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Wffi& #Swæ$Wffiæffiww Mæ Ffiæ Ffiffidffiæwffiææ SAGA lnformation - n"226 - Avril2û3 wffi&#Swæ$WffiæffiWW Mæ ffiæffiffidffiæWffiææ Æææ ParAdeline Aumont, doctorante au laboratoirede Paléontologie du MNHN. Uhistoiredes mammifères est souoent imaginée comme une pièce en deuxactes : un prunier actedébutant par I'apparitiondes mammiftres au commencement du Mésozoiqueet sedéroulant dans un mondedominé par lesreptiles, et où les mammifèressont encore peu diaersifiés et peunombreux, Puis, coup de théâtre au débutdu secondacte démarrant juste aprèsla criseCrétacéflbrtiaire : les mammifèressubissent alors une radiation sans précédent conduisant inéIucta- blementaers les mammifères d'aujourd'hui, plus diaersifiésencore qu'hier. Cetteaision n'est pas tout à fait cornplète,elle nécessrte d'y regarder deplus près car, en réalité,\'histoiren'est pas aussi sirnple.., a radiation du début du Cénozoïque Les gisemenlo du tlont-de-Berru compte, en Europe et sur l'ensemble des continents holarctiques (Améri- Le Paléocèned'Europe est caractérisé par un que du faible nombre de localités fossilifèresà mammi- 6 Nord, Europe et Asie), deux périodes distinctes se différenciant fères, seuls une dizaine de gisements sont par leur faune mammalienne : aujourd'hui répertoriés. Mais l'importance du - la première se déroule durant le Paléocène Mont-de-Berru se situe surtout dans la qualité et (entre 65 et 55 Ma) et est caractériséepar une la richessedu registre fossile : ce gisement est faune de mammifères déjà très diversifiée et devenu la localité de référencede la faune euro- dite < archa'ique>; péenne du Thanétien. - la secondea lieu à partir de l'Eocèneinférieur Les jeux de l'érosion ont permis la conservation (à partir de 55 Ma) et c'est à partir de ce moment d'une petite colline de terrains cénozo'iques que se développe une faune de mammiêres dans ce qui est aujourd'hui une vaste plaine plus o modemes >. composéepar de la craie crétacée.Cette butte Le Paléocèneest donc une excursion dans un témoin, le Mont-de-Berru, se trouve à quelques monde où nos repères actuels sont balayés ; kilomètres à l'est de Reims, c'est-à-dire juste à alors plongeons...dansle passéet observonsde côté de la cuestade l'I1e-de-Fr€mce.Au cours du plus près l'un des gisements-clésdu Paléocène temps, trois sites fossilifères vont y être décou- d'Europe : le Mont-de-Berru (Mame, France). verts. Localisationgéographique des pincipaux gisemmts à mammileres du Paléocèned'Eurwe. 1 à 3 - Mont-de-Bemt(1 - catière Mouras,2 - carcièreLemoine, 3 - ImtiIIe deBemt), 4 - La Fère,5 - Rillyla-Montagne, 6 - Mmat, 7 - Hainin,B -Walbeck,9-Tremp). SAGA lnformation - n"226 - Avril 2003 Monil-de-Berr f tlarne, Froncef ffiffiæffiffiffi$W&ffiæsww Æ#fuwW Æw ë&mwæwêgryæ$w $chh:rtr Rilll' flilnri,Ërn* Argirr pr*stiquc fuIosrxs\ tàutht.l {il "."d,"untglq}milÉr*û" dr Ç*rnxy Coupedu Mont-de-Benu. 6* tr"*.ntiNiledr H*rffu gr "drg*lnsnbl*usu rfr lblmunns Lhistoire démarre, en1,869,avec la découverte Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, etc. Mais il faut de la couchefossilifère par deux élèvesde Victor attendre les arurées1950 et l'arrivée d'un jeune Lemoine, alors professeurà l'école de Médecine étudiant américain,Donald Russell,aujourd'hui de Reims et passionné par la géologie et la l'un des grands spécialistesde la faune mam- paléontologie. Cette strate fossilifère qu'il malienne du Paléogène,pour que la collection appelle le > " Conglomérat de Cemay est en fait des mammifères fossiles du Mont,de-Berru un grès fluviatile, mais son nom est donné en s'agrandisse.En effet, il va introduire la métho- référenceau ,. conglomérat de base o, puisque de du lavage-tamisagequi permet la récolte de Lemoine pensait, à tort, qu'il s'agissait d'un la microfaune jusqu'alors sous-estiméeet entre- dépôt marin de début de transgression. Il y tenir des relations fructueuses avec de nom- découvre des fossiles de < poissons >, de < rep- breux amateurs en paléontologie. Liune d'entre tiles >, d'oiseaux et de mammifères. Lemoine va eux, RenéeLasseron, est à l'origine des décou- fouiller pendant une vingtaine d'années cette vertes des deux autres locus fossilifères du couche fossilifère sur une petite parcelle de 25 Mont-de-Berru. Cette dame est, à l'époque, pro- ares qui, aujourd'hui, appartient au Muséum fesseur de sciencesnaturelles dans un lvcée de national dtristoire naturelle de Paris et que l'on Reims. Elle effectue de nombreuses prospec- noûune carrière Lemoine. Cette première locali- tions paléontologiques dans la région rémoise. té fossilifère est située près du village de Une carrière (dite carrière Mouras), exploitant Cemay-lès-Reims,sur le flanc ouest du Mont- les Sablesde Rilly du Mont-de-Berru et réguliè- de-Berru. De nombreux paléontologues vont rement surveillée par Lasserory finit par livrer prendre la suite de Lemoine dans l'étude des les premiers fossiles du flanc est de la butte fossiles du gisement : Hans George Stehlin, témoin. En effet, ces sablessont surmontés par