French vertebrate faunas and the Triassic-Jurassic boundary

The study of vertebrate fossils, mainly microremains, between the Norian and the Hettangian in 13 outcrops in France and Luxembourg shows no catastrophic extinction at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary in this area. This study suggests an ecological re-organization following the great Rhaetian trangression which reduced the distribution area of large terrestrial assemblages and favoured the development of new lineages of fishes. Such a result is of limited geographic and stratigraphic value and has to be extended to all Europe and to the Carnian to confirm the proposed scheme.