EARLy LATE PLIOCENE PALEOKARSTIC FILLINGS PREDATING 
THE MAJOR PLIO-PLEISTOCENE EROSION OF THE QUERCy 
TABLE, SW-FRANCE
POZNOPLIOCENSKE PALEOKRAŠKE ZAPOLNITVE IZ ČASA 
PRED GLAVNO PLIO-PLEISTOCENSKO EROZIJO PLANOTE 
QUERCy, JUGOZAHODNA FRANCIJA
Jean-PIERRE AGUILAR
1
, Jacques MICHAUx
2
, Thierry PÉLISSIÉ
3
, Bernard SIGÉ
4
Izvleček UDK  903.5:569.32(118.2)(44)
Jean­Pierre Aguilar, Jacques Michaux, Thierry Pélissié & Ber ­ nard Sigé: Poznopliocenske paleokraške zapolnitve iz časa 
pred glavno plio­pleistocensko erozijo planote Quercy, jugo ­ zahodna Francija
V paleokraški� zapolnitva � Quercyja smo našli ostanke zob 
glodalcev iz zgodnjega dela poznega pliocena. Ostanki so dokaz 
o sedimentnem obdobju povezanem z visoko gladino morja 
pred približno 3,5 milijoni let. Najdišče odraža stanje pred regio-
nalno erozijsko fazo in vzpostavitvijo �idrografskega sistema.
Ključne besede: Glodalci, plio-pleistocenska erozija, Quercy, 
JZ Francija.
1
 Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution (UMR 5554-CNRS) Université Montpellier 2, CC 064, Place E-Bataillon,  
F- 34095 Montpellier, cedex 5. (aguilar@isem.univ-montp2.fr)  
2
 Institut des Sciences de l’Evolution & EPHE (UMR 5554-CNRS) Université Montpellier 2, CC 064, Place E-Bataillon,  
F- 34095 Montpellier, cedex 5. (mic� aux@isem.univ-montp2.fr)  
3
 P� osp� atières du Quercy, 85 mas de Couderc, F-46260 Limogne en Quercy. (t�ierry.pelissie@wanadoo.fr)
4
 UMR 5125 PEPS CNRS, France; Université Lyon 1, Campus de la Doua, Bâtiment Geode 69622 Villeurbanne Cedex, France. 
(bernard.sige@univ-lyon1.fr)
Received/Prejeto: 24.08.2007
COBISS: 1.01
ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3, 469-473, POSTOJNA 2007
Abstract UDC  903.5:569.32(118.2)(44)
Jean­Pierre Aguilar, Jacques Michaux, Thierry Pélissié & Ber ­ nard Sigé: Early late Pliocene paleokarstic fillings predating 
the major Plio­Pleistocene erosion of the Quercy table, SW ­ France
Early late Pliocene rodent toot� remains, � ave been found in 
situ wit�in Quercy paleokarstic fillings. They provide evidence 
of a sedimentary episode related to a �ig � Pliocene marine level 
ca 3.5 Ma ago, t� at illustrates t� e situation predating t� e region-
al erosion p� ase and setting up of t� e � ydrograp�ic system.
Key words: Rodents, Plio-Pleistocene erosion, Quercy, SW-
France.
INTRODUCTION 
The underground paleokarstic network system in t� e 
Quercy area (Fig. 1) was revealed at t� e end of t� e19t� 
century, along wit� t � e extended p� osp� ate ore mining 
on t�is Jurassic limestone plateau. A long karstic evolu -
tion began as soon as t� e emergence of t� e platform dur-
ing Late Cretaceous times. 
This evolution consists, first in t� e elaboration of t� e 
underground net systems, t� en in a long polyp� ased pro-
cess of filling – emptying t� e karstic voids, according to 
t� e up and down base level c� anges t� at occurred almost 
continuously during t� e first � alf of t� e Tertiary era. The 
filling sediments are mostly vadose clay deposits, t� e 
various ages of w�ic � being establis � ed from t� e study 
of t� eir fossil vertebrate contents (for latest accounts 
see Pélissié & Sigé 2006). Then, since latest Oligocene 
times, t� e Quercy platform was covered wit� prograd -
ing lacustrine sediments of t� e Aquitaine Basin. Finally, 
t� e w� ole structure was strongly worn down by t� e so-
called Plio-Pleistocene erosional p� ase: t� e previously 
deep underground system became closer to t� e surface, 
and was exposed bot� to erosion and widening, but also 
Plio-Pleistocene fillings occurred as s� own by t� e fossils 
t� ey include (Croc� et et al. 2006). Among t� e latter are 
rare Late Pliocene and Plio-Pleistocene toot� specimens. 

ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 470
Suc� remains result from sub-erosion, or more probably 
from contamination over t� e underlying Tertiary fillings 
t� at occurred w� en t� e pits were quarried from top to 
bottom (ibid, p. 86-87). Since t� ey sustain our new data, 
t� ese fossils are reported � erein (Fig. 3). 
