The Aridal Formation in the Sahara Desert of southwestern Morocco is a fossil formation with rocks dating to the Lutetian - Priabonian (47.8 - 33.9 million years ago), preserving a middle Eocene shallow coastal environment.[1]
| Aridal Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Middle Eocene, Lutetian–Priabonian | |
.jpg) | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Lithology | |
| Other | sandstone, marl |
| Location | |
| Country | Morocco |
The formation represents the world's richest Bartonian archaic whale assemblage, including protocetids and basilosaurids.[2]
Paleobiota
editBirds
editIncludes the earliest occurrence of the genus Pelagornis, extending its fossil record back by at least 10 million years.[2]
| Taxa | Rock Unit | Age | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pelagornis sp. | Gueran | Bartonian | 
|
| Pelagornithidae indet. | El Breij Unit II | Bartonian |
Mammals
editAlongside a rich assemblage of archaic whale taxa including two additional unnamed protocetid species,[3] there are also possible remains of the earliest occurrence of Barytherium.[4]
| Taxa | Rock Unit | Age | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pappocetus lugardi | Gueran,[3]
Sabkha of Lebreij |
Bartonian | 
|
| Eocetus schweinfurthi | Gueran,[3]
El Breij Unit II, El Breij Unit III |
Bartonian | |
| Chrysocetus fouadassii | Gueran[3] | Bartonian | 
|
| Platyosphys aithai | Gueran[3] | Bartonian | 
|
| ? Barytherium sp. | Gueran[4] | Bartonian | 
|
Reptiles
editThere are at least three indeterminate species of turtles: two marine cryptodires, a cheloniid, a dermochelyid, and a possible littoral pleurodire. Two species of longirostrine crocodylians are present, including a gavialoid similar to Eogavialis africanum (which is typically known from younger strata), and one too fragmentary to identify beyond being a crocodyliform.[2]
| Taxa | Rock Unit | Age | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pterosphenus schweinfurthi | Gueran | Bartonian | 
|
| Palaeophis africanus | El Breij, Unit I | Lutetian | |
| Palaeophiidae indet. | Sabkha of Lebreij | Bartonian | |
| Cordichelys antiqua | El Breij, Unit I | Lutetian | |
| Cheloniidae indet. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Dermochelyidae indet. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Pleurodira indet. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Gavialoidea indet. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Crocodyliformes indet. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Crocodylia indet. | El Breij Unit I,
Sabkha of Lebreij |
Lutetian |
Cartilaginous Fish
edit| Taxa | Rock Unit | Age | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Galeocerdo eaglesomei | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Pristis lathami | Gueran | Bartonian | 
|
| Propristis schweinfurthi | Gueran | Bartonian | _(20937469632)_(cropped).jpg)
|
| Macrorhizodus praecursor | Gueran | Bartonian | 
|
| Hemipristis curvatus | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Carcharias koerti | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Otodus cf. sokolowi | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Tethylamna cf. twiggsensis | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Carcharhinus sp. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Abdounia sp. | Gueran | Bartonian | |
| Physogaleus sp. | Gueran | Bartonian |
Bony Fish
edit| Taxa | Rock Unit | Age | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cylindracanthus sp. | Gueran,
El Breij Unit I |
Bartonian, | 
|
References
edit- ^ "The Paleobiology Database Navigator". The Paleobiology Database. Retrieved 5 September 2024.
- ^ a b c Zouhri, Samir; Gingerich, Philip D.; Khalloufi, Bouziane; Bourdon, Estelle; Adnet, Sylvain; Jouve, Stéphane; Elboudali, Najia; Amane, Ayoub; Rage, Jean-Claude; Tabuce, Rodolphe; De Broin, France De Lapparent (11 March 2021). "Middle Eocene vertebrate fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, southwestern Morocco". Geodiversitas. 43 (5). doi:10.5252/geodiversitas2021v43a5. ISSN 1280-9659.
- ^ a b c d e Gingerich, Philip D.; Zouhri, Samir (November 2015). "New fauna of archaeocete whales (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Bartonian middle Eocene of southern Morocco". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 111: 273–286. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2015.08.006.
- ^ a b Zouhri, Samir; Gingerich, Philip D.; Khalloufi, Bouziane; Bourdon, Estelle; Adnet, Sylvain; Jouve, Stéphane; Elboudali, Najia; Amane, Ayoub; Rage, Jean-Claude; Tabuce, Rodolphe (11 March 2021). "Barytherium sp. Andrews 1901". doi:10.5281/zenodo.4606655.
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