Acta Zoologica Cracoviensia, 38(3) 1995

Issue:

VOL 38(3) 1995

Keywords:

Avifaunal dynamics, Paleogene, Neogene, Recent, France

Download PDF

Share this article:

Dynamics of the avifauna during the paleogene and the early neogene of France. Settling of the recent fauna

• Cécile MOURER-CHAUVIRÉ

Abstract:

The comparison between the avifaunas of the Eocene and Oligocene of Phosphorites du Quercy and those of the Oligocene and Lower Miocene (Saint-Gérand-le-Puy) of central France shows that the proportion of extinct families decreases considerably during the Eocene-Miocene period. However, the avifaunas of the Upper Oligocene of central France, which include a large number of aquatic forms, come in their composition relatively close to the avifaunas of the Lower Miocene of the same region. Most fossil taxa of the Lower Miocene belong to Recent families, and the differences between the fossil and Recent faunas mainly concern genera and species.