The uppermost Oligocene of Aix-en-Provence (Bouches-du-Rhône, Southern France): A Cenozoic brackish subtropical Konservat-Lagerstätte, with fishes, insects and plants

Aix-en-Provence is one of the most famous localities for Cenozoic fossils in Europe, known since the end of the 18th century for the exquisitely preserved fishes, insects and plant remains extracted from laminated deposits exposed in the underground quarries developed for the exploitation of the gypsum, and in some sites located inside and around the city. The Aix-en-Provence fossil assemblage includes a considerable variety of organisms that provide a well-documented evidence of the existence of a large subtropical brackish (primarily oligohaline) lagoon temporarily connected to the sea in southern France during the latest Oligocene.