Aix-en-Provence (unspecified collection) (Oligocene of France)

Where: Bouches-Du-Rhone, France (43.5° N, 5.5° E: paleocoordinates 43.3° N, 2.8° E)

• coordinate estimated from map

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Niveau du gypse d'Aix Formation, Chattian (28.1 - 23.0 Ma)

• "The ‘insect formation’ is 2.5 m thick, divided in two parts that correspond to two very different environmental conditions. The first (lower) episode is remarkable by its lateral mo- notony of facies on a distance of 6 km at least, in the outcrops observed on the northwest of Aix-en-Provence. This lower episode is distinguished from the rest of the ‘insect formation’ and from the whole formation of Aix-en-Provence by the presence of a very numerous thin limestone laminae. The second (upper) episode is remarkable by the presence of many silici- fied laminae. The fauna in this level is also very well preserved"….This collection consists of unspecified layers

Environment/lithology: lacustrine - large; lithified limestone

• This lacustrine formation was deposited in a very large but shallow-water lake, with variable salinity and near the marine coast (Nury 1990, Nury & Thomassin 1994). Irregular basins formed during extension of the European platform in the Oligocene resulting from the formation of the West-European rift system.
• The deposit presents an alternation of limestone and marls with gypsum.

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Preservation: mold/impression, adpression

Primary reference: E. F. Germar. 1837. Insectorum protogaeae specimen sistens insecta carbonum fossilium. Fauna Insectorum Europae 19 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 113682: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Jered Karr on 04.08.2011, edited by Matthew Clapham and Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Angiospermae
 Nymphaeales - Nymphaeaceae
Nymphaea gypsorum1 water lily
 Mesangiosperms - Arecaceae
 Apiales - Araliaceae
 Malvales - Bombacaceae
 Sapindales - Anacardiaceae
Dicotyledoneae
 Ericales - Ebenaceae
Pinopsida
 Pinales - Pinaceae
Actinopteri
 Amiiformes - Amiidae
Amiinae indet.1 Bonaparte 1837 bowfin
 Perciformes - Gobioidei
Lepidocottus aries1 perch-like fish
 Perciformes - Latidae
Eolates aquensis1 perch-like fish
 Acanthomorphata - Gerreidae
Pharisatichthys aquensis1 Gaudant and Carnevale 2015
 Acanthomorphata - Moronidae
Beaumontoperca beaumonti1 temperate bass
 Acanthomorphata - Ambassidae
Dapalis sp.1 Gistl 1848
Dapalis n. sp.
 Cyprinodontiformes - Cyprinodontidae
Prolebias sp.1 Sauvage 1874
Prolebias n. sp.
 Cyprinodontiformes - Poeciliidae
 Mugiliformes - Mugilidae
Mugil princeps1 Agassiz 1843
 Cypriniformes - Cyprinidae
Tarsichthys sp.1, Tarsichthys macrurus1, Palaeotinca sp.1, "Protothymallus sp." = Protothymallus1, "Varhostichthys sp." = Protothymallus1
Tarsichthys sp.1 Troschel 1854 carp-like fish
Tarsichthys macrurus1 Agassiz 1839 carp-like fish
Palaeotinca sp.1 Obrhelová 1969 carp-like fish
"Protothymallus sp." = Protothymallus1 Laube 1901 carp-like fish
"Varhostichthys sp." = Protothymallus1 Laube 1901 carp-like fish
 Gonorhynchiformes - Gonorhynchidae
Notogoneus sp.1 Cope 1885
Notogoneus squamosseus1 de Blainville 1818
 Clupeiformes - Clupeoidei
Clupeidae indet.1 Cuvier 1817 herring
 Anguilliformes - Anguillidae
Anguilla multiradiata1 Agassiz 1843 eel
Amphibia
 Salientia - Ranidae
Malacostraca
 Decapoda - Penaeidae
Penaeidae indet.1 Rafinesque 1815 decapod
Insecta
 Orthoptera - Acrididae
Acrididae indet.3 Latreille 1802 short-horned grasshopper
 Orthoptera - Tetrigidae
Acridium barthelemyi3 Hope 1847 pygmy grasshopper
 Coleoptera - Curculionidae
"Sitona margarum n. sp." = Protainophthalmus margarus2, Hipporhinus heerii n. sp.2, Brachycerus exilis n. sp.
"Sitona margarum n. sp." = Protainophthalmus margarus2 Germar 1849 snout beetle
Hipporhinus heerii n. sp.2 Germar 1849 snout beetle
A third specimen in "the local museum"
Brachycerus exilis n. sp. Germar 1837 snout beetle