The Konservat-Lagerstätte Menat (Paleocene; France) – an overview and new insights

Authors

  • S. WEDMANN Senckenberg Forschungsstation Grube Messel, Forschungsinstitut Senckenberg Markstraße 35, 64409 Messel, Germany.
  • D. UHL Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und naturmuseum Frankfurt Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Senckenberg center for human evolution and Palaeoenvironment, institut für Geowissenschaften, universität TübingenSigwartstraße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. Senckenberg center for human evolution and Palaeoenvironment, Institut für Geowissenschaften, Universität TübingenSigwartstraße 10, 72076, Tübingen, Germany. Programa de Pós-Graduação em ambiente e desenvolvimento (PPGad). Centro Universitário UNIVATES 95.900-000, Lajeado, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
  • T. LEHMANN Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • R. GARROUSTE Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institute de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS UPMC EPHE, CP50 45 rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France.
  • A. NEL Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institute de Systématique, Evolution, Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS UPMC EPHE, CP50 45 rue Buffon, F-75005 Paris, France.
  • B. GOMEZ Université Lyon 1 (claude Bernard), enS lyon, observatoire de Lyon, CNRS-UMR 5276 LGL-TPE, Campus de la Doua, bâtiment Géode, 2 rue Raphäel Dubois, F-69622 Villeurbanne, France.
  • K. SMITH Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
  • S. F.K. SCHAAL Senckenberg Forschungsinstitut und Naturmuseum Frankfurt Senckenberganlage 25, 60325, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

Keywords:

Menat, Paleocene, Konservat-Lagerstätte, Plants, Insects, Vertebrates

Abstract

The Konservat-Lagerstätte Menat (Puy-de-Dôme, France) is an outstanding archive of a Paleocene ecosystem, which was deposited in a former maar lake. Excavations during the last century have yielded an extensive flora and fauna record, therefore an overview of the current state of paleontological investigations is given in this paper. Additionally, new results based on excavations from the years 2012 to 2014 are presented. The preservation of organic matter differed strongly between excavation sites, probably influenced by weathering processes. The stratigraphic succession consists mostly of organic-rich clays, intercalated with hard, silicified claystones. In 2013 and 2014 both impression and compression fossils were collected from different outcrops. Compression fossils from organic-rich clays were exceptionally well-preserved and included three-dimensional plant remains. A new database on insect paleobiodiversity was compiled. The occurrence of charcoal in almost all horizons investigated suggests that paleowildfires were frequent during the Paleocene in the vicinity of the paleolake. The results confirm the high potential of the Konservat-Lagerstätte Menat for future paleontological research.

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Published

2018-06-21

Issue

Vol. 16 No. 2 (2018)

Section

Articles

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