The uppermost Oligocene of Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône, Southern France): A Cenozoic brackish subtropical Konservat-Lagerstätte, with fishes, insects and plants

Gaudant, Jean; Nel, André; Nury, Denise; Véran, Monette; Carnevale, Giorgio

doi:10.1016/j.crpv.2017.08.002

Cited by 13 publications

(11 citation statements)

References 15 publications

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“…Our analysis suggests a warm and moist climate in Aix-en-Provence (Table 3), in contrast with previous interpretation based on taxonomic identifications of sclerophyllous vegetation, developing under a dry and warm climate (Roiron 1992). However, it is in agreement with the latest paleoclimatic interpretation based on the insects and fishes of Aix-en-Provence, which suggest a warm tropical to subtropical climate (Gaudant et al 2017). Additionally, an increase of MAP and precipitation seasonality was observed from early to late Oligocene (Table 3; Fig.…”

Section: Eocene-oligocenesupporting

confidence: 90%

“…7). It was interpreted as sclerophyllous forests developing under a dry, warm climate (Roiron 1992), while the insects of Aixen-Provence suggest a warm tropical-subtropical climate (Gaudant et al 2017). The flora of Aix-en-Provence was col-lected in the "Calcaires et marnes à gypse d'Aix" subunit.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Successive authors referred to Aix-en-Provence as Rupelian (Fontannes 1885;Vasseur 1897). The latest studies considered this formation as late Chattian (Oligocene) in age, based on mammal faunas and malacofaunas (Gaudant et al 2017).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climatic evolution in Western Europe during the Cenozoic: insights from historical collections using leaf physiognomy

Tanrattana

Boura

Jacques³

et al. 2020

Geodiversitas

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A major climatic shift, from a glasshouse world to a colder climate with well-developed ice sheets, occurred during the Cenozoic. Such a transition is recorded in both marine and terrestrial records. The latter is more fragmentary and thus comparatively less well known from a climatic point of view. Leaves are abundant fossil remains, which can be used as terrestrial climatic proxies. In this study, several historical collections from France and Belgium were re-investigated. We applied the Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program in order to document the regional past climate from middle Paleocene to middle Miocene in Western Europe. Our analysis suggest relatively cooler conditions during middle Paleocene, followed by a gradual increase of mean annual temperature and precipitation seasonality during late Paleocene; increased temperature seasonality rather than a global cooling at the Eocene-Oligocene transition; an increase of temperature between early and late Oligocene and warm temperate climate in Western Europe similar to other parts of Europe during middle Miocene. These results are broadly consistent with the global trends observed through the Cenozoic era in the marine record. This study provides new quantitative paleoclimatic estimates for various key periods of the Cenozoic era in Western Europe. The consistency of our results with previous studies based on multiples proxies is in favor of the use of historical collections to reconstruct past climates, as long as sufficient sampling is provided. RÉSUMÉ Évolution du climat en Europe occidentale durant le Cénozoïque : apports des collections historiques à travers l'utilisation de la morphologie foliaire. Durant le Cénozoïque, une transition majeure d'un climat chaud et humide vers un climat plus froid avec des calottes glaciaires bien développées, est observée. Cette transition est documentée dans les registres fossiles marin et continental. En raison de la nature plus fragmentaire de ce dernier, les conditions climatiques continentales sont comparativement moins bien connues. Parmi les restes de plantes conservées dans les sédiments, les feuilles sont particulièrement abondantes et peuvent être utilisées comme proxy climatique terrestre. Dans cette étude, plusieurs collections historiques de France et de Belgique ont été réétudiées. La méthode Climate Leaf Analysis Multivariate Program a été appliquée, afin de documenter le climat régional du Paléocène moyen au Miocène moyen en Europe occidentale. Notre analyse suggère des conditions climatiques relativement fraîches pendant le Paléocène moyen, suivies d'une augmentation graduelle de la MAT et de la saisonnalité des précipitations au cours du Paléocène supérieur, une saisonnalité accrue plutôt qu'une baisse de la MAT à la transition Eocène-Oligocène, une augmentation des températures au cours de l'Oligocène et un climat tempéré chaud semblable au reste de l'Europe durant le Miocène moyen. Dans l'ensemble, ces résultats sont cohérents avec les tendances globales observées au cours du Cénozoïque dans le ...

