Poster De Conférence Année : 2025

First palynological evidence from phosphatic coprolites in the Quercy region.

Résumé

The Quercy region, situated in southwestern France, is renowned for its abundant phosphatic fossil record, particularly concerning vertebrates. However, despite the wealth of paleontological data from the Quercy region, the paleobotanical information remains scarce, limiting our understanding of ancient ecosystems. In particular, potential palynological information preserved within coprolites has remained unexplored. This study details the initial successful extraction and identification of pollen and spores from phosphatic coprolites obtained from two distinct localities: Lespinasse IV (late Eocene, MP18–19) and Lebratière (early Oligocene, MP24). Two samples, 1.6 g from Lespinasse IV and 0.8 g from Lebratière, were subjected to chemical processing using a sequence of 10% HCl, 40% HF, and 20% HCl. Based on morphological observations and comparisons, the Lespinasse IV coprolite was identified of termite (Kalotermitidae) origin, and the Lebratière coprolite as being of bat origin. Notably, the Lespinasse IV coprolite was found to contain a wide diversity of pollen types, including, but not limited to, tricolpate (typical of eudicots, e.g., Quercus), tricolporate (common in diverse angiosperms, e.g., Asteraceae), multiporate (characteristic of monocots, e.g., Poaceae), and bisaccate (found in gymnosperms, e.g., Pinaceae), and a limited number of trilete spores (ferns). The Lebratière sample, by contrast, was predominantly composed of fungal spores, with fewer trilete spores and a reduced quantity of pollen grains, including Pinus, Juniperus, Tamarix, Asteraceae, and Poaceae, among others. Overall, this study establishes that phosphatic coprolites are capable of preserving palynomorphs, offering direct insights into dietary habits and local vegetation, and representing a valuable new archive for paleoenvironmental reconstruction within continental settings, significantly expanding the paleobotanical importance of the Quercy phosphorites.

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Dates et versions

hal-05161065 , version 1 (14-07-2025)

Identifiants

  • HAL Id : hal-05161065 , version 1

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Yiyun Chen, Anais A Boura, Cédric Del Rio. First palynological evidence from phosphatic coprolites in the Quercy region.. 9th meeting of Agora Paleobotanica, Jul 2025, Paris, France. ⟨hal-05161065⟩
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