Integrated Paleoenvironmental Reconstruction and Taphonomy of a Unique Upper Cretaceous Vertebrate-Bearing Locality (Velaux, Southeastern France).
The Velaux-La Bastide Neuve fossil-bearing site (Bouches-du-Rhône, France) has yielded a diverse vertebrate assemblage dominated by dinosaurs, including the titanosaur Atsinganosaurus velauciensis. We here provide a complete inventory of vertebrate fossils collected during two large-scale field campaigns. Numerous crocodilian teeth occur together with complete skulls. Pterosaur, hybodont shark and fish elements are also represented but uncommon. Magnetostratigraphic analyses associated with biostratigraphic data from dinosaur eggshell and charophytes suggest a Late Campanian age for the locality. Lithologic and taphonomic studies, associated with microfacies and palynofacies analyses, indicate a fluvial setting of moderate energy with broad floodplain. Palynomorphs are quite rare; only three taxa of pollen grains occur: a bisaccate taxon, a second form probably belonging to the Normapolles complex, and another tricolporate taxon. Despite the good state of preservation, these taxa are generally difficult to identify, since they are scarce and have a very minute size. Most of the vertebrate remains are well preserved and suggest transport of the carcasses over short distances before accumulation in channel and overbank facies, together with reworked Aptian grains of glauconite, followed by a rapid burial. The bones accumulated in three thin layers that differ by their depositional modes and their taphonomic histories. Numerous calcareous and iron oxides-rich paleosols developed on the floodplain, suggesting an alternating dry and humid climate in the region during the Late Campanian.
Department of Geology, NaGRIDD, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium; Directorate 'Earth and History of Life', Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.
Aude
A
Cincotta
Department of Geology, NaGRIDD, University of Namur, Namur, Belgium.
Johan
J
Yans
Directorate 'Earth and History of Life', Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Brussels, Belgium.
Pascal
P
Godefroit
Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine: Evolution et Paléoenvironnements UMR 7262, University of Poitiers TSA 51106, Poitiers, France.
Géraldine
G
Garcia
Centre de Recherches sur la Paléobiodiversité et les Paléoenvironnements (CR2P, UMR 7207), Sorbonne Universités- MNHN, CNRS, UPMC Paris 6. Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, France.
Jean
J
Dejax
Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine: Evolution et Paléoenvironnements UMR 7262, University of Poitiers TSA 51106, Poitiers, France.
Mouloud
M
Benammi
Hôtel du Département, Direction de l'Environnement, Conseil Général des Bouches-du-Rhône, Marseille, France.
Sauveur
S
Amico
Institut de Paléoprimatologie, Paléontologie Humaine: Evolution et Paléoenvironnements UMR 7262, University of Poitiers TSA 51106, Poitiers, France; Palaios association, Valdivienne, France.
Xavier
X
Valentin
D000489:Alligators and Crocodiles / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D000818:Animals; D005075:Biological Evolution; D001842:Bone and Bones / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D025061:Dinosaurs / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D004777:Environment; D005399:Fishes / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D005580:Fossils / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D010163:Paleontology / Q000379:methods; D012886:Skull / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014070:Tooth / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D014714:Vertebrates / Q000033:anatomy & histology