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Section: Eocene-oligocenesupporting

confidence: 90%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Climatic evolution in Western Europe during the Cenozoic: insights from historical collections using leaf physiognomy

Tanrattana

Boura

Jacques³

et al. 2020

Geodiversitas

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“…Consistent with Andújar et al [ 16 ], we assigned crown Tachypus a log-normal distribution with a minimum age of 5.3 Ma based on a Messinian fossil in deposits of Chantal, France, and a maximum age of 163.5 Ma following the same logic as described in 3.2.4. We additionally assigned stem Calosoma a uniform distribution with a minimum age of 23 Ma based on fossil evidence of Calosoma in upper Oligocene deposits of Aix-en-Provence [ 28 , 69 ], again with a maximum age of 163.5 Ma.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rewinding the molecular clock in the genus Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in light of fossil evidence and the Gondwana split: A reanalysis

2021

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Molecular clocks have become powerful tools given increasing sequencing and fossil resources. However, calibration analyses outcomes depend on the choice of priors. Here, we revisited the seminal dating study published by Andújar and coworkers of the genus Carabus proposing that prior choices need re-evaluation. We hypothesized that reflecting fossil evidence and the Gondwanan split properly significantly rewinds the molecular clock. We re-used the dataset including five mitochondrial and four nuclear DNA fragments with a total length of 7888 nt. Fossil evidence for Oligocene occurrence of Calosoma was considered. Root age was set based on the fossil evidence of Harpalinae ground beetles in the Upper Cretaceous. Paleogene divergence of the outgroup taxa Ceroglossini and Pamborini is introduced as a new prior based on current paleontological and geological literature. The ultrametric time-calibrated tree of the extended nd5 dataset resulted in a median TMRCA Carabus of 53.92 Ma (HPD 95% 45.01–63.18 Ma), roughly 30 Ma older than in the Andújar study. The splits among C. rugosus and C. morbillosus (A), C. riffensis from the European Mesocarabus (B), and Eurycarabus and Nesaeocarabus (C) were dated to 17.58 (12.87–22.85), 24.14 (18.02–30.58), and 21.6 (16.44–27.43) Ma. They were decidedly older than those previously reported (7.48, 10.93, and 9.51 Ma). These changes were driven almost entirely by constraining the Carabidae time-tree root with a Harpalinae amber fossil at ~99 Ma. Utilizing the nd5 dating results of three well-supported Carabus clades as secondary calibration points for the complete MIT-NUC dataset led to a TMRCA of Carabus of 44.72 (37.54–52.22) Ma, compared with 25.16 Ma (18.41–33.04 Ma) in the previous study. Considering fossil evidence for Oligocene Calosoma and Late Cretaceous Harpalini together with the Gondwanan split as a new prior, our new approach supports the origin of genus Carabus in the Eocene. Our results are preliminary because of the heavy reliance on the nd5 gene, and thus will have to be tested with a sufficient set of nuclear markers. Additionally, uncertainties due to dating root age of the tree based on a single fossil and outgroup taxon affect the results. Improvement of the fossil database, particularly in the supertribe Carabitae, is needed to reduce these uncertainties in dating Carabus phylogeny.

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“…The Aix-en-Provence Formation of France contains an abundance of fossil fish, plants, and terrestrial arthropods preserved as compression fossils 32 . Dated to 22.5 Ma, the Aix-en-Provence Formation consists of a 150 m succession of informally named subunits 33,34 . The unit is mainly composed of marlstones and gypsum, indicating an evaporative environment, although there is some debate over whether these rocks were deposited in a lacustrine or brackish lagoonal setting 34,35 .…”

Section: Geological Settingmentioning

confidence: 99%

The exceptional preservation of Aix-en-Provence spider fossils could have been facilitated by diatoms

Marshall

Downen

Schiffbauer

et al. 2022

Commun Earth Environ

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Much of our understanding of the history of life on Earth comes from fossil sites with exceptional preservation. Here, we use microscopy and chemical analysis of spiders found in the Oligocene Aix-en-Provence Formation, France, to unravel the taphonomic pathway responsible for the preservation of these arachnids. Microscopy revealed the presence of diatom mats and a black polymer on the body of the spiders, while elemental analysis revealed the polymer was composed of co-localized carbon and sulfur. We hypothesize that the extracellular polymeric substances produced by the diatoms found widely in this deposit could have helped promote the sulfurization of the spiders. Additionally, examination of similar Fossil-Lagerstätten reveals that this preservation pathway may be widespread across the Cenozoic and, if so, would be responsible for much of our understanding of insect, arachnid, amphibian, and plant life preserved in lacustrine settings.

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The uppermost Oligocene of Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône, Southern France): A Cenozoic brackish subtropical Konservat-Lagerstätte, with fishes, insects and plants

Cited by 13 publications

References 15 publications

Climatic evolution in Western Europe during the Cenozoic: insights from historical collections using leaf physiognomy

Climatic evolution in Western Europe during the Cenozoic: insights from historical collections using leaf physiognomy

Rewinding the molecular clock in the genus Carabus (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in light of fossil evidence and the Gondwana split: A reanalysis

The exceptional preservation of Aix-en-Provence spider fossils could have been facilitated by diatoms

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