Article (Scientific journals)
First Clarkforkian equivalent land mammal age in the latest Paleocene basal Sparnacian facies of Europe: Fauna, flora, paleoenvironment and (bio)stratigraphy
Smith, T.; Quesnel, F.; De Plöeg, G. et al.
2014In PLoS ONE, 9 (1)
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Keywords :
Arctocyon; Arecaceae; Betulaceae; Champsosaurus; Cornaceae; Eocene; Europe; Menispermaceae; North America; Paleocene; Plesiadapis tricuspidens; Teilhardimys musculus; Vitaceae
Abstract :
[en] The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is correlated with the first occurrences of earliest modern mammals in the Northern Hemisphere. The latest Paleocene Clarkforkian North American Land Mammal Age, that has yielded rodents and carnivorans, is the only exception to this rule. However, until now no pre-PETM localities have yielded modern mammals in Europe or Asia. We report the first Clarkforkian equivalent Land Mammal Age in the latest Paleocene deposits of the basal Sparnacian facies at Rivecourt, in the north-central part of the Paris Basin. The new terrestrial vertebrate and macroflora assemblages are analyzed through a multidisciplinary study including sedimentologic, stratigraphic, isotopic, and palynological aspects in order to reconstruct the paleoenvironment and to evaluate biochronologic and paleogeographic implications. The mammals are moderately diverse and not abundant, contrary to turtles and champsosaurs. The macroflora is exceptional in preservation and diversity with numerous angiosperms represented by flowers, fruits, seeds and wood preserved as lignite material, revealing an abundance of Arecaceae, Betulaceae, Icacinaceae, Menispermaceae, Vitaceae and probably Cornaceae. Results indicate a Late Paleocene age based on carbon isotope data, palynology and vertebrate occurrences such as the choristoderan Champsosaurus, the arctocyonid Arctocyon , and the plesiadapid Plesiadapis tricuspidens. However, several mammal species compare better with the earliest Eocene. Among these, the particular louisinid Teilhardimys musculus, also recorded from the latest Paleocene of the Spanish Pyrenees, suggests a younger age than the typical MP6 reference level. Nevertheless, the most important aspect of the Rivecourt fauna is the presence of dental remains of a rodent and a "miacid" carnivoran, attesting to the presence of two modern mammalian orders in the latest Paleocene of Europe. Interestingly, these two groups are also the only modern groups recorded from the latest Paleocene of North America, making Rivecourt the first direct equivalent to the Clarkforkian Land Mammal Age outside of North America. © 2014 Smith et al.
Disciplines :
Earth sciences & physical geography
Author, co-author :
Smith, T.;  Direction Opérationnelle Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
Quesnel, F.;  DGR/GAT, Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières (French Geological Survey), UMR 7327 CNRS-Université d'Orléans-BRGM, Orléans, France
De Plöeg, G.;  Centre Permanent d'Initiatives Pour l'Environnement des Pays de l'Oise, Verberie, France
De Franceschi, D.;  Centre de Recherche Sur la Paleobiodiversite et Les Paleoenvironnements (UMR7207 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Métais, G.;  Centre de Recherche Sur la Paleobiodiversite et Les Paleoenvironnements (UMR7207 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
De Bast, E.;  Direction Opérationnelle Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
Solé, F.;  Direction Opérationnelle Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
Folie, A.;  Direction Opérationnelle Terre et Histoire de la Vie, Institut Royal des Sciences Naturelles de Belgique, Bruxelles, Belgium
Boura, A.;  Centre de Recherche Sur la Paleobiodiversite et Les Paleoenvironnements (UMR7207 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Claude, J.;  Institut des Sciences de l'Évolution de Montpellier, Université de Montpellier 2, Montpellier, France
Dupuis, C.;  Géologie GFA, Faculté Polytechnique, Université de Mons, Mons, Belgium
Gagnaison, C.;  Institut Polytechnique LaSalle-Beauvais, Beauvais, France
Iakovleva, A.;  Geological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russian Federation
Maubert, F.;  Lafarge Granulats Seine Nord, Paris, France
Prieur, J.;  Centre Permanent d'Initiatives Pour l'Environnement des Pays de l'Oise, Verberie, France
Roche, E.;  Département de Géologie, Université de Liège, Liège, Belgium
Storme, Jean-Yves ;  Université de Liège - ULiège > Département de géologie > Paléobiogéologie - Paléobotanique - Paléopalynologie (PPP)
Thomas, R.;  Centre de Recherche Sur la Paleobiodiversite et Les Paleoenvironnements (UMR7207 CNRS-MNHN-UPMC), Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle et Université Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris, France
Tong, H.;  Palaeontological Research and Education Centre, Mahasarakham University, Kantarawichai, Thailand
Yans, J.;  Département de Géologie, Université de Namur, Namur, Belgium
Buffetaut, E.;  CNRS (UMR 8538), Laboratoire de Géologie, Ecole Normale Supérieure, Paris, France
Martin, Jeremy;  University of Bristol > School of Earth Sciences
More authors (12 more) Less
Language :
English
Title :
First Clarkforkian equivalent land mammal age in the latest Paleocene basal Sparnacian facies of Europe: Fauna, flora, paleoenvironment and (bio)stratigraphy
Publication date :
2014
Journal title :
PLoS ONE
eISSN :
1932-6203
Publisher :
Public Library of Science
Volume :
9
Issue :
1
Peer reviewed :
Peer Reviewed verified by ORBi
Available on ORBi :
since 18 September 2014

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