Where: Auvergne, France (46.1° N, 2.9° E: paleocoordinates 40.3° N, 0.7° E)
• coordinate stated in text
• outcrop-level geographic resolution
When: Menat Formation, Selandian (61.6 - 59.2 Ma)
• The estimated age of the Menat site varies. It was previously dated by pollen analysis, mammal stratigraphy, and an unpublished radiometric K/Ar analysis as late Paleocene (see Kedves & Russell 1982). However, several lines of more recent evidence indicate an older, middle Paleocene (Selandian) age, of about 60-61 Ma. Paleomagnetic studies reveal that the eruption took place during a reversed interval (Kedves & Russell 1982). Fossils of the mammal Plesiadapis from Menat enable the locality to be connected to the biostratigraphic framework established in the Western Interior USA that relies extensively on this genus (Gingerich 1976; Secord et al. 2006). The abundance of the genus, its rapid evolution, and its Holarctic dispersal history allow species of Plesiadapis to play an important role in the zonation of Paleocene continental sediments and in correlation of faunas on both sides of the North Atlantic (e.g., Gingerich 1976). Two remarkable skeletons of P. insignis, one of them nearly complete, have been found in lake deposits at Menat, and this species closely compares to P. praecursor / P. anceps in North America (pers. comm. P. Gingerich August 2008). This suggests an early Selandian age, equivalent to the early Tiffanian Ti-1/Ti-2 land mammal biozonation sensu Secord et al. (2006) (see also Gingerich 1976; Russell 1967, 1975). In North America, the Ti1 and Ti2 biozones occur within magnetic polarity Chron 26r (Secord et al. 2006), consistent with the reversed polarity of the Menat sediments.
Environment/lithology: crater lake; diatomite
Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils
Preservation: mold/impression
Collected by Piton; reposited in the MNHN
Primary reference: L. Piton. 1940. Paléontologie du Gisement Éocéne de Menat (Puy-de-Dôme) (Flore et Faune) 1-303 [M. Clapham/J. Karr/M. Clapham]more details
Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis
PaleoDB collection 113685: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Jered Karr on 04.08.2011, edited by Philip Mannion
Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)
Taxonomic list
Reptilia | |
Menatalligator bergouniouxi n. gen. n. sp.6
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Aves | |
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Reptilia | |
Lazarussuchus sp.1 Hecht 1992 choristodere BDL 1819 - comprises a skull and postcranial skeleton in articulation, preserved as part and counterpart
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Insecta | |
Prophasgonura lineatocollis n. gen. n. sp., Protempusa incerta n. gen. n. sp., Conocephalus martyi n. sp.
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Eremobiites sp., Ochrilidia lineata n. sp.
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Orthacanthacris incertus n. sp., Menatacridium eocenicum n. sp.
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"Archaeophlebia enigmatica n. gen. n. sp." = Louispitonia enigmatica, Arvernineura insignis n. gen. n. sp.
"Archaeophlebia enigmatica n. gen. n. sp." = Louispitonia enigmatica Piton 1940 mantis Coll. Piton 640, 641
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Neotermes grassei n. sp.
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Protectobia primordialis n. gen. n. sp., Eoplaneta desforesti, Zeunera superba n. sp., Zeunera madeleinae n. sp., Prostylopyga gigantea n. gen. n. sp., Periplaneta houlberti n. sp.
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Gyna obesa n. sp.
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Prochaeradodis enigmaticus n. gen. n. sp.
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Prodontocerum ligniticum n. gen. n. sp.
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Phryganea nigripennis n. sp.
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Euchroma arvernica n. sp.
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"Dineutes giganteus n. sp." = Gyretes giganteus
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Phytonomus punctatus n. sp.
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Rhysosternum punctatolineatum n. sp., Lixus ligniticus n. sp., "Balaninus elegans n. sp." = Menatorhis elegans, Centrinus longipes n. sp., Hipporhinus ventricosus n. sp.
