Synthesis on the diversity of plant preservations from Archingeay-Les Nouillers (France): A Konservat-Lagerstatte for the Albian-Cenomanian floras

Since the end of the XXth century, the palaeontological site of Archingeay-Les Nouillers (Charente Maritime, western France) continued to afford Albian-Cenomanian (ca 93-113 Ma) plant meso- and macroremains. The successive excavations provided numerous specimens useful for the reconstruction of mid-Cretaceous coastal forest ecosystems. However, one of the most remarkable features of this locality is the diversity of plant preservations. Unique in Europe from this point of view, the fossiliferous site of Archingeay-Les Nouillers yielded compressions with or without cuticle, impressions/imprints, and silicified permineralizations/petrifications. The quality of the silicified tissues and the cell preservation allow this locality to be considered as a plant Konservat-Lagerstatte. (C) 2017 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.