The Angeac-Charente bonebed is a fossil deposit located near Angeac-Charente in western France. It dates to the Berriasian stage of the Early Cretaceous, and is coeval with the Purbeck Group of Southern England. It has amongst the most diverse assemblages of earliest Cretaceous vertebrates known from Europe.
History of discovery Dinosaur bones were first found at the site in 2008. The fossils were exposed during quarrying for overlying Pleistocene aged sand and gravel. After more bones were discovered in 2010, a team was set up composed of people from Musée d’Angoulême, Rennes University and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle to excavate the site. Due the promising finds, since 2011 excavations have been conducted at the site annually.
Geology and Paleoenvironment The site was previously considered Hauterivian-Barremian in age, but is now considered likely middle-late Berriasian in age. The paleoenvironment is considered to have been a freshwater floodplain, dominated by cheirolepidacean conifers, with a tropical or subtropical climate. The lithology of the site is predominantly clay.
Fossil content Tables follow Allain et al. (2022)
Fish Fish of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesParvodusP. celsucuspusTeethHybodont sharkCf. MicropycnodonIndeterminateTeethMesturid pycnodontiform fishPycnodontidaeIndeterminateTeethGinglymodiIndeterminateTeeth and ganoid scalesAmiiformesIndeterminate"teeth, jaw remains and vertebrae"IonoscopiformesIndeterminateTeeth
Amphibians Amphibians of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesAlbanerpetontidaeIndeterminate"dentaries, premaxillae, maxillae, vertebrae and forelimb bones"AnuraIndeterminateFragmentary bones?CaudataIndeterminateVertebraAn assignment to Squamata cannot be excluded
Turtles Turtles of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesPleurosternon P. bullockiiAt least 12 individuals as well as one complete shellPleurosternid paracryptodireHylaeochelysH. belli?"many isolated plates and one incomplete specimen discovered in 2018, consisting of parts of the plastron, some peripherals and both humeri"Thalassochelydian, represented by juvenilesHelochelydridaeIndeterminate"incomplete isolated shell elements covered by typical tubercles, pustules and crests"
Lepidosauria Lepidosaurs of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagescf. OpisthiasIndeterminate"posterior dentary fragment bearing two preserved acrodont teeth in addition to seven broken teeth"SphenodontianParamacellodusIndeterminate"jaw fragment bearing two closely spaced teeth"Paramacellodid lizard
Choristodera Choristoderes of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagescf. CteniogenysIndeterminate"A characteristic robust vertebra, as well as a smaller vertebra that probably belongs to a juvenile individual"
Pterosaurs Pterosaurs of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesPterosauriaIndeterminateTeeth of three distinct morphotypes, at least some of which belong to pterodactyloids
Crocodyliforms Crocodyliforms of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesGoniopholisIndeterminate"skull, mandibles, vertebrae, limb, girdle bones and osteoderms" belonging to a single individual, along with other isolated remainsGoniopholididPholidosaurusTeethPholidosauridTheriosuchusTeethAtoposauridBernissartiidae Teeth
Dinosaurs
Ornithischians Ornithischians of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagescf. EchinodonIndeterminateTwo premaxillary teethHeterodontosauridDacentrurus sensu lato84 skeletal elements, including vertebrae, ribs, several phalanges and elements of the braincase, likely belonging to a single individual Dacentrurine stegosaurHypsilophodontidaePremaxillary tooth, maxillary tooth and dentary toothSimilar to HypsilophodonCamptosauridaeDentary tooth, femurAnkylosauriaTooth and osteoderm
Sauropods Sauropods of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesTuriasauria (="Francoposeidon")Indeterminate"braincase, some skull bones, teeth, cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, chevrons, pelvic girdle and all the limb bones" alongside isolated teeth, belonging to at least 7 individualsAll belongs to a single taxon. An enormous animal, femur length some . Probably among the largest known European dinosaurs.MacronariaIndeterminateTwo teethProbably closely related to Camarasaurus
Theropods Theropods of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagescf. NuthetesIndeterminateSeveral teethDromaeosauridOrnithomimosauriaUndescribedIsolated remains of at least 70 individuals representing almost all of the skeletonMost abundant fossil at the site, some authors have argued for a ceratosaur identity?MegalosauridaeIndeterminatelarge (> 3 cm) blade–like teethLikely assignable to a single taxon, possibly assignable to other groups of basal tetanuransTyrannosauroideaIndeterminate8 teethArchaeopterygidaeIndeterminate5 teeth
Mammals Mammals of the Angeac bedGenusSpeciesLocationStratigraphic positionAbundanceNotesImagesThereuodonT. cf. taraktesIsolated tooth crownSymmetrodont?GobiconodonIndeterminateGobiconodontid?TriconodonAlmost complete toothTriconodontidSunnyodonIndeterminatePremolar?Paulchoffatiid MultituberculateSpalacotheriumS. evansaeThree teethSpalacotheriidPeramusIndeterminatePeramuridDryolestidaeIndeterminatetwo fragmentary molarsClosely related to Guimarotodus and PhascolestesPinheirodontidaeIndeterminateNumerous teethMultituberculate
References