Fig. 1: Geological setting and localization of the discuted structures 
in the Quercy, SW France.
DESCRIPTION
In addition to natural erosion, various � uman works 
resulted in sections of t� e Jurassic limestone as well as 
sections of natural fillings. In t� e central western part 
of t� e p� osp� oritic area, near Cremps village (Fig. 1), a 
road passing t�roug � a meandriform dry valley directed 
toward t� e river Lot � ad its rocky nort� ern side cut for 
enlargement (Fig. 2). 
This results in sections of several closely spaced 
karstic gullies wit� t � eir natural fillings. About 1 m wide, 
some of t� em visible on t� e ground surface, t� e gullies 
appear as digits of a major c� annel (Fig. 2). The gullies 
s� are similar filling sediments made of brown and green-
is� sandy clay, including centimetric doll concretions. 
These sediments fully lack t� e iron pisolit� s t� at are 
common in t� e Quercy Paleogene fillings. The fine sandy 
residues obtained by was�ing and sieving sediments con -
tain millimetric bone and toot� fragments, among w �ic � 
enamel blades of rodent incisors are dominant, along 
wit� rare molar fragments. These fossils occur in some-
w� at varied proportion wit�in four of t � e five exposed 
JEAN-PIERRE AGUILAR, JACQUES MICHAUx, T HIERRy P ÉLISSIÉ & BERNARD SIGÉ
In spite of long lasted fieldwork in Quercy and �ig � 
number of recorded localities (over 150 for t� e w� ole pa-
leokarstic area), until now not a single in situ filling was 
reported to t� e Pliocene period. The present paper docu-
ments suc� a case of Pliocene fillings wit �in t � e Quercy 
paleokarst, and addresses its bearing for t� e geodynamic 
and geomorp� ological evolution of t� e area.
Fig. 3 – murid rodents - molar teeth from the Quercy early Late 
pliocene and plio-pleistocene localities : 
Vielase-p, Stephanomys cf. donnezani :  1 - m1 sin. (2,88 x 
1,92) ; 
pech Desse-p, Stephanomys cf. donnezani : 2 – m1 dex. (3,04 x 
2,09), 3 – m2 sin. (2,03 x 1,96) ; 
Cuzal p-Q, Apodemus sp. : 4  – m2 sin. (1,27 x 1,17) ; 
Trifon p-Q, Apodemus cf. dominans : 5  – m2 sin. (1,17 x 1,13), 
6  – m2 sin. (1,18 x 1,09). 
Cremps filling n°5,  : locates the recognized fragment (cusp t9) of 
Stephanomys cf. donnezani
All figures X 20, drawn by j.-p. Aguilar and L. meslin.

ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 471
As mentioned above, not a complete toot� could be found 
from t� e sampled four c� annels, but only fragments. Be-
cause of t� e weak mineralization condition and t� e toot� 
type, suc� remains are difficult to assess as regards t� eir 
systematic position. Nevert� eless, among various frag-
ments, t� e Cremps 5 sample provided specimens, w�ic � 
we confidently recognized, some as strips of arvicolid 
rodent molars, and ot� ers as murid rodent cusps. The 
� eig� t and s� ape of one of t� em, a labial fragment (Fig. 
3), allowed us to recognize it as t� e cusp t 9 of a Steph-
anomys molar t� at belongs to a species close to S. don-
nezani reported from localities as Sète or Mont-Hélène 
in France (Aguilar et al., 1985, Bac� elet 1990). Let’s recall 
t� at t�ree isolated S. donnezani molars (Fig. 3, n° 1-3) and 
t�ree Apodemus molars (Fig. 3, n° 4-6) were previously 
found wit�in some Paleogene Quercy faunas (Vielase-P , 
Pec�-Desse-P , Cuzal-P-Q, Trifon-P-Q) as resulting from 
mining contamination (Croc� et et al., 2006). 
The association of Stephanomys donnezani wit� an 
arvicolid c� aracterizes t� e MN 15 zone (cf. de Bruijn et 
al. 1992), t� e corresponding time interval is s� ort and 
extends from t� e end of t� e Lower Pliocene to t� e begin-
ning of t� e Late Pliocene; an age ca 3.5 Ma can be sug-
gested (Aguilar et al., 1999). On t� e Mediterranean bor-
der, t�is period corresponds to t � e end of t� e Roussillon 
Basin filling, s� ortly followed by t� e progressive retreat 
of t� e Pliocene sea.
Fig. 2: Cremps 1 to 5 paleokarstic fillings views (photos Th. p . & B. S., improved j.-p. A.). 
