Quercy Phosphorites Formation

Quercy Phosphorites Formation
Stratigraphic range: latest Bartonian-Late Oligocene ~38–25 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Overlies	Fissure fillings in karstified Jurassic and Triassic rocks
Lithology
Primary	Phosphorite
Location
Coordinates	44°18′N 1°36′E / 44.3°N 1.6°E / 44.3; 1.6
Approximate paleocoordinates	42°48′N 2°00′W / 42.8°N 2.0°W / 42.8; -2.0
Region	Occitanie
Country	France
Type section
Named for	Quercy
Named by	Thévenin
Year defined	1903
Quercy Phosphorites Formation (France)

The Quercy Phosphorites Formation (French: Phosphorites du Quercy) is a geologic formation and lagerstätte in Occitanie, southern France. It preserves fossils dated to the Paleogene period (latest Bartonian to Late Oligocene),^[1][2] or MP16 to MP28 zones of the European land mammal age classification, ranging from approximately 38 to 25 Ma.

It qualifies as a Lagerstätte because beside a large variety of mammals, birds, turtles, crocodiles, flora and insects, it also preserves the soft tissues of amphibians and squamates, in addition to their articulated skeleton in what has been called natural mummies.^[3]

The genera Quercylurus, Quercymegapodius, Quercypsitta, Quercypodargus, Quercycerta and Quercygama, and species Mosaicomeryx quercyi, Robiacina quercyi, Palaeophyllophora quercyi, Archaeomys quercyi, Eomys quercyi, Eucricetodon quercyi and Tarnomys quercynus, as well as the lizards Paraplacosauriops quercyi and Pseudolacerta quercyini and the insect Palaeortona quercyensis were named after the formation.