# Angeac-Charente bonebed

The Angeac-Charente bonebed is a fossil deposit located near Angeac-Charente in western France. It dates to the Berriasian stage of the Early Cretaceous, and is coeval with the Purbeck Group of Southern England. It has amongst the most diverse assemblages of earliest Cretaceous vertebrates known from Europe.

## History of discovery

Dinosaur bones were first found at the site in 2008. The fossils were exposed during quarrying for overlying Pleistocene aged sand and gravel. After more bones were discovered in 2010, a team was set up composed of people from Musée d’Angoulême, Rennes University and the Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle to excavate the site. Due the promising finds, since 2011 excavations have been conducted at the site annually.

## Geology and Paleoenvironment

The site was previously considered Hauterivian-Barremian in age, but is now considered likely middle-late Berriasian in age. The paleoenvironment is considered to have been a freshwater floodplain, dominated by cheirolepidacean conifers, with a tropical or subtropical climate. The lithology of the site is predominantly clay.

## Paleobiota
### Fish

Fish of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| Parvodus | P. celsucuspus | Teeth | Hybodont shark |
| Cf. Micropycnodon | Indeterminate | Teeth | Mesturid pycnodontiform fish |
| Pycnodontidae | Indeterminate | Teeth | |
| Ginglymodi | Indeterminate | Teeth and ganoid scales | |
| Amiiformes | Indeterminate | "teeth, jaw remains and vertebrae" | |
| Ionoscopiformes | Indeterminate | Teeth | |

### Amphibians

Amphibians of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| Albanerpetontidae | Indeterminate | "dentaries, premaxillae, maxillae, vertebrae and forelimb bones" | |
| Anura | Indeterminate | Fragmentary bones | |
| ?Caudata | Indeterminate | Vertebra | An assignment to Squamata cannot be excluded |

### Turtles

Turtles of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| Pleurosternon | P. bullockii | At least 12 individuals as well as one complete shell | Pleurosternid paracryptodire |
| Hylaeochelys | H. belli? | "many isolated plates and one incomplete specimen discovered in 2018, consisting of parts of the plastron, some peripherals and both humeri" | Thalassochelydian, represented by juveniles |
| Helochelydridae | Indeterminate | "incomplete isolated shell elements covered by typical tubercles, pustules and crests" | |

### Lepidosauria

Lepidosaurs of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| cf. Opisthias | Indeterminate | | | "posterior dentary fragment bearing two preserved acrodont teeth in addition to seven broken teeth" | Sphenodontian | |
| Paramacellodus | Indeterminate | | | "jaw fragment bearing two closely spaced teeth" | Paramacellodid lizard | |

### Choristodera

Choristoderes of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| cf. Cteniogenys | Indeterminate | | | "A characteristic robust vertebra, as well as a smaller vertebra that probably belongs to a juvenile individual" | | |

### Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| Pterosauria | Indeterminate | | | Teeth of three distinct morphotypes, at least some of which belong to pterodactyloids | | |

### Crocodyliforms

Crocodyliforms of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| Goniopholis | Indeterminate | "skull, mandibles, vertebrae, limb, girdle bones and osteoderms" belonging to a single individual, along with other isolated remains | Goniopholidid |
| Pholidosaurus | Indeterminate | Teeth | Pholidosaurid |
| Theriosuchus | Indeterminate | Teeth | Atoposaurid |
| Bernissartiidae | Indeterminate | Teeth | |

### Dinosaurs
#### Ornithischians

Ornithischians of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| cf. Echinodon | Indeterminate | Two premaxillary teeth | Heterodontosaurid |
| Dacentrurus sensu lato | Indeterminate | 84 skeletal elements, including vertebrae, ribs, several phalanges and elements of the braincase, likely belonging to a single individual | Dacentrurine stegosaur |
| Hypsilophodontidae | Indeterminate | Premaxillary tooth, maxillary tooth and dentary tooth | Similar to Hypsilophodon |
| Camptosauridae | Indeterminate | Dentary tooth, femur | |
| Ankylosauria | Indeterminate | Tooth and osteoderm | |

#### Sauropods

Sauropods of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| Turiasauria (="Francoposeidon") | Indeterminate | | | "braincase, some skull bones, teeth, cervical, dorsal and caudal vertebrae, chevrons, pelvic girdle and all the limb bones" alongside isolated teeth, belonging to at least 7 individuals | All belongs to a single taxon | |
| Macronaria | Indeterminate | | | Two teeth | Probably closely related to Camarasaurus | |

#### Theropods

Theropods of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| cf. Nuthetes | Indeterminate | Several teeth | Dromaeosaurid |
| Ornithomimosauria | Undescribed | Isolated remains of at least 70 individuals representing almost all of the skeleton | Most abundant fossil at the site |
| ?Megalosauridae | Indeterminate | large (> 3 cm) blade–like teeth | Likely assignable to a single taxon, possibly assignable to other groups of basal tetanurans |
| Tyrannosauroidea | Indeterminate | 8 teeth | |
| Archaeopterygidae | Indeterminate | 5 teeth | |

### Mammals

Mammals of the Angeac bed :
| Genus | Species | Abundance | Notes |
| Thereuodon | T. cf. taraktes | Isolated tooth crown | Symmetrodont |
| ?Gobiconodon | Indeterminate | Isolated tooth crown | Gobiconodontid |
| ?Triconodon | Indeterminate | Almost complete tooth | Triconodontid |
| Sunnyodon | Indeterminate | Premolar | ?Paulchoffatiid Multituberculate |
| Spalacotherium | S. evansae | Three teeth | Spalacotheriid |
| Peramus | Indeterminate | | Peramurid |
| Dryolestidae | Indeterminate | two fragmentary molars | Closely related to Guimarotodus and Phascolestes |
| Pinheirodontidae | Indeterminate | Numerous teeth | Multituberculate |