The Sirenians Trail

The "neighborhood" called Lèques situated to the north of pass of Lèques evokes the name of these thrush traps, consisting of two flat stones, that allowed to trap the birds at that time (a completely prohibited practice today). A few juniper berries, thrushes’ favorite candy in winter, were placed between the sticks. The bird had to move the sticks to peck at grains, and the vertical stone fell and knocked it.

Overlooking the town from its 184m straight and steep cliffs, the top of the Roc is decorated with a chapel topped by a statue of the Virgin and Child. Majestic, strong and anchored since the dawn of time, it looks like the relic of a surrealist dungeon, left there by improbable and fantastic creatures.

Fossils less than 1% of living things are found fossilized, which goes to show that fossilization is somewhat “miraculous”. It is the transformation of the remains of an organism and its conservation in rocks. Obviously, the mineralized portions (skeletons, shells, etc.) are best preserved. But wood and fingerprints, traces of activities, could also be preserved, thus providing valuable information.

Fossils relate us about the history of life. They have allowed the birth of the theory of evolution by showing us the existence of now extinct animals. In our region, ammonites are a good example. They disappeared 65 million years ago after having populated all the seas of the globe during the Mesozoic era.

Water sometimes flows into the ravine. In its work of erosion, it gradually reveals the relief shaped for the first time more than forty million years ago. On the right bank, you can see a gray limestone massif dated back to 140 million years (Jurassic). On the left bank of the marls and yellowish sandstone limestone, dating back to 40 million years.

If sirenians the ravine of Tabori, who lived in the sea, are now at nearly 1,000 meters above sea level, it is not because of a sudden drop in the water level. The sediment accumulated at the bottom of the sea for millions of years are found upright and altitude when the Alps were raised.

Les fossiles de siréniens offrent une fenêtre fascinante sur le passé géologique de la région. Les siréniens, également connus sous le nom de mammifères marins, étaient autrefois courants dans les mers chaudes et peu profondes du monde entier, mais aujourd'hui, seules quelques espèces existent encore, telles que les dugongs et les lamantins. Les fossiles de siréniens sont particulièrement intéressants car ils datent de l'Oligocène, une époque géologique qui s'est produite il y a environ 34 à 23 millions d'années. À cette époque, la région était recouverte par une mer peu profonde et chaude, où vivaient une grande variété de créatures marines, y compris les siréniens