Canjuers-Les Bessons quarry (micronatum biozone): Early/Lower Tithonian, France
collected by Ghirardi family, MNHN crews 1960–1970, 1983–1993, 2010–2011

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Echinoidea - Cidaroida
Plegiocidaris marginata
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Cidaroida - Rhabdocidaridae
Rhabdocidaris nobilis
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Cidaroida - Diplocidaridae
Diplocidaris gigantea (Agassiz 1840)
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Salenioida - Acrosaleniidae
Pseudosalenia aspera
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Phymosomatidae
Pleurodiadema stutzi
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Hemicidaridae
Hessotiara florescens
Peyer et al. 2014
Hemicidaris crenularis
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Pseudodiadematidae
Acrocidaris nobilis
Peyer et al. 2014
Echinoidea - Arbacioida - Arbaciidae
Acropeltis aequituberculata
Peyer et al. 2014
Magnosia nodulosa
Peyer et al. 2014
Asteroidea - Paxillosida - Astropectinidae
Pentasteria sp. Valette 1929
Peyer et al. 2014
Ophiuroidea - Amphilepidida - Amphiuridae
Amphiuridae indet. Ljungman 1867
Peyer et al. 2014
Ophiuroidea - Ophiurida - Aplocomidae
Geocoma aff. carinata (Goldfuss 1833)
Peyer et al. 2014
Geocoma canjuersensis Roman et al. 1993
Peyer et al. 2014
Ophiuroidea
Ophiurella aff. speciosa (Goldfuss 1833)
Peyer et al. 2014
Crinoidea - Roveacrinida - Saccocomidae
Saccocoma tenella (Goldfuss 1831)
Peyer et al. 2014
original and current combination Comatula tenella
Crinoidea - Comatulida - Pterocomidae
Comaturella pinnata
Peyer et al. 2014
unclassified
Tetrapoda indet. (Jaekel 1911)
gastric contents
Reptilia - Compsognathidae
Compsognathus corallestris n. sp. Bidar et al. 1972
1 individual
synonym of Compsognathus longipes
Reptilia
Gallodactylus canjuersensis n. gen., n. sp. Fabre 1976
Fabre 1976 1 individual
MNHN CNJ-71, partial skeleton
Reptilia - Teleosauridae
Steneosaurus priscus Bronzati et al. 2012
Peyer et al. 2014
Reptilia - Sphenodontidae
Leptosaurus pulchellus (Zittel 1887)
Fabre 1981 2 specimens
MNHN CNJ 72, nearly complete skeleton; Private collection specimen, anterior skeleton
Piocormus laticeps n. gen., n. sp. Wagner 1852
Peyer et al. 2014
Holotype: Fig 42, pl. V; lost, but there is a cast at MNHN (nearly complete skeleton). Additional material from the MNHN.
Reptilia - Pleurosauridae
Pleurosaurus goldfussi von Meyer 1831
Peyer et al. 2014
Pleurosaurus ginsburgi n. sp. Fabre 1974
Fabre 1974 2 specimens
Holotype (part and counterp.): "Pleurosaurus cf. goldfussi L. Ginsburg and G. Mennessier 1970" (MNHN specimen)
Reptilia - Homoeosauridae
Homoeosaurus aff. solnhofensis Cocude-Michel 1963
Fabre 1973 1 individual
    = Homoeosaurus maximiliani von Meyer 1847
Peyer et al. 2014
Collection Ghirardi, Vidauban: partial skeleton
Reptilia - Plesiochelyidae
Plesiochelyidae indet. Rütimeyer 1873
De Broin 1994 1 specimen
CNJ 76, juvenile skeleton, "Aff. SOLNHOFIA sp." in Fabre et al. 1982.
