The fossil locality of Persac (Vienne, France): a unique window on a 100 million years old continental ecosystem

International audienceAbundant and diverse fossil assemblages were recently collected from Albian-Cenomanian (mid-Cretaceous) cross-stratified beds filling a Bajocian (Middle Jurassic) paleokarst exposed near the town of Persac, Vienne, western France. They include wellpreservedfossils of bivalves, gastropods, charophytes, plant leaves and wood, bony fishes, lissamphibians, turtles, lizards, crocodyliforms, dinosaurs, pterosaurs, and mammals. During the last three years 12 m3 of sediments were screen-washed. More than 200,000 micro-remains have already been sorted out, ranging from a few mm to a 10 cm in size.The fauna consists of both freshwater and terrestrial organisms. Itoffers, thus, an inestimable milestone of scientific and patrimonial value for the mid-Cretaceous European continental ecosystems