By Dr. Daryl P. Domning
Sirenews No. 32, October 1999
NOTE: The taxonomy in the article below is now out of date. Claire Sagne concluded that the Taulanne sirenian is a new species,
Halitherium taulannense. You can link to the Geological Reserve site at http://www.resgeo104.org.
Reference: Sagne, C. 2001. Halitherium taulannense, nouveau sir�nien (Sirenia, Mammalia) de l'�oc�ne sup�rieur provenant du domaine Nord-T�thysien
(Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, France). C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. 2, Sci. Terre et Plan�tes 333: 471-476. [English summary]
-- D.P. Domning, 2 June 2003
FRANCE: Eocene Fossil Sirenian Site Now On Exhibit - The world's most spectacular deposit of fossil sirenian remains is now accessible to public inspection. Scenically perched in a high ravine amid the Alps of Haute-Provence in southeastern France, the fossil site of Taulanne contains thousands of bones of extinct dugongids that died and were buried along a rocky seacoast during the Late Eocene epoch, some 35 to 40 million years ago.
First discovered in the 1930's, the site was studied in the late 1960's by Dutch paleontologists, who collected several sirenian skulls and many other bones. Since 1994, a new series of excavations has been undertaken by the Geological Reserve of Haute-Provence, a government agency responsible for the protection, study, and interpretation of the numerous important geological and paleontological sites in the region.
In addition to collecting additional specimens for scientific study, the personnel of the Geological Reserve, under the energetic leadership of Dr. Myette Guiomar, have specially prepared one large section of the site as a permanent outdoor exhibit, which opened to the public in summer 1998. Here, a large portion of a dipslope exposing a single bedding plane has been enclosed under a heavy glass-and-steel protective cover. On this slope can be seen skulls, jaws, and scores of other disarticulated bones, still embedded in the hard calcareous sandstone. Other parts of the site, less favorable for public viewing, are being reserved for future excavation. (Collecting of fossils by members of the public is prohibited.)
The Taulanne site lies at the end of a 1-km hiking trail, which begins at the pass of Col des Leques (elevation 1148 m), located 10 km northwest of Castellane, the largest town in the region and a popular tourist stop. Castellane, in turn, is about 80 km northwest of Cannes on the Mediterranean coast.
Explanatory signs are provided at the fossil site, but the main interpretive exhibit is located in Castellane, in a new museum (also opened in summer 1998) called La Maison des Sir�nes et des Sir�niens (The House of Sirens and Sirenians). Installed in a renovated former jail next door to the city hall, this attractive museum divides its display space between the themes of mermaids and their folklore, and genuine sirenians. The biology, evolution, distribution, and conservation status of the latter are concisely presented, and the geology and paleontology of the Taulanne site (the main focus of the exhibit) are thoroughly treated. The object of the museum exhibit is to interest and invite visitors to make the trip up the mountain to see the site itself and its exquisitely preserved fossils.
The bones found at Taulanne are exclusively sirenian, and represent a single species of either Eosiren or Prototherium. Its morphology and taxonomy are being studied as a thesis project by doctoral student Claire Sagne, working under the guidance of Drs. Pascal Tassy (Paris) and Daryl Domning (Washington). The availability of this sizable population sample of a single species should help considerably to clarify the presently confused systematics of Eocene dugongids. One notable discovery that has already emerged from the rock is the oldest known articulated manus (hand skeleton) of a sirenian. This will shed light on the relationships among seacows, elephants, and other mammals. - DPD