy et al., 2013
- Legendre et al., 1997, p.331
- Legendre et al., 1997, p.332
- Astruc & Pellissié, 1988, p.8
- Legendre et al., 1997, p.333
- Tissier et al., 2017, p.6
- Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.2
- Vasilyan, 2018, p.19
- Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.12
- Legendre et al., 1997, p.334
- Legendre et al., 1997, p.335
- Sudre, 1984
- Mennecart & Métais, 2015
- Blondel, 2005
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.603
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.612
- Peigné, 2003
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.616
- Peigné & Brunet, 2001
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.618
- Peigné, 2000
- Peigné, 2001
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.614
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.610
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.604
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.608
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.615
- Bonis et al., 2019, p.611
- Hooker, 2018, p.236
- Lavrov, 2007
- Hugueney & Maridet, 2017
- Ginot et al., 2016, p.7
- Hartenberger & Vianey-Liaud, 1978
- Vianey-Liaud & Schmid, 2009
- Mourer-Chauviré, 1989
- Rage, 2006
- Augé, 2005
- Rage, 1988
- Broin, 1977
- Tissier et al., 2016
- Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.4
- Schmied et al., 2013, p.145
- De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.99
- De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.100
- De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.101
Bibliography
- Map reports
- Astruc, J.G., and T. Pellissié. 1988. Notice explicative de la feuille Cahors 1:50,000, 1–39. BRGM. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Paleontology
- De Bonis, Louis; Axelle Gardin, and Cécile Blondel. 2019. Carnivora from the early Oligocene of the 'Phosphorites du Quercy' in southwestern France. Geodiversitas 41. 601–621. Accessed 2020-09-13.
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- Vasilyan, Davit. 2018. Eocene Western European endemic genus Thaumastosaurus: new insights into the question "Are the Ranidae known prior to the Oligocene?". PeerJ 6. 1–24. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Hugueney, M., and O. Maridet. 2017. Evolution of Oligo-Miocene talpids (Mammalia, Talpidae) in Europe: focus on the genera Myxomygale and Percymygale n. gen. Historical Biology _. .. .
- Tissier, Jérémy; Jean-Claude Rage, and Michel Laurin. 2017. Exceptional soft tissues preservation in a mummified frog-eating Eocene salamander. PeerJ 5. 1–14. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Ginot, Samuel; Lionel Hautier; Laurent Marivaux, and Monique Vianey-Liaud. 2016. Ecomorphological analysis of the astragalo-calcaneal complex in rodents and inferences of locomotor behaviours in extinct rodent species. PeerJ 4. 1–49. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Tissier, J.; J.-C. Rage; R. Boistel; V. Fernández; N. Pollet; G. García, and M. Laurin. 2016. Synchrotron analysis of a 'mummified' salamander (Vertebrata: Caudata) from the Eocene of Quercy, France. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 177. 147-164. .
- Mennecart, B., and G. Métais. 2015. Mosaicomeryx gen. nov., a ruminant mammal from the Oligocene of Europe and the significance of 'gelocids'. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 13. 581-600. .
- Laloy, F.; J.-C. Rage; S. E. Evans; R. Boistel; N. Lenoir, and M. Laurin. 2013. A Re-Interpretation of the Eocene Anuran Thaumastosaurus Based on MicroCT Examination of a 'Mummified' Specimen. PLoS ONE 8. e74874:1. .
- Schmied, Heiko; Achim H. Schwermann; Thomas van de Kamp; Tomy dos Santos Rolo, and Tilo Baumbach. 2013. Inside the Clown. Synchrotron X-ray microtomography reveals extraordinary details of internal and genital structures of 30 million old beetles, 1-218. Joachim Reitner, Yang Qun, Wang Yongdong and Mike Reich (eds.) Palaeobiology and Geobiology of Fossil Lagerstätten through Earth History. ISBN 978-3-86395-135-1
- Vianey-Liaud, M., and B. Schmid. 2009. Diversité, datation et paléoenvironnement de la faune de mammifères oligocène de Cavalé (Quercy, SO France) : contribution de l’analyse morphométrique des Theridomyinae (Mammalia, Rodentia). Geodiversitas 31. 909-941. .
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- De Franceschi, D.; C. Le Gall; G. Escarguel; M. Hugueney; S. Legendre; R. Simon-Coinçon; T. Pélissié, and B. Sigé. 2006. Une paléoflore des phosphatières karstiques du Quercy (Sud-Ouest France) : première découverte, résultats et perspectives - A paleoflora from the Quercy phosphorites Paleokarsts (Southwestern France): first discovery, results and perspectives. Strata 13. 97–101. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Rage, J.-C. 2006. The lower vertebrates from the Eocene and Oligocene of the Phosphorites du Quercy (France): an overview. Strata 1. 161-173. .
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- Peigné, S. 2001. A primitive nimravine skull from the Quercy fissures, France: implications for the origin and evolution of Nimravidae (Carnivora). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 132. 401-410. .
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- Peigné, S. 2000. A new species of Eofelis (Carnivora: Nimravidae) from the Phosphorites of Quercy, France. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences, Série IIA 330. 653-658. .
- Legendre, Serge; Bernard Sigé; Jean Guy Astruc; Louis de Bonis; Jean-Yves Crochet; Christiane Denys; Marc Godinot; Jean-Louis Hartenberger, and François Lévêque, Bernard Marandat, Cécile Mourer-Chauviré, Jean-Claude Rage, Jean Albert Remy, Jean Sudre and Monique Vianey-Liaud. 1997. Les phosphorites du Quercy: 30 ans de recherche. Bilan et perspectives - The phosphorites of Quercy: 30 years of investigations. Results and prospects. Geobios 20. 331–345. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Wolsan, Mieczysław, and Brigitte Lange-Badré. 1996. An arctomorph carnivoran skull from the Phosphorites du Quercy and the origin of procyonids. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 41. 277-298. Accessed 2020-09-13.
- Mourer-Chauviré, C. 1989. Les Caprimulgiformes et les Coraciiformes de l'Éocène et de l'Oligocène des phosphorites du Quercy et description de deux genres nouveaux de Podargidae et Nyctibiidae, 2047-2055. Acta XIX congressus internationalis ornithologici.
- Rage, J.-C. 1988. The oldest known colubrid snakes. The state of the art. Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia 31. 457-474. .
- Sudre, J. 1984. Cryptomerix Schlosser, 1886, Tragulidé de l'oligocène d'Europe; relations du genre et considérations sur l'origine des ruminants. Palaeovertebrata 14. 1-31. .
- Hartenberger, J.-L., and M. Vianey-Liaud. 1978. La poche a phosphate de Ste-Néboule (Lot) et sa faune de vertebres du Ludien Superieur. 13. - Rongeurs. Palaeovertebrata 8. 313-318. .
- Broin, F. 1977. Contribution a l'etude des Cheloniens. Cheloniens continentaux due Cretace et du Tertiare de France. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Série C, Sciences de la terre 38. 1-366. .
- Reitner, Joachim; Yang Qun; Wang Yongdong, and Mike Reich. 2013. Palaeobiology and Geobiology of Fossil Lagerstätten through Earth History, 1-218. Universitätsverlag Göttingen. Accessed 2020-09-15. ISBN 978-3-86395-135-1
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