From Newsgroup: sci.bio.paleontology

A spectacular site in France is a rare window into the lower Ordovician
biota.

https://www.nature.com/articles/s41559-024-02331-w

The Cabri|?res Biota (France) provides insights into Ordovician polar ecosystems

Abstract

Early Palaeozoic sites with soft-tissue preservation are predominantly
found in Cambrian rocks and tend to capture past tropical and temperate ecosystems. In this study, we describe the diversity and preservation of
the Cabri|?res Biota, a newly discovered Early Ordovician Lagerst|ntte
from Montagne Noire, southern France. The Cabri|?res Biota showcases a
diverse polar assemblage of both biomineralized and soft-bodied
organisms predominantly preserved in iron oxides. Echinoderms are
extremely scarce, while sponges and algae are abundantly represented. Non-biomineralized arthropod fragments are also preserved, along with
faunal elements reminiscent of Cambrian Burgess Shale-type ecosystems,
such as armoured lobopodians. The taxonomic diversity observed in the Cabri|?res Biota mixes Early Ordovician Lagerst|ntten taxa with Cambrian forms. By potentially being the closest Lagerst|ntte to the South Pole,
the Cabri|?res Biota probably served as a biotic refuge amid the
high-water temperatures of the Early Ordovician, and shows comparable ecological structuring to modern polar communities.
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