A new look at the Late Jurassic Canjuers conservation Lagerstätte (Tithonian, Var, France)

Abstract

The Canjuers conservation Lagerstätte represents a Late Jurassic lagoonal environment. The sedimentology and stratigraphy of the locality show three different depositional sequences. Fossils are mainly found in the basalmost layers that correspond to the first phase of deposition in the lithographic limestones sensu stricto. The fossil biodiversity is rich. So far, more than 1000 specimens including 38 invertebrate and 18 vertebrate taxa have been recovered from the limestones. The depositional information suggests that most invertebrates and vertebrates were not autochthonous to the lagoon, but swept in during storm events from the open sea or nearby emerged reef environments.