Reptilia
Solnhofia sp. Gaffney 1975
De Broin 1994 1 specimen
CNJ 82, disarticulated carapace and skull
Eurysternum sp. Meyer 1839
De Broin 1994 1 specimen
CNJ 77, carapace and skull
Coelacanthimorpha - Coelacanthiformes - Latimeriidae
Undina sp. Munster 1834
Peyer et al. 2014
Coelacanthimorpha - Laugiidae
Coccoderma sp. Zittel 1887
Peyer et al. 2014
Ionoscopiformes - Ophiopsidae
Ophiopsidae indet. Bartram 1975
Peyer et al. 2014
Ionoscopiformes - Furidae
Eugnathus sp. Agassiz 1839
Peyer et al. 2014
replaced by Furo
Ophiopsiidae
Ophiopsis sp. Agassiz 1834
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri
Elopomorpha indet. (Greenwood et al. 1966)
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Elopiformes - Elopidae
Elopidae indet. Bonaparte 1846
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri
Naiathaelon okkidion Poyato-Ariza and Wenz 1993
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Pholidophoriformes - Pholidophoridae
Pholidophorus sp. Agassiz 1832
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Leptolepidiformes - Leptolepididae
Leptolepidae indet. (Owen 1859)
Peyer et al. 2014
original and current combination Leptolepididae
Leptolepis sp. Agassiz 1832
Peyer et al. 2014
Tharsis sp. Giebel 1848
Peyer et al. 2014
synonym of Leptolepis
Actinopteri - Pachycormiformes - Pachycormidae
Pachycormidae indet. Woodward 1895
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Aspidorhynchiformes - Aspidorhynchidae
Belonostomus sp. Agassiz 1834
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Amiiformes - Caturidae
Caturidae indet. Owen 1860
Peyer et al. 2014
Caturus sp. Agassiz 1834
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Lepisosteiformes
Lepidotes sp. Agassiz 1832
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Pycnodontiformes
Pycnodontiformes indet. Berg 1937
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Pycnodontiformes - Gyrodontidae
Gyrodus sp. Agassiz 1833
Peyer et al. 2014
Actinopteri - Pycnodontiformes - Pycnodontidae
Proscinetes sp. Gistel 1848
Peyer et al. 2014
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes
Palaeocarcharias sp. Beaumont 1960
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Rhynchonellida - Cyclothyrididae
Torquirhynchia guebhardi (Jacob and Fallot 1913)
Peyer et al. 2014
Septaliphoria obtusa
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Rhynchonellida - Tetrarhynchiidae
? Somalirhynchia sp. Weir 1925
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Terebrataliidae
Ismenia pectunculoides (Schlotheim 1820)
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Zeilleriidae
"Zeilleria" aff. pentagonalis
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Postepithyrididae
Moeschia aff. foraminata
Peyer et al. 2014
Rhynchonellata - Terebratulida - Loboidothyrididae
Juralina insignis (Schübler 1820)
Peyer et al. 2014
recombined as Loboidothyris insignis
Cephalopoda - Ammonitida - Ataxioceratidae
Usseliceras (Subplanitoides) altegyratum
Peyer et al. 2014
Usseliceras (Subplanitoides) aff. spindelense
Peyer et al. 2014
Usseliceras (Subplanitoides) cf. scwertschlageri
Peyer et al. 2014
Usseliceras (Usseliceras) cf. franconicum
Peyer et al. 2014
Dorsoplanitoides triplicatus
Peyer et al. 2014
Cephalopoda - Belemnitida - Belemnitidae
Hibolites sp. Mayer-Eymar 1883
Peyer et al. 2014
spelled with current rank as Belemnites (Hibolites)
Bivalvia - Mytilida - Mytilidae
Modiolus (Modiolus) imbricatus (Sowerby 1818)
Peyer et al. 2014
Bivalvia - Pectinida - Pectinidae
Chlamys (Chlamys) textoria (Schlotheim 1820)
Peyer et al. 2014
recombined as Chlamys textoria
Spondylopecten (Spondylopecten) subpunctatus
Peyer et al. 2014
Bivalvia - Pectinida - Entoliidae
Entolium (Entolium) corneolum (Young and Bird 1828)
Peyer et al. 2014
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Palaeolophidae
Actinostreon gregareum (Sowerby 1816)
Peyer et al. 2014
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Gryphaeidae
Nanogyra striata Smith 1817
Peyer et al. 2014
synonym of Nanogyra (Palaeogyra) virgula
Malacostraca - Decapoda - Eryonidae
Cycleryon bourseaui Audo et al. 2013
Peyer et al. 2014
unclassified
Kouphichnium lithographicum (Oppel 1862)
Peyer et al. 2014
see common names

Geography
Country:France State/province:Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur County:Var
Coordinates: 43.7° North, 6.4° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:34.7° North, 15.6° East
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Altitude:907 meters
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period:Jurassic Epoch:Late/Upper Jurassic
Stage:Tithonian 10 m.y. bin:Jurassic 6
Key time interval:Early/Lower Tithonian Ammonoid zone: mucronatum
Age range of interval:149.20000 - 146.30000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: unnamed limestone bed, "Portlandian", mucronatum ammonite zone
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:very fine lime mudstone
Secondary lithology:very fine,fine carbonaceous mudstone
Includes fossils?Y
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: "very regularly layered lithographic limestone"; "homogenous…no coarse grains, joint or vesicles are present. They exhibit conchoidal fractures and sharp edges, and are smooth to the touch." Each bed has three layers: "a basal lamina…composed of a very pure, fine microbe…an intermediate normal-graded mudstone level…with grain size decreasing from fine-grained carbonate mudstone at the base to very fine-grained carbonate mudstone at the top…a new lamina…of fine micrite carbonate similar to the basal lamina."
