Earth:Quercy Phosphorites Formation

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Quercy Phosphorites Formation
Stratigraphic range: latest Bartonian-Late Oligocene
~38–25 Ma
TypeFormation
OverliesFissure fillings in karstified Jurassic and Triassic rocks
Lithology
PrimaryPhosphorite
Location
Coordinates [ ⚑ ] : 44°18′N 1°36′E / 44.3°N 1.6°E / 44.3; 1.6
Paleocoordinates [ ⚑ ] 42°48′N 2°00′W / 42.8°N 2.0°W / 42.8; -2.0
RegionOccitanie
CountryFrance
Type section
Named forQuercy
Named byThévenin
Year defined1903
Quercy Phosphorites Formation is located in France
Quercy Phosphorites Formation
Quercy Phosphorites Formation (France)

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.

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.

Description

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]

Paleontological significance

Paleogeography of the Late Eocene to Oligocene with biodiversity of the Quercy Phosphorites
Exceptional preservation of nerves, digestive tract and stomachal content in the frog-eating salamander Phosphotriton sigei

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

Primates
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Cryptadapis C. tertius[12] An adapiform primate.
Apatotheria
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Chardinyus C. sp.[12]
Heterohyus H. (Chardinyus) nanus[12]
H. (Gervaisyus) pygmaeus[12]
Gervaisyus G. sp.[12]
Artiodactyls
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]
Carnivora
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]
Chiroptera
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]
Creodonta
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Paracynohyaenodon P. magnus[12]
Parapterodon P. lostangensis[12]
Euarchonta
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Darbonetus D. aubrelongensis[31]
Hyaenodonta
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Paroxyaena P. pavlovi[32]
Lipotyphla
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]
Marsupials
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]
Perissodactyls
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Pachynolophus Pachynolophus bretovense[13]
Proeutheria
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Pseudorhyncocyon Pseudorhyncocyon cayluxi[12]
Rodents
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]

Birds

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]
Caprimulgiformes
Genus Species Location Stratigraphic position Material Images
Euronyctibius E. kurochkini[37]
Quercypodargus Q. olsoni[37]

Reptiles

Crocodiles
  • Alligator gaudryi[38]
Lizards


Snakes


Turtles


Amphibians

Frogs


Salamanders


Insects


Flora


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Quercy Phosphorites Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 Phosphorites du Quercy Formation at Fossilworks.org
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Laloy et al., 2013
  4. ↑ Legendre et al., 1997, p.331
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Legendre et al., 1997, p.332
  6. ↑ Astruc & Pellissié, 1988, p.8
  7. ↑ Legendre et al., 1997, p.333
  8. ↑ Tissier et al., 2017, p.6
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.2
  10. ↑ Vasilyan, 2018, p.19
  11. ↑ Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.12
  12. ↑ 12.00 12.01 12.02 12.03 12.04 12.05 12.06 12.07 12.08 12.09 12.10 12.11 12.12 12.13 12.14 12.15 12.16 12.17 12.18 12.19 12.20 12.21 12.22 12.23 12.24 12.25 12.26 12.27 12.28 12.29 12.30 12.31 12.32 12.33 12.34 12.35 12.36 12.37 12.38 12.39 12.40 12.41 12.42 12.43 12.44 12.45 12.46 12.47 12.48 12.49 12.50 12.51 12.52 12.53 12.54 12.55 12.56 12.57 Legendre et al., 1997, p.334
  13. ↑ 13.00 13.01 13.02 13.03 13.04 13.05 13.06 13.07 13.08 13.09 13.10 13.11 13.12 13.13 13.14 13.15 13.16 13.17 13.18 13.19 13.20 13.21 13.22 13.23 13.24 13.25 13.26 13.27 13.28 13.29 13.30 13.31 13.32 13.33 13.34 13.35 13.36 Legendre et al., 1997, p.335
  14. ↑ Sudre, 1984
  15. ↑ 15.0 15.1 Mennecart & Métais, 2015
  16. ↑ 16.0 16.1 Blondel, 2005
  17. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.603
  18. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.612
  19. ↑ 19.0 19.1 19.2 Peigné, 2003
  20. ↑ 20.0 20.1 Bonis et al., 2019, p.616
  21. ↑ 21.0 21.1 Peigné & Brunet, 2001
  22. ↑ 22.0 22.1 22.2 Bonis et al., 2019, p.618
  23. ↑ Peigné, 2000
  24. ↑ Peigné, 2001
  25. ↑ 25.0 25.1 Bonis et al., 2019, p.614
  26. ↑ 26.0 26.1 Bonis et al., 2019, p.610
  27. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.604
  28. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.608
  29. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.615
  30. ↑ Bonis et al., 2019, p.611
  31. ↑ Hooker, 2018, p.236
  32. ↑ Lavrov, 2007
  33. ↑ Hugueney & Maridet, 2017
  34. ↑ 34.0 34.1 34.2 34.3 34.4 Ginot et al., 2016, p.7
  35. ↑ Hartenberger & Vianey-Liaud, 1978
  36. ↑ Vianey-Liaud & Schmid, 2009
  37. ↑ 37.0 37.1 Mourer-Chauviré, 1989
  38. ↑ 38.00 38.01 38.02 38.03 38.04 38.05 38.06 38.07 38.08 38.09 38.10 38.11 Rage, 2006
  39. ↑ 39.00 39.01 39.02 39.03 39.04 39.05 39.06 39.07 39.08 39.09 39.10 39.11 39.12 39.13 39.14 39.15 39.16 39.17 39.18 39.19 Augé, 2005
  40. ↑ Rage, 1988
  41. ↑ 41.0 41.1 Broin, 1977
  42. ↑ Tissier et al., 2016
  43. ↑ 43.0 43.1 43.2 Van de Kamp et al., 2018, p.4
  44. ↑ 44.0 44.1 44.2 44.3 44.4 44.5 44.6 44.7 Schmied et al., 2013, p.145
  45. ↑ De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.99
  46. ↑ 46.0 46.1 De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.100
  47. ↑ 47.0 47.1 47.2 47.3 47.4 De Franceschi et al., 2006, p.101

Bibliography

Map reports
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.
  • Hooker, Jerry J. 2018. Eocene antiquity of the European nyctitheriid euarchontan mammal Darbonetus. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 63. 235-239. Accessed 2020-09-13.
  • Van de Kamp, Thomas; Achim H. Schwermann; Tomy dos Santos Rolo; Philipp D. Lösel; Thomas Engler; Walter Etter; Tomáš Faragó; Jörg Göttlicher, and Vincent Heuveline, Andreas Kopmann, Bastian Mähler, Thomas Mörs, Janes Odar, Jes Rust, Nicholas Tan Jerome, Matthias Vogelgesang, Tilo Baumbach and Lars Krogmann. 2018. Parasitoid biology preserved in mineralized fossils. Nature Communications 9. 1-14. Accessed 2020-09-13.
  • 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.
  • Lavrov, A. V. 2007. New Species of Paroxyaena (Hyaenodontidae, Creodonta) from Phosphorites of Quercy, Late Eocene, France. Paleontological Journal 41. 298-311.
  • 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.
  • Augé, M. L. 2005. Evolution des lézards du Paléogène en Europe. Mémoires du Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle 192. 1-369.
  • Blondel, C. 2005. New data on the Cainotheriidae (Mammalia, Artiodactyla) from the early Oligocene of south-western France. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 144. 125-166.
  • Wesley-Hunt, Gina D., and Lars Werdelin. 2005. Basicranial morphology and phylogenetic position of the upper Eocene carnivoramorphan Quercygale. Acta Palaeontologica Polonica 50. 837-846. Accessed 2020-09-13.
  • Peigné, S. 2003. Systematic review of European Nimravinae (Mammalia, Carnivora, Nimravidae) and the phylogenetic relationships of Palaeogene Nimravidae. Zoologica Scripta 32. 199-229.
  • 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.
  • Peigné, S., and M. Brunet. 2001. Une nouvelle espèce du genre Eusmilus (Carnivora: Nimravidae) de l'Oligocène (MP 22) d'Europe. Geobios 34. 657-672.
  • 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.

Further reading

External links



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