The Ammonite Fossil Rock-Slab at Fontbelle

The Ammonite Fossil Rock-Slab at Fontbelle

About 185 million years ago, during the Toarcian period, the sea covered the area what we call today the area around Fontbelle. In its waters lived an abundant fauna: belemnites, ichthyosaurs and ammonites. The rise and creation of the Alps and subsequent erosion have uncovered this ancient sea bed on which thousands of ammonites have been fossilised. About twenty different species have been recorded here. Four of them allow the dating of "horizons". The "horizon" is the smallest unit of geological time; its average duration is about 10,000 years. If four "horizons" are present on the same surface, this means that the surface has not received any sediment but only shells for at least 400,000 years.

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UNESCO Géoparc de Haute-Provence
Musée Promenade
Parc Saint-Benoît BP 30 156
04990 DIGNE-LES-BAINS
France

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ACTUALITÉ / PLAN DU SITE

L’UNESCO Géoparc de Haute-Provence est un service de Provence Alpes Agglomération,
administré au travers d’une Entente Intercommunale avec la Communauté de Communes du Sisteronais-Buëch
et financé par la région Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur et le Conseil Départemental de Haute-Provence.

Provence Alpes AgglomérationCommunauté de communes du sisteronnais buëch
Région Sud Provence Alpes Côte d'AzurConseil départemental Alpes de Haute-Provence

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