The Amminadav Formation is a Mesozoic geologic formation in the West Bank (Palestine). Pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation, in addition to several ray-finned fish and early snakes, most of which are known from the Ein Yabrud quarries.[1][2] The formation overlies the just slightly older Bet-Meir Formation, and it is uncertain whether most of the paleobiota belong to one formation or the other.

Amminadav Formation
Stratigraphic range: Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian)
TypeGeological formation
OverliesBet-Meir Formation
Location
Country Palestine[1]

Paleobiota edit

The majority of species here cannot be confidently assigned the Amminadav Formation, and some may instead belong to the older Bet-Meir formation.[2][3]

Fish edit

Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Aipichthyoides A. galeatus

A. formosus

An aipichthyoidid lamprimorph
Dercetoides D. venator A dercetid aulopiform
Hastichthys H. gracilis A dercetid aulopiform
Enchodus E. brevis An enchodontid aulopiform
Judeichthys J. haasi A gonorynchid
Judeoberyx J. princeps A trachichthyoid trachichthyform
Pachyamia P. latimaxillaris An amiid
Parenchodus P. longipterygius An enchodontid aulopiform
Pharmacichthys P. judensis A pharmacichthyid lamprimorph
Ramallichthys R. orientalis A gonorynchid
Rhombichthys R. intoccabilis A paraclupeid clupeomorph  
Saurorhamphus S. judeaensis A eurylophid aulopiform
Scalacurvichthys S. naishi A pycnodontid  
Serrilepis S. longidens A halecid aulopiform
Yabrudichthys Y. striatus An enchodontoid aulopiform

Reptiles edit

Turtles edit

Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Algorachelus A. parvus A bothremyid side-necked turtle
Pelomedusidae indet. An indeterminate pelomedusid side-necked turtle

Squamates edit

Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Haasiasaurus H. gittelmani An early mosasaur
Haasiophis H. terrasanctus A simoliophiid snake, notable for its hindlimbs
Mesoleptos M. zendrinii[4] A basal mosasauroid
Pachyrhachis P. problematicus A simoliophiid snake, notable for its hindlimbs

Pterosaurs edit

Genus Species Presence Notes Images
Pterosauria indet. An indeterminate pterosaur

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b "Amminadav, West Bank, Palestine". mindat.org.
  2. ^ a b "Bet Meir or Amminadav, West Bank, Palestine". mindat.org.
  3. ^ Bouziane Khalloufi, René Zaragüeta-Bagils & Hervé Lelièvre (2010). "Rhombichthys intoccabilis, gen. et sp. nov. (Ellimmichthyiformes, Clupeomorpha, Teleostei), from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) of Ein Yabrud, Middle East: anatomial descriptions and phylogenetic implications". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 30 (1): 57–67. Bibcode:2010JVPal..30...57K. doi:10.1080/02724630903409089. S2CID 86625975.
  4. ^ Cabezuelo-Hernández, Alberto; Pérez-García, Adán (2023). "A New Species of the Pythonomorph Carentonosaurus from the Cenomanian of Algora (Guadalajara, Central Spain)". Animals. 13 (7): 1197. doi:10.3390/ani13071197. ISSN 2076-2615. PMC 10093179. PMID 37048453.