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 It was previously dated by pollen analysis, mammal stratigraphy, and an unpublished radiometric K/Ar analysis as late Paleocene (see Kedves & Russell 1982).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
Insecta | |
"Lestes" zalesskyi n. sp.4
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Dictyophara scudderi n. sp.
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Prohepialus incertus n. gen. n. sp.
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Tenthredo primordialis n. sp.
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Manevalia pachyliformis 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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Myzine madeleinae n. sp.
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Myrmosa brunnea n. sp.
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Gorytes statzi n. sp.
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Probombus hirsutus n. gen. n. sp.
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Polistes vergnei n. sp., Ancistrocerus eocenicus n. sp., Ancistrocerus berlandi n. sp., Odynerus manevali n. sp., Eumenes projaponica n. sp., "Rygchium andrei n. sp." = Rhynchium andrei
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Prodontocerum ligniticum n. gen. n. sp.
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Phryganea nigripennis n. sp.
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"Dineutes giganteus n. sp." = Gyretes giganteus
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"Zonabris immaculatus n. sp." = Cainomerga immaculata
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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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Cryptocephalus minusculus n. sp., "Clythrina eocenica n. gen. n. sp." = Clytrina eocenica, "Haltica dryophyllorum n. sp." = Altica dryophyllorum
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Palaeoncoderes eocenicus, "Palaeoncoderes piacentinii n. sp." = Palaeoncoderes piacentini, Prolamioides brunneus n. sp., Monohammus orientalis n. sp., 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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Rhysosternum punctatolineatum n. sp., Hipporhinus ventricosus n. sp., Lixus ligniticus n. sp., "Balaninus elegans n. sp." = Menatorhis elegans, Centrinus longipes n. sp.
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Phytonomus punctatus n. sp.
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Stigmodera unicolor n. sp., Ancylochira pinguis n. sp., Ancylochira violaceocyanescens n. sp., Ancylochira striatopunctata n. sp., Chrysochroa punctata n. sp., Iridotaenia hovassei n. sp., Psiloptera vermiculata n. sp., "Anthaxia biimpressa n. sp." = Anthaxia eocenica, Anthaxia ventricosa n. sp., Buprestites lineatocollis n. sp., Eurythyrea micropunctata n. sp., "Ancylochira octomaculata n. sp." = Buprestis octomaculata, "Eurythyrea viridis n. sp." = Buprestis viridis, Ancylochira metallica n. sp., Polybothris primordialis n. sp., "Lampra gautieri" = Lamprodila gautieri, "Psiloptera (Lampetis) aurostriata" = Lamprodila gautieri
"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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Semiotus menatensis n. sp., "Adelocera jungi n. sp." = Lacon jungi
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Pycanum griseum n. sp., Pycanum vanvollenhoveni n. sp.
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Coptosoma eocenica n. sp.
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Teleocydnus auriculatus n. sp.
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Lithopsis lineatus n. sp.
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Hammapteryx eocenicus n. sp.
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Lithopsis punctinervis n. sp.
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"Rihana beauchampi n. sp." = Chremistica beauchampi
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Meuniera haupti n. sp.5
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"Aphrophora maculata n. sp." = Aphrophora pitoni5
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Tettigonella chazei n. sp., Bythoscopus pulcher n. sp.
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Ochrilidia lineata n. sp.
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Protempusa incerta n. gen. n. sp., Conocephalus martyi n. sp., Prophasgonura lineatocollis n. gen. n. sp.
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Menatacridium eocenicum n. sp.
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Neotermes grassei n. sp.
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Prochaeradodis enigmaticus n. gen. n. sp.
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Zeunera superba n. sp., Zeunera madeleinae n. sp., Prostylopyga gigantea n. gen. n. sp., Periplaneta houlberti n. sp., Eoplaneta desforesti, Protectobia primordialis n. gen. n. sp.
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Gyna obesa 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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Orthacanthacris incertus n. sp.
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Chrysops seguyi n. sp.
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Bibio sp. Geoffroy 1762 march fly | |
"Limnobia theobaldi n. sp." = Limonia theobaldi
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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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