Calcaires à Stipites Causses Basin (Jurassic of France)

Where: France (44.2° N, 3.2° E: paleocoordinates 34.1° N, 13.7° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• basin-level geographic resolution

When: Calcaires à Stipites Formation, Middle Bathonian (167.7 - 164.7 Ma)

• The Calcaires à stipites is located underneath the Dolomies ruiniformes layer and above a regional unconformities which lies atop of shallow water marine limestones

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine; calcareous lignite and calcareous claystone

• The lignite-bearing unit is made up of thin depositional cycles whose thickness may reach ten metres or so, but usually is much less, sometimes only several decimetres. The thinnest sequences are composed of a transgressive lignite overlain by subaerial palustrine limestones bioturbated by roots.
• The limestone beds between the lignite layers are either shallow to marginal marine, lacustrine or palustrine. Lignite beds and associated clays have preserved freshwater flora.

Size classes: macrofossils, microfossils

Preservation: mold/impression, original carbon, original sporopollenin

Collection methods: bulk, chemical, mechanical,

Primary reference: M. Philippe, F. Thevenard, G. Barale, S. Ferry, and G. Guignard. 1998. Middle Bathonian floras and phytocoenoses of France. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 143:135-158 [C. Looy/F. Verbruggen/F. Verbruggen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: biostratigraphic analysis

PaleoDB collection 31317: authorized by Cindy Looy, entered by Frederike Verbruggen on 07.05.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• The palynological data from the Causses Basin is studied twice (Causses 1 and Causses 2). Once (Causses 1) by Doubinger (1961) and once by Alabouvette (1988) (Causses 2).

•The megaflora data comes partly from Saporta (1873 and 1891), Maubeuge (1949), Gérard (1936), Nickles (1907), Lemoigne (1968) and new data by authors.

unclassified
  -
Abietinaepollenites microalatus
Potonié (only found in Causses 1)
Crassopollis torosus
(Reissinger) Couper et C. sp. (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Cryptomeriapollenites sp.
(found in Causses 1)
Excesipollenites sp.
(found in Causses 2)
Vitreiporites pallidus
(Reissinger) Nilsson (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Cyathiidites australis
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Cyathiidites minor
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Densoispora perinatus
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Ischiosporites variegatus
(Couper) Schulz (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Lycopodiumcidites cerniidites
(Ross) Delc. et Sprum. (found in Causses 1)
Equisetopsida
 Pinidae - Pinidae
Brachyphyllum crucis
part of megaflora; most frequently observed conifer. (described by Philippe et al.)
Brachyphyllum cf. trautii
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Araucariacites australis Cookson 1947
Cookson (found in Causses 1)
Agathoxylon desnoyersii
part of megaflora (described by Lemoigne (1968) as Brachyphyllum desnoyersii, but according to Philippe et al. this belongs to Agathoxylon desnoyersii)
Pagiophyllum araucarinum
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Pagiophyllum maculosum
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
 Cupressales - Pinidae
"Spheripollenites subgranulatus" = Sphaeripollenites, "Spheripollenites scabratus" = Sphaeripollenites
"Spheripollenites subgranulatus" = Sphaeripollenites
Couper (found in Causses 1)
"Spheripollenites scabratus" = Sphaeripollenites
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Perinopollenites elatoides
  -
Perinopollenites elatoides Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Alisporites
  -
Alisporites microsaccus
(Couper) Pocock (only found in Causses 1)
Cerebropollenites mesozoicus
  -
Cerebropollenites mesozoicus Nilsson 1958
Nilsson (only found in Causses 1)
Prototaxodioxylon
  -
Prototaxodioxylon sp. Vogellehner 1968
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Sphenopsida
  -
Calamospora mesozoica Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Cycadopsida
 Cycadales -
Eucommiidites troedsonnii cycads
Erdtmann (found in Causses 1 and 2)
 Cycadales - Cycadaceae
Sphenozamites sp. Brongniart 1849 cycads
part of megaflora (described by unknown authors)
Protopodocarpoxylon
  -
Protopodocarpoxylon cf. araucarioides
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Angiospermae
  -
Monosulcites carpentieri
Delc. and Sprum. (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Monosulcites minimus Cookson 1947
Cookson (found in Causses 1 and 2)
 Bennettitales -
Otozamites sp. Braun 1843
part of megaflora (described by unknown authors)
 Coniferales - Brachyphyllaceae
Brachyoxylon sp. Hollick and Jeffrey 1909
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
 Coniferales - Podocarpaceae
Callialasporites dampieri Balme 1957 podocarp
(Balme) Sukh-Dev (found in Causses 1)
Callialasporites trilobatus Balme 1957 podocarp
(Balme) Sukh-Dev (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Pinopsida
 Pinales - Taxaceae
Elatides williamsonii yew
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Lycopodiopsida
 Lycopodiales - Lycopodiaceae
Lycopodites indet. Brongniart 1822 clubmoss
part of megaflora (described by Gérard, 1936)
Lycopodiumsporites gristhorpensis clubmoss
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Staplinisporites
  -
Staplinisporites pseudoalveolatus
(Couper) (found in Causses 1)
Polypodiopsida
  - Dicksoniaceae
Trilites bossus
Couper (found in Causses 1)
  - Blechnaceae
Leptolepidites major Couper 1953
Couper (found in Causses 1)
  - Gleicheniaceae
Gleicheniidites senonicus Ross 1949
Ross (found in Causses 1)
 Gleicheniales - Polypodiidae
Dictyophyllidites harrisii Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 2)
Phlebopteris dunkeri
part of megaflora (Saporta 1873 described sterile and fertile pinnules of Microdictyon rutenicum, according to Philippe et al. this belongs to Phlebopteris dunkeri)
Phlebopteris sp. Brongniart 1836
part of megaflora (described by Saporta (1891) as Laccopteris fabrei and Microdictyon woodwardianum, but according to Philippe et al. this belongs to Phlebopteris sp.)
Phlebopteris polypodioides Brongniart 1836
part of megaflora (described by Maubeuge 1949)
 Equisetales - Equisetidae
Equisetum duvalli horsetail
part of megaflora (described by Philippe et al.)
Pteridopsida
  -
Matonisporites phlebopteroides Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Matonisporites equiexinus Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Monolites sp. Cookson and Potonié 1956
(found in Causses 1)
Marattisporites scabratus Couper 1958
Couper (found in Causses 1 and 2)
Todisporites major Couper 1953
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Todisporites minor Couper 1953
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Osmundacidites wellmanii Couper 1953
Couper (found in Causses 1)
Cycadites
  -
Cycadites sp. Schenk 1864
part of megaflora (leaf described by Nicklès, 1907)