Valbro : un nouveau site à vertébrés de l’Oligocène inférieur (MP22) de France (Quercy). V–Euongulés

Abstract

This manuscript describes unpublished dental and postcranial material of artiodactyls and perissodactyls from the Valbro deposits (Phosphorites from Quercy, France). It is the fifth contribution on this site. This paleokarst yielded 14 euungulate taxa with, among the artiodactyls, the dichobunid Dichobune fraasi, the entelodontid Entelodon sp., the cainotheriids Paroxacron valdense, Plesiomeryx cadurcensis, Ple. huerzeleri and Caenomeryx cf. procommunis, the gelocids Gelocus communis and Pseudogelocus scotti and the bachitheriid cf. Bachitherium sp.; and among the perissodactyls, the palaeotheriids Plagiolophus ministri and Pl. minor, the rhinocerotids Ronzotherium filholi and Epiaceratherium magnum and the eggysodontid Eggysodon osborni. The association of these species confirms an early Oligocene age (Rupelian), close to the MP22 reference level, and allows us to propose a faunal list of 72 vertebrate taxa. Among the Valbro vertebrates, euongulates are one of the most diverse groups and constitute the largest specimen collection. This abundance is essentially due to the large number of cainotheriid remains found in the deposit, and is comparable to that of rodents. Compared with contemporary European sites, the artiodactyl and perissodactyl fauna from Valbro is among the most diversified in western Europe.