JEAN-MICHEL MAZIN1, JEAN-PAUL BILLON-BRUYAT2 & JOANE POUECH1

1Laboratoire Paléoenvironnements et Paléobiosphère, Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1,

Villeurbanne,
France (jean-michel.mazin@univ-lyon1.fr); 2Section Archéologie et Paléontologie, République et
Canton
du Jura, Porrentruy, Switzerland
The Purbeckian crocodilians from Cherves-De-Cognac (Berriasian, southwestern
France)
The site of Cherves-de-Cognac yields a diversified fauna, which includes all the groups of
vertebrates: Osteichthyes, Chondrichthyes, Amphibia, Reptilia (Lepidosauromorpha, Testudines,
Crocodylia, Dinosauria), Aves and Mammalia, with hundreds of macro-remains and thousands
microremains.
Crocodilians are particularly common, with four families represented by at least seven species.
The medium to large-sized Goniopholis is the most abundant crocodilian, with 11 skulls and
numerous
post-cranial elements, referable to G. simus and G. crassidens. The longirostral Pholidosaurus is
rarer,
represented by two complete skulls and numerous isolated teeth, referable to P. purbeckensis.
Bernissartia
fagesii is very common with abundant isolated teeth. A small-toothed mandible can be attributed
to a new
Bernissartiidae. The Atoposauridae are common with four sub-complete specimens and
numerous isolated
teeth referable to Theriosuchus pusillus, but also with numerous and strange folded teeth, which
could
represent a new Theriosuchus species.
This crocodilian assemblage is deposited in a deltaic environment, contemporaneous to the
Middle
Purbeck Beds of Dorset. The quantitative study of the vertebrate assemblage shows that these
crocodilians
were inland dwellers, except maybe Goniopholis, which could have been a brackish-water
dweller. This
crocodilian community exploited diverse trophic resources, with the opportunistic Goniopholis,
the
ichthyophagous Pholidosaurus, the crushing Bernissartiidae and the dwarf "micropredator"
Atoposauridae.
JOANE POUECH & JEAN-MICHEL MAZIN

UMR CNRS 5125 PEPS - Université Claude Bernard Lyon1 - Campus de la Doua - 2, rue
Dubois - Géode - F69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France (joane.pouech@pepsmail.univ-
lyon1.fr, jean-michel.mazin@univ-lyon1.fr)

Taxonomic diversity of micro-vertebrates from Cherves-de-Cognac (Berriasian,

Charente, France).

The sedimentary series of Cherves-de-Cognac (southwestern France) consists in an

alternation of 81 levels of clays, marls and limestone, in an evaporitc context. The site has
been dated from the Early to Middle Berriasian. The present results have been obtained from
screen-washing of more than 3 tons of sediments, from 28 succesive levels. 24 vertebrate
families have been identified, essentially from teeth or jaw fragments. The chondrichthyans
are represented by the unique family Lonchidiidae (Parvodus ). Five families of
osteichthyans are present: Semionotidae (Lepidotes) , Caturidae (Caturus ), Ichthyodectidae
(Thrissops ), Aspidorhynchidae (Belonostomus ), Pycnodontidae (Coeludus and Proscinetes
). The amphibian seems to be represented by the single family Albanerpetontidae. The
reptile fauna is quite well represented and diversified, with jaw fragment of indeterminated
squamates, fragments of turtle shell (Pleurosternidae) as well as numerous crocodilians and
dinosaurs. Crocodilian teeth belong to four families: Goniopholididae (Goniopholis ),
Pholidosauridae (Pholidosaurus ), Bernissartidae (Bernissartia ) and Atoposauridae
(Theriosuchus ). Theropods dinosaurs are known from the family Dromaeosauridae
(Nuthetes ) and indeterminated specimens. Three ornitischian families are present
(Iguanodontidae, Heterodontosauridae and Stegosauridae). A tooth of an Archaeopterygidae
has been found. The mammals are represented by four families: Triconodontidae
(Triconodon ), Spalacotheriidae (Spalacotherium ), Dryolestidae, and an undetermined
family of Multituberculates. This fauna is of a great interest because of the quality of
preservation, the diversity and the abundance of the micro-remains. A quantitative
biodiversity study is in progress in order to understand the depositional environment of this
site and to reconstruct the ecosystem of this part of the Aquitaine Basin at the beginning of
the Cretaceous.