PALEONTOLOGy
EARLy LATE PLIOCENE PALEOKARSTIC FILLINGS PREDATING THE MAJOR PLIO-PLEISTOCENE EROSION OF THE ...
filling sections. A long transportation wit�in � eavy sandy 
mud likely explains suc� a preservation state immediate -
ly prior to t� e destruction of t� e teet�. Suc � sediments 
muc� probably � ave filled again emptied conducts of t� e 
Paleogene paleokarst. 

ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 472
CONCLUSION
Rodent toot� remains, early late Pliocene in age, � ave 
been found in situ wit�in paleokarst fillings near Cremps 
village, in t� e median western p� osp� ate ore area of t� e 
Quercy. They give evidence of a sedimentary episode re-
lated to a �ig � Pliocene sea level predating t � e incision of 
t� e present regional river system. Previously suspected 
from specimens artificially mixed to some Paleogene 
faunas, Pliocene deposits occur wit�in t � e Quercy pale-
okarst, as s� own by t� e fossil contents from some fillings 
near Cremps. 
Contributions ISE-M - 2007-065 (CNRS-UMR 
5554) & UMR 125-07.033
Acknowledgments : t� e aut� ors t� ank Ms. Laurence 
Meslin for drawings improvement, M. Mic� el Legris for 
englis� text c � ecking and Prof. Ivan Horacek for � elpful 
lecture.
W� erever occurring, caves as well, t� e deposition of sedi-
ments generally relates to �ig � marine base levels. For t � e 
period considered � ere, t� e corresponding one is likely 
t� e early Piacenzian �ig � level (Haq et al., 1987). In t� e 
Aquitaine area, t� e related Pliocene marine levels occur 
far away from t� e current coast, wit� t � e exception of t� e 
Redonian deposits of t� e Loire-Atlantique region (Alvin-
erie et al., 1992). Once admitting t� at t� e Cremps fillings 
imply a Pliocene �ig � sea level, we s � ould suppose t� at 
t� e deposits related to t�is transgressive episode, w � at-
ever marine or continental, � ave been generally removed 
during t� e late Pliocene and/or t� e Pleistocene. 
The Cremps fillings need to be considered in t� eir 
relation to t� e � ydrograp�ic system of t � e river Lot. Ac-
cording to Astruc et al., (2000), t� e Lot corridor, as well 
as t� ose of t� e ot� er regional rivers (Célé and Aveyron) 
would � ave been settled at t� e very beginning of a late 
Pliocene to lower Pleistocene uplift p� ase. If so, t� e early 
Late Pliocene Cremps fillings would just precede t� e set-
ting down of t� e incipient Lot River into its present place, 
long before t� e limestone table was deeply dug and its 
surface lowered to its present level. The duration of t� e 
time interval between t� e Cremps fillings (ca 3.5 Ma) 
and t� e river system setting is open to question. A long 
gap may separate t� ese fillings from t� e beginning of t� e 
incision of t� e Lot River, � ypot� etized at ca 1 Ma as t� e 
oldest age (e.g. Simon-Coinçon 1989). From our present 
data, t�is incision, along wit � t � e planation of t� e Quercy 
plateau, could � ave occurred muc� earlier. In t � e course 
of suc� a strong erosion process, t � e Pliocene Cremps 
fillings as well as t� e Paleogene cave fillings, initially 
located very deep under t� e surface, get closer to it. In 
many cases t� eir roofs were partly or fully removed (e.g. 
t� e Mémerlin cañon). Suc� evidence muc � extends t � e 
w� ole vertical original dept� of t � e Quercy p� osp� ate 
ore pits, down to 150 meters or even more for some of 
t� em (e.g. St-Jean-de-Laur, Roqueprune, Coulou). 
Fres� water fossils (fis � vertebrae) � ave been re-
ported from rare Quercy fillings, suc� as t � e Cremat one 
(Sigé et al., 1991), ca 2 km nort� ward of t� e Lot valley 
(Fig. 1), in a small pit located at t� e average altitude of 
t� e Quercy plateau. According to its mammal remains, 
especially t� e rodents, t� e Cremat fauna is MN 3 zone, 
Burdigalian, early Miocene in age, ca 18 Ma. Its fis� re -
mains indicate t� e connexion between t� e past river sys-
tem and t� e Cremat karst system. These remains provide 
evidence of a paleo-Lot t� en flowing erratically and de-
positing sediment 150 m over t� e present day level, in a 
way probably similar as regards t� e ot� er regional rivers. 
The Cremps fillings (today at 214 m asl) testify to a �ig � 
early Late Pliocene base level, still well above t� e present 
day one at ca 3.5 Ma.
GEOMORPHOLOGICAL INFERENCE
JEAN-PIERRE AGUILAR, JACQUES MICHAUx, T HIERRy P ÉLISSIÉ & BERNARD SIGÉ

ACTA CARSOLOGICA 36/3 – 2007 473
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EARLy LATE PLIOCENE PALEOKARSTIC FILLINGS PREDATING THE MAJOR PLIO-PLEISTOCENE EROSION OF THE ...