Konservat-Lagerstätten from the Upper Jurassic lithographic limestone of the Causse Méjean (Lozère, southern France): palaeontological and palaeoenvironmental synthesis

The Upper Jurassic lithographic limestone of the Causse Méjean, France, has been identified as a significant Konservat-Lagerstätte, preserving exquisite fossils that offer unprecedented insights into Kimmeridgian–Tithonian coastal and lagoonal ecosystems. This study, spanning two decades of prospection, reveals a diverse fossil assemblage comprising marine organisms—such as algae, ammonites, belemnites, and a coelacanth—as well as terrestrial flora and fauna, including conifers and a rhynchocephalian. Ichnofossils, including limulid trackways and coprolites, further enrich the palaeoenvironmental record. The exceptional preservation of these fossils suggests a calm, shallow-marine setting, likely a lagoon occasionally connected to the sea. This research underscores the Causse Méjean's importance as a key site for understanding Upper Jurassic palaeobiodiversity and palaeoecology, comparable to other renowned European plattenkalks like Solnhofen.

Moreau, J.-D., Vullo, R., Charbonnier, S., Jattiot, R., Trincal, V., Néraudeau, D., Fara, E., Baret, L., Garassino, A., Gand, G., & Lafaurie, G. (2022). Konservat-Lagerstätten from the Upper Jurassic lithographic limestone of the Causse Méjean (Lozère, southern France): palaeontological and palaeoenvironmental synthesis. Geological Magazine, 159(5), 761–781. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0016756821001382