The Aïn el Guettar Formation is a geological formation in Tunisia, whose strata date back to the Late Aptian to Early Albian stages of the Cretaceous period.[1][2] The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones.[3] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[4]
| Aïn el Guettar Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Early Albian ~ | |
| Type | Formation |
| Sub-units | Chenini & Oum ed Diab Members |
| Underlies | Zebbag Formation |
| Overlies | Douiret Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Sandstone |
| Other | Conglomerate, mudstone |
| Location | |
| Location | Sahara Desert |
| Coordinates | 33°12′N 10°18′E / 33.2°N 10.3°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 15°54′N 10°18′E / 15.9°N 10.3°E |
| Region | Tataouine |
| Country |  Tunisia |
| Type section | |
| Named for | 'Aïn el Guettar |
  Aïn el Guettar Formation (Tunisia) | |
Stratigraphy
editThe Aïn el Guettar Formation is divided into at least 3 members, which represent different depositional environments. In ascending order these are: the Chenini Member, the Oum ed Diab Member and the Jebel El Mra Member.
Vertebrate paleofauna
editThe Ain el Guettar Formation during the Early Cretaceous period was a marsh-like habitat with swamps and plenty of water. The most famous dinosaur discoveries made here include Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.
- Carcharodontosaurus saharicus[4]
- Spinosaurus cf. aegyptiacus[5]
- Tataouinea hannibalis[6]
- cf. Sarcosuchus[6]
- Araripesuchus[4][7]
- Sauropoda indet.[4]
- Iguanodontidae indet.[4]
- Ornithocheiridae indet.[8]
- Mawsonia[4]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Bateun el Hmaima at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Bir Miteur, RH 45 at Fossilworks.org
- ^ Benton, Michael J.; Bouaziz, Samir; Buffetaut, Eric; Martill, David; Ouaja, Mohamed; Soussi, Mohamed; Trueman, Clive (April 2000). "Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia" (PDF). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 157 (3–4): 227–246. Bibcode:2000PPP...157..227B. doi:10.1016/s0031-0182(99)00167-4. ISSN 0031-0182.
- ^ a b c d e f Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
- ^ Buffetaut, E & Ouaja, M (2002) A new specimen of Spinosaurus (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Tunisia, with remarks on the evolutionary history of the Spinosauridae. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 173: 415–421. doi:10.2113/173.5.415
- ^ a b Federico Fanti; Andrea Cau; Mohsen Hassine & Michela Contessi (2013). "A new sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia with extreme avian-like pneumatization". Nature Communications. 4 (2080): 1–7. Bibcode:2013NatCo...4.2080F. doi:10.1038/ncomms3080. PMID 23836048.
- ^ G. Cuny, A. M. Cobbett, F. J. Meunier and M. J. Benton. 2010. Vertebrate microremains from the Early Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Geobios 43:615-628
- ^ BENTON, M. J., BOUAZIZ, S., BUFFETAUT, E., MARTILL, D. M., OUAJA, M., SOUSSI, M. & TRUEMAN, C. (2000): Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 157: 227–246.
Further reading
edit- S. Bouaziz, É. Buffetaut, M. Ghanmi, J.-J. Jaeger, M. Martin, J.-M. Mazin, and H. Tong. 1988. Nouvelles découvertes de vertébrés fossiles dans l'Albien du sud tunisien [New discoveries of fossil vertebrates in the Albian of southern Tunisia]. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 8e série 4(2):335-339
- J. Le Loeuff, É. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, Y. Laurent, M. Ouaja, C. Souillat, D. Srarfi and H. Tong. 2000. Mesozoic continental vertebrates of Tunisia. 5th European Workshop on Vertebrate Palaeontology, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Geowissenschaften Abteilung. Program. Abstracts. Excursion Guides 45
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