A Lower Cretaceous Lagerstatte from France: a taphonomic overview of the Angeac-Charente vertebrate assemblage

Rozada, L. ; Allain, R. ; Vullo, R. ; Goedert, J. ; Augier, D. ; Jean, A. ; Marchal, J. ; de Fabregues, C.P. ; Qvarnstrom, M. ; Royo-Torres, R. (Universidad de Zaragoza)

Resumen: Terrestrial ecosystems from the Lower Cretaceous of Europe and bonebeds formed in swampy environments are poorly known. The Berriasian-early Valanginian Angeac-Charente site in France represents an example of both. Nine field campaigns have yielded thousands of fossils of over a hundred taxa, including 16 taxa from vertebrate macroremains with numerous trample and crocodile bite marks; 22 taxa from the abundant vertebrate microremains; >10 vertebrate coprolite morphotypes with plant and vertebrate inclusions; abundant sauropod and stegosaur tracks including some preserved in ''4-D''; termite coprolites; mollusc moulds; ostracods and plants, including coniferous wood, cones, leaves and cuticle fragments, charophytes and pollen. The richness, diversity and preservation of the fossils qualify the site as a fossil-Lagerstatte. The site represents a ''snapshot'' into a Lower Cretaceous ecosystem. This is supported by REE analyses of biogenic apatite and sediment samples, the fossils being found in a single stratigraphical interval and the record of sedimentological and taphonomic ''frozen scenes''. The Angeac-Charente bonebed is highly diverse, dominated by an ornithomimosaur taxon, and contains both macro- and microfossils. This indicates a complex formation, likely primarily influenced by ecological and biologic processes, but also significant physical processes. These include crocodyliform predation and/or scavenging on turtles, ornithomimosaurs and fishes; probable mass mortality occurrence of an ornithomimosaur herd; possible social behaviour of stegosaurs; limited hydraulic transport of most sauropod bones and intense dinoturbation.

Idioma: Inglés

DOI: 10.1111/let.12394

Año: 2021

Publicado en: Lethaia 54, 2 (2021), 141-165
ISSN: 0024-1164

Factor impacto JCR: 1.598 (2021)

Categ. JCR: PALEONTOLOGY rank: 33 / 54 = 0.611 (2021) - Q3 - T2

Factor impacto CITESCORE: 3.6 - Earth and Planetary Sciences (Q2) - Agricultural and Biological Sciences (Q2)

Factor impacto SCIMAGO: 0.659 - Paleontology (Q1) - Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics (Q1)

Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/DGA-FEDER/E04-17R
Financiación: info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/ES/MICIU/PGC2018-094034-B-C22

Tipo y forma: Article (Published version)

Área (Departamento): Área Didáctica Ciencias Exper. (Dpto. Didácticas Específicas)