The Montceau-les-Mines lagerstätte is a Carboniferous lagerstätte named after and located within the town of Montceau-les-Mines, France. It preserves numerous flora and fauna similar to those of the Mazon Creek fossil beds in the United States, such as temnospondyls, velvet worms, arachnids and more.
Paleobiota
Panarthropods
Lobopodians LobopodiaGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesAntennipatusA. montceauensisIndeterminate OnychophoraEarliest known definite onychophoran known from three specimens. Likely terrestrial or at least semi-aquatic.PalaeocampaP. anthraxAysheaiidaeFirst known freshwater and poisonous lobopodian
Arthropods ArthropodaGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesAlanops = Liomesaspis birtwelliA. magnificusXiphosura BellinuridaeLikely capable of volvationAmeticosA. scolosOpiliones DyspnoiVery similar to modern harvestmenMacrogyionM. cronusOpiliones EupnoiVery similar to modern harvestmenHastocularisH. argusOpiliones TetrophthalmiA basal harvestmanAphantomartusA. areolatusTrigonotarbidaTrigonotarbusT. spTrigonotarbidaIdmonarachneI. brasieriSerikodiastidaSimilar to spiders, but lacked spinneretsPalaeotheleP. montceauensisAraneae MesothelaeFirst mesothele spider known, previously named "Eothele"AllobuthusA. pesceiScorpionesAnthracoscorpionidaeCoseleyscorpioC. lanceolatusScorpionesSchramixerxesS. geremEuthycarcinoideaRedescribed in 2008SottyxerxesS. multiplexEuthycarcinoideaRedescribed in 2008AmynilyspesA. fatimaeOniscomorphaOne of the rarest components of the fauna; only five found in over 20,000 concretionsBlanziulusB. parriatiXyloiulidaeLikely terrestrial in natureArthropleuraA. spArthropleurideaSpecimens from Montceau preserve the first known head anatomy of the genusSottyellaS. montceauensisPhreatoicideaFound while searching for myriapodsChabardellaC. spinosaGorgonophontidaeBears spines on its segment marginsPalaeocrangon?cf. P. spPhreatoicideaVery fragmentary, may not belong to the genusPalaeocarisP. secretae P. typus P. retractataSyncaridaKnown from thousands of specimensMontcestheriaM. orriSpinicaudataRelatively large spinicaudatan, reached around 2 cm lengthEuestheriaE. feysiSpinicaudataMuch smaller than MontcestheriaCarbonitaC. ?salterianaPodocopidaUnclear whether it belongs to the genusAnebosA. phrixosPterygotaInterpreted as a stem-orthopteran, yet bears similarities to some megasecopteran larvae?PhenopterumP. briggsiGrylloblattodeaRedescribed alongside a Permian species in the same genusMontceaupterumM. baillyiGrylloblattodeaOldest member of its family (Euryptilonidae)
Mollusks MolluscaGenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesAnthraconaiaA. lusitanica
Vertebrates
VertebratesMontcelliaM. longidentataNectridea UrocordylidaeFormerly classed within SauropleuraSauravusS. costei S. spinosusMontceaubatrachusM. platyrhynchusTemnospondyli AmphibamiformesBears similarities to GerobatrachusActinodonA. spMicromelerpetonM. boyiTemnospondyliMicromelerpetidaeNyranerpetonN. montceauenseTemnospondyliMicromelerpetidaeAnother species known from the Kladno FormationIndeterminateTemnospondyli Archegosauridae?Originally described as ActinodonBranchiosaurusB. petroleiTemnospondyli BranchiosauridaeBourbonnellaB. sottyi B. fourrieriAeduellidaeLikely lived across the tropics during the latest CarboniferousIgornellaI. montcellensisIgornichthyidaePlatysellaP. descusiAeduellidaeMyxineidusM. gonorumCyclostomiDebated as to whether the genus is a hagfish or lampreyExpleuracanthusE. sp.XenacanthiformesA freshwater xenacanth shark, known from dorsal spines from the "Fish Shale Bed"SagenodusS. sp.DipnoiA fragmentary lungfish probably within the genus SagenodusAcanthodesA. sp.AcanthodidaeFragmentary remains of Acanthodes are known from the "Fish Shale Bed" and some nodulesPhlegethontiaP. sp.AistopodaA snake-like lepospondyl tetrapodStereorachis?S.? blanziacensisOphiacodontidaeUnnumbered specimen consisting of mandible and skull fragments
Plants
Ferns (Polypodiopsida) GenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesAnnulariaA. mucronata A. sphenophylloides A. spicata A. stellataCalamitaceaeA form taxon assigned to the leaves of Calamites.AsterophyllitesA. equisetiformisCalamitaceaeCalamitesC. cistii C. cruciatus C. sp.CalamitaceaeA genus of tree-like horsetail closely related to the modern Equisetum.CalamostachysC. tuberculataCalamitaceaeSphenophyllostachysS. sp.SphenophyllalesSphenophyllumS. angustifolium S. longifolium S. oblongifoliumSphenophyllalesPecopterisP. cyathea P. feminaeformis P. hemitelioides P. lepidorachis P. miltoni P. platonii P. polymorpha P. pseudo-oreopteridia P. unita P. aff. affinis P. aff. elaverica
P. aff. launayi P. sp.MarattiaceaeA common form of fern leaf
Seed ferns (Pteridospermatophyta) GenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesSphenopterisS. cristata S. leptophylla S. aff. picandeti
S. sp.LyginopteridaceaeAlethopterisA. zeilleri A. sp.AlethopteridaceaeCallipteridiumC. costeiCyclopteridaceaeDicksonitesD. pluckenetii D. sterzeliiCallistophytalesLinopterusL. sp.NeuropterisN. cordata N. planchardi N. sp.NeurodontopteridaceaeOdontopterisO. minor O. reichiana O. subcrenulataPteridospermophyta PseudomariopterisP. sp.Pteridospermophyta
Conifers (Gymnospermae) GenusSpeciesHigher taxonNotesImagesTaeniopterisT. jejunataCycadophytaCordaitanthusC. aff. baccifer C. sp.CordaitalesCordaitesC. sp.Cordaitales
References