New fossil site of worldwide importance uncovered in southern France
New fossil site of worldwide importance uncovered in southern France
Petr Budil
Nearly 400 exceptionally well-preserved fossils dating back 470 million years have been discovered in the south of France by a couple of amateurs. This new fossil site of worldwide importance has been analyzed by scientists from the University of Lausanne, in collaboration with the CNRS and international teams including two Czech paleontologist Lukáš Laibl (Czech Academy of Sciences, Institute of Geology) and Martina Nohejlová (Czech Geological Survey). This extraordinary discovery provides unprecedented information on the polar ecosystems of the Ordovician period.
Paleontology enthusiasts have unearthed one of the world's richest and most diverse fossil sites from the Lower Ordovician period (around 470 million years ago). Located in Montagne Noire, in the Hérault department of France, this deposit of over 400 fossils is distinguished by an exceptionally well-preserved fauna. In addition to shelly components, it contains - and this is a rarity - soft elements such as digestive systems and cuticles, in a remarkable state of preservation. Moreover, this biota was once located very close to the South Pole, revealing the composition of Ordovician southernmost ecosystems.
Analyses of the new biota reveal the presence of arthropods (a group that includes millipedes and shrimps) and cnidarians (a group that includes jellyfish and corals), as well as a large number of algae and sponges. The sitepan>'s high biodiversity suggests that this area served as a refuge for species that had escaped the high temperatures prevailing further north at the time.
"At this time of intense global warming, animals were indeed living in high latitude refugia, escaping extreme equatorial temperatures," points out Farid Saleh, researcher at the University of Lausanne, and first author of the study. "The distant past gives us a glimpse of our possible near future," adds Jonathan Antcliffe, researcher at the University of Lausanne and co-author of the study.
