Palynological Analysis of the Fossiliferous Layers of the Late Villafranchian Deposit of Senèze (Domeyrat, Haute-Loire, France). Taphonomy and Paleoenvironmental Data

Following the first paleobotanical analysis done in the 1960s on a core drilled in the center of the maarMaar of Senèze (Domeyrat, Haute-Loire), a palynological study of the fossil layers situated 30 m higher altitudinally remained to be undertaken. The aim of our new pollen analysis was to know more about the landscape and climate contemporaneous with the late Villafranchianlate villafranchian fauna. Unfortunately the sediments (mainly either colluvial slope depositsSlope deposits or clays) were not very favorable to the preservation of pollen grains. However, qualitative information was obtained from hyena coprolitesCoprolite and their embedding sediments. Those samples indicate the coexistence of leafy treesLeafy trees, conifers[aut]Conifers and herbs in an open landscape, under cool-temperate climatic conditions.