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"Haltica dryophyllorum n. sp." = Altica dryophyllorum, Cryptocephalus minusculus n. sp., "Clythrina eocenica n. gen. n. sp." = Clytrina eocenica
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Prolamioides brunneus n. sp., Monohammus orientalis n. sp., "Palaeoncoderes piacentinii n. sp." = Palaeoncoderes piacentini, Palaeoncoderes eocenicus, Chlorida magnifica n. sp., Prionus sinuatus n. sp.
"Palaeoncoderes piacentinii n. sp." = Palaeoncoderes piacentini Piton 1940 longhorned beetle Coll. Piton 525
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Oxyporus impressus n. sp.
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Aphodius charauxi n. sp.
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Bolboceras inermis n. sp.
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Semiotus menatensis n. sp., "Adelocera jungi n. sp." = Lacon jungi
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Stigmodera unicolor n. sp., Chrysochroa punctata n. sp., Ancylochira pinguis n. sp., Ancylochira metallica n. sp., "Eurythyrea viridis n. sp." = Buprestis viridis, "Ancylochira octomaculata n. sp." = Buprestis octomaculata, Eurythyrea micropunctata n. sp., Anthaxia ventricosa n. sp., "Anthaxia biimpressa n. sp." = Anthaxia eocenica, Psiloptera vermiculata n. sp., Buprestites lineatocollis n. sp., Ancylochira striatopunctata n. sp., Iridotaenia hovassei n. sp., Ancylochira violaceocyanescens n. sp., "Lampra gautieri" = Lamprodila gautieri, "Psiloptera (Lampetis) aurostriata" = Lamprodila gautieri, Polybothris primordialis n. sp.
"Ancylochira octomaculata n. sp." = Buprestis octomaculata Piton 1940 jewel beetle Coll. Piton 85, 86
"Psiloptera (Lampetis) aurostriata" = Lamprodila gautieri Bruyant 1902 jewel beetle Coll. Piton 400, 401
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"Zonabris immaculatus n. sp." = Cainomerga immaculata
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Megopis lineolatus n. sp., Acmaeodera perreaui n. sp.
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Tenthredo primordialis n. sp.
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Manevalia pachyliformis n. gen. n. sp., Prohepialus incertus n. gen. n. sp.
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"Eosirex ligniticus n. gen. n. sp." = Urocerus ligniticus
"Eosirex ligniticus n. gen. n. sp." = Urocerus ligniticus Piton 1940 horntail Coll. Piton 743( MNHN IPM-R07004, IPM-B47308)
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"? Phaenolobus arvernus n. sp." = Hallocinetus arvernus
"? Phaenolobus arvernus n. sp." = Hallocinetus arvernus Piton 1940 ichneumon wasp Coll. Piton 663 (MNHN.F.A57301)
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Myrmosa brunnea n. sp.
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Myzine madeleinae n. sp.
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Polistes vergnei n. sp., Eumenes projaponica n. sp., Ancistrocerus eocenicus n. sp., Ancistrocerus berlandi n. sp., "Rygchium andrei n. sp." = Rhynchium andrei, Odynerus manevali n. sp.
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Probombus hirsutus n. gen. n. sp.
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Gorytes statzi n. sp.
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Lithopsis punctinervis n. sp.
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Hammapteryx eocenicus n. sp.
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Pycanum vanvollenhoveni n. sp., Pycanum griseum n. sp.
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Teleocydnus auriculatus n. sp.
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Coptosoma eocenica n. sp.
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Lithopsis lineatus n. sp.
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Meuniera haupti n. sp.5
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"Rihana beauchampi n. sp." = Chremistica beauchampi
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"Aphrophora maculata n. sp." = Aphrophora pitoni5
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Bythoscopus pulcher n. sp., Tettigonella chazei n. sp.
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Dictyophara scudderi n. sp.
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"Lestes" zalesskyi n. sp.4
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"Limnobia theobaldi n. sp." = Limonia theobaldi
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Bibio sp. Geoffroy 1762 march fly | |
Chrysops seguyi n. sp.
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