Charles Depéret, Max Schlosser,qui pendant la le Conglomérat de Cemay. Des fouilles sont première gueffe mondiale bénéficiera du maté- menéesquelques années plus tard (en 1958)par riel découvert par les troupes allemandes (!), Russell et permettent alors un enrichissement important de la collection de vertébrés.Le troi- sième locus est photode Ia carrièreMouras découvert à nou- dansles années 1g50. veau dans la carriè- Laflèche indique Ie niaeau du re Mouras. I1 s'agit Conghmératde Cemay où d'une lentille de furmt trouztésbs premiers sables coquilliers fossilesdu flanc est du Mtnt- intercalée dans les de-Bemt(on lit : gitedu Sables de Rilly (dite Simædosaure). Lecongtomérat rEose sur tes 'l :,t"TlT--t-u, "t*dans sabtesde Krry exproitéspoïr ;t l;col1erte I'industriedu zterre. re oeDut oes annees 1960,au. cours de SAGA lnformation - n'226 - Avril 2003 ' is l*%t,*. j'Sç. ttï d'anses aux eaux La *r '' - calmes). région ;, rémoise était située à proximité du ft:: rivage d'une mer épicontinentale qui *,I s'étendait alors dans la partie ouest de .Ë l'actuel Bassin de Paris. Quant au \È-ç-"4 Mont-de-Berru, position 'I:*.:+ ; sa est --,"q \ - celle d'rm ancien delta ; en itY:q-)"" effet, un fleuve venant de l'est se jetait à cet V'r{t*,tu "\ \. endroit dans la t ' tr",'/r_u\ ''1.! ,1: '\* '*ij) mer. l*i De nombreux I '. restesde < rep- > f tiles ont aussi i étédécouverts. Ils . '', , appartiennentà des :ffiry' ',",** ' L*,, -gro,rp", W. { rrèsdiffé_ "#f ,'} , { ï}_ rents tels que les ,i '"',.. chéIoniens " -.; #h_,::r"Éi .*î' fu;i?ï",}: (3 Squeletteet reconstitutionde Diatryma, équiaalmt nord-américain ile Gastomis. espèces), Hyopsodus(petit condylarthre de la tailled'un rat) donnet'échelle. les Squamates (1 espèce). l'excavation de ces derniers. De nouvelles D'autres sauropsides, au mode de vie proche fouilles sont organiséespar Russell afin de sau- des crocodiles mais n'ayant aucun lien de I ver au plus vite les fossilescontenus dans cette parenté avec eu& rodaient à la recherche de lentille qui gêne la progression des carriers. La proies. Champsosaurusétait probablement pisci- carrière Mouras est actuellement fermée et vore et devait passer beaucoup de temps dans transforméeen ball-trap. l'eau, tandis que Simoedosaurussemble avoir été moins fortement adapté pour la vie aquatique et Ln reconstitutlon de devait être un prédateur teffestre. Lensemble de I'envlronnêmonl du tlonl-de-Berru ces < reptiles > indique que le climat devait être chaud et sans grand écart de température au Le Mont-de-Berru est un site quasiment unique cours de la joumée. pour comprendre les mammifères du Paléocène Un des éléments les plus surprenant de la faune d'Europe. Mais il a aussi permis la découverte est Gastomis, un oiseau géant (1 à 2 mètres de d'une faune de vertébrés complète. L étude de hauteur) et camivore. La taille minimaliste de celle-ci est une aubaine pour reconstifuer le ses ailes ne laisseaucun doute sur son mode de paléoenvironnement de la région rémoise au Iocomotion : Gastornisétait strictement terrestre début du Cénozo'ique. et ses robustes pattes arrières une adaptation à De nombreuses dents de raies et de requins la course.Cet oiseauétait le plus gros prédateur témoignent d'une forte inJluencemarine dans le de l'ensemble de la faune et devait se nourrir, dépôt du Conglomérat.Mais des restesde pois- entre autre, de mammifères. sons d'eau douce se trouvent associésà cesséla- ciens : le milieu de dépôt corresponddonc à une Leg mcrnrnifèreg du ftlonl-de-Berru zone de mélange d'eau douce et d'eau de mer. Cinq espècesd'amphibiens permet- La liste faunique du Mont-de-Berru comprend, tent de valider l'hypothèse d'un d'après nos connaiss.mcesactuelles, près de 40 environnement dulçaquicole et espècesde mammifères appartenant à 7 ordres postulent pour un milieu de faible différents. Mais trois d'entre énergie (présence eux dominent la faune f 'ryu.j en terme d'abon- dance nume- rique : les Reconsti tuti on de Champsos aurus, DiapsidqûWartmant à l'ordredes Choristodera aujourd'hui disparu. SAGA lnformation - n"226 - Avril2û3 Plésiadapiformes, les Condylarthres et les s'ouvre dans l'arcade zygomatique/ un museau Multituberculés. Ces noms n'évoquent rien étroit se prolonge loin en avant, le pouce n'est pour un zoologue, en effet, ces trois groupes pas opposable aux autres doigts, et ils possè- représentent des ordres étéints et qui n'ont dent des gnffes. Autant de traits morpholo- aucun équivalent acfuel. giques qui ont évolué pour donner naissanceà des caractèresinédits chez les Primates (crâne' Les Plésiailapiformes haut et court, cerveau développé, barre post- Les Plésiadapiformes constituent un groupe orbitaire, museau large et court, pouce oppo- ubiquiste dans l'hémisphère nord du Paléocène sable et présenced'ongles). Aujourd'hui, leurs inférieur à l'Eocènemoyen. liens de parenté exactsavec les ordres modemes Ils forment un groupe qui a beaucoup intéressé tels que les Scandentia (Tupaïas), les les primatologues.
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