Environment:lagoonal
Geology comments: "deposited in an environment of very weak hydrodynamics...an atoll lagoon, at the heart of a reef zone"; "an obrutionary stagnation deposit"
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body,adpression
Lagerst�tten type:conservation
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Spatial orientation:life position
Preservation of anatomical detail:good
Articulated whole bodies:all
Fragmentation:none
Encrustation:none
Temporal resolution:snapshot
Spatial resolution:parautochthonous
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:salvage,selective quarrying,surface (in situ),mechanical,field collection,survey of museum collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:MNHN
Collectors:Ghirardi family, MNHN crews Collection dates:1960s–1970s, 1983–1993, 2010–2011
Metadata
Also known as:C. corallestris type site
Database number:35262
Authorizer:M. Carrano, R. Benson, R. Butler Enterer:M. Carrano, R. Benson, R. Butler
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2003-11-21 07:48:22 Last modified:2017-10-10 16:35:01
Access level:the public Released:2003-11-21 07:48:22
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
9478. A. Bidar, L. Demay, and G. Thomel. 1972. Compsognathus corallestris, nouvelle espèce de dinosaurien théropode du Portlandien de Canjuers (sud-est de la France). Annales du Musée d'Histoire Naturelle de Nice 1(1):1-34 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]

Secondary references:

63563 A. Behrens. 1973. Fossils in danger. The Geographical Magazine 45(12):898-899 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
63564 A. Behrens. 1976. A dwarf dinosaur. The Geographical Magazine 48(9):531 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
9483 A. Bidar, L. Demay, and G. Thomel. 1972. Sur la présence du Dinosaurien Compsognathus dans le Portlandien de Canjuers (Var). Comptes Rendus de l'Academie des Sciences, Paris, Série D 275:2327-2329 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
45554 E. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, and J. Le Loeuff. 1991. French dinosaurs: the best record in Europe?. Modern Geology 16:17-42 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
60341 P. J. Currie and K. Padian. 1997. Institute de Paléontologie, Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris. In P. J. Currie & K. Padian (ed.), Encyclopedia of Dinosaurs 368-369 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
44046 F. De Broin. 1994. Données préliminaires sur les chéloniens du Tithonien Inférieur des calcaires lithographiques de Canjeurs (Var, France). Geobios 16:167-175 [R. Benson/R. Benson]
34141ETE J. Fabre. 1973. Un squelette d'Homoeosaurus aff. solnhofensis (Rhynchocephalia) du Portlandian du Petit Plan de Canjuers (Var) [A skeleton of Homoeosaurus aff. solnhofensis (Rhynchocephalia) from the Portlandian of the Petit Plan de Canjuers (Var)]. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris, Série D 276:1139-1142 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
57879 J. Fabre. 1974. Un squelette de Pleurosaurus ginsburgi nov. sp. (Rhynchocephalia) du Portlandien du Petit Plan de Canjuers (Var). Comptes Rendus des Seances de L'Academie des Sciences, Serie D 278(19):2417-2420 [P. Barrett/T. Cleary]
57877 J. Fabre. 1981. Les rhynchocephales et les pterosauriens a crete parietale du Kimeridgien superieur-Berriasien d'Europe occidentale: le gisement de Canjuers (Var-France) et ses abords. 1-188 [P. Barrett/T. Cleary]
32158 J. A. Fabre. 1976. Un nouveau Pterodactylidae du Gisement de Canjuers (Var): Gallodactylus canjuerensis, nov. gen., nov. sp. Annales de Paléontologie (Vertébrés) 62:35-70 [R. Butler/R. Butler]
19484ETE K. Peyer. 2006. A reconsideration of Compsognathus from the upper Tithonian of Canjuers, southeastern France. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 26(4):879-896 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]
53639 K. Peyer, S. Charbonnier, R. Allain Läng and R. Vacant. 2014. A new look at the Late Jurassic Canjuers conservation Lagerstätte (Tithonian, Var, France). Comptes Rendus Palevol 13(5):403-420 [M. Carrano/M. Carrano]