the middle Jurassic period, at the bottom of the Piemont-Liguria Ocean. The deposition of animal material formed limestone, with detritus rocks, formed primarily from the erosion of marl from the Variscan orogeny formed the massif in a period marked by changing climatic conditions and ocean depth. At Diois and Trièves is a layer of the massif, formed in the Tithonian age. Then, about 130 million years ago, in the Cretaceous period, a rise in temperatures combined with shallow waters led to the development of coral reefs, which abounded with molluscs, particularly rudists. These were the origin of the Urgonian Limestone which forms the upper part of the massif, more prominently in the northern half. This primitive fauna left numerous fossils, some of which have been found at a site near Rencurel in the Coulmes. In the Paleogene period, the Tethys ocean closed up and at the start of the Miocene, the raising of the Alps involved the thrusting of a nappe to the west. Sedimentary rocks were raised above the current location of the Massif des Écrins and faulted and folded in the process. Subsequent marine transgressions were responsible for secondary sedimentation in the basins. There was widening of the gorges and erosion of the cliffs from runoff, leading to the formation of the molasse in the Royans and also in the valleys of Lans, Autrans, and Rencurel. At the close of the Miocene, a new period of uplifting brought about the final receding of the sea. Once formed, the massif underwent severe erosion, which accentuated the relief. The different synclines grew larger, eventually forming valleys including those of Autrans, Méaudre and Lans, Villard, Corrençon, the Col de Romeyère and the Col de Rousset. The water hollowed out the cirque of Archiane, the steephead valley of Bournillon, and the Combe Laval. Vercors in popular culture The Vercors have appeared in many films, including; La Bride sur le cou (1961) Wish Me Luck (1987) Season 3 Une hirondelle a fait le printemps (2001) The Butterfly (2002) To Paint or Make Love (2006) My son (2017) See also Battle of Vercors References Sources (in French). Dauphiné Prealps Plateaus of Metropolitan France Landforms of Drôme Mountains of Isère Landforms of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes