New continental and coastal vertebrate locality in the Early Cenomanian of Fouras (Charente-Maritime, southwestern France).

A new continental and coastal vertebrate locality in the Early Cenomanian of Fouras (Charente-Maritime, southwestern France). The Cretaceous period represents crucial times in vertebrate evolution, notably with the emergence of modernmammal groups. In Europe, continental formations are restricted to the basal and Latest Cretaceous (Wealdian and Campano-Maastrichtian). Concerning the middle part of the Cretaceous, continental vertebrate faunas are poorly known. generally through some particular assemblages deposited in paralic environments and mostly composed of microremains. Such a deposit, recently found in the Early Cenomanian of Fouras (Fouras-Vauban locality, Charente-Maritime, Southwestern France), has yielded a rich association, improving our knowledge. Beside abundant coastal fish remains, tetrapods are represented by chelonians. crocodilans, ophidians, plesiosaurs, pterosaurs, and dinosaurs. The occurrence at Fouras-Vauban of certain typical Gondwanan forms (the freshwater shark Tribodits and a zyphodont crocodilian close to Hamadasitchus) allows us to discuss about the palaeobioeogaphical affinities of faunas living in the European archipelago during the Mid-Cretaceous and the trans-Tethyan ways of communication between Western Europe and North Africa. (C) 2004 Academie des sciences. Publie par Elsevier SAS. Tons droits reserves.