The Mishash Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) geologic formation in Israel. The formation is correlated with the Duwi Formation of Egypt and the Amman and Ruseifa Formations of Jordan.[1] Mosasaur fossils assigned to Prognathodon currii and pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation.
| Mishash Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Campanian-Maastrichtian ~ | |
 Outcrop of the Mishash Formation (dark upper part) overlying the Menuha Formation (light lower part) near Arad, Israel | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Sub-units |
|
| Underlies | Ghareb Formation |
| Overlies | Menuha Formation |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | Limestone |
| Other | Phosphorite |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 30°12′N 35°00′E / 30.2°N 35.0°E |
| Approximate paleocoordinates | 13°06′N 30°12′E / 13.1°N 30.2°E |
| Country |  Israel |
  Mishash Formation (Israel) | |
Stratigraphy
editThe lower boundary of the Mishash Formation lies atop the top of the underlying Menuha Formation, while the upper boundary is covered by the overlying Ghareb Formation.[2][3] The Mishash Formation is divided into two members known as the Chert Member and Phosphate Member, with the latter overlying the former.[4] Massive chert beds comprise the Chert Member, while the Phosphate Member is made up of cherts, phosphorites, porcellanites and organic-rich carbonates.[2] The Phosphate Member is further divided into three units; the Phosphatic Carbonate Unit lies at the bottom of the member, followed by the Porcelanite Unit in the middle, and finally the Phosphorite Unit at the top.[3]
Fossil content
editColor key
|
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Reptiles
edit| Reptiles reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Arambourgiania[3] | A. sp. | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranium & bone casts | An azhdarchid pterosaur, originally reported as Titanopteryx. |  |
| Liodon[5] | L. asiaticum | Near Jerusalem | Numerous bones | A dubious mosasaur, remains now assigned to Mosasaurinae indet. & Mosasaurini incertae sedis | ||
| Mosasaurinae indet.[5] | Indeterminate | Northeastern Jerusalem | Caudal vertebrae | Mosasaur remains originally assigned to Liodon asiaticum | ||
| Mosasaurini[5] | Incertae sedis | Northeastern Jerusalem | 30 bones | A mosasaur related to Mosasaurus and Plotosaurus, remains originally assigned to Liodon asiaticum | ||
| Prognathodon[6] | P. currii | Oron | Phosphate Member | Skull & 8 vertebrae | A large mosasaur |  |
| Reptilia indet.[3] | Indeterminate | Nahal Qazra | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Endocranium | Remains of an indeterminate reptile. | |
| Titanopteryx[3] | T. sp. | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranium & bone casts | Junior synonym of Arambourgiania. | |
Bony fish
edit| Bony fish reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Enchodus[3] | E. faujasi | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts | An aulopiform. |  |
| E. sp. | Nahal Qazra, Nahal Zin, Nahal Ashosh & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite, Porcelanite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts & bones | An aulopiform. |  | |
| Micropycnodon[3] | M. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | 3 endocranial casts | A pycnodont. |  |
| Polymixiidae[3] | Indeterminate | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | 3 complete & a fragmentary endocranial cast | A beardfish. |  |
| Prionolepis[3] | P. sp. | Nahal Ashosh | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Endocranial cast | An aulopiform. |  |
| Stratodus[3] | S. sp. | Nahal Qazra, Nahal Zin, Nahal Ashosh & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts & bones | An aulopiform. |  |
Cartilaginous fish
edit| Cartilaginous fish reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Anomotodon[7] | A. plicatus | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark | |
| A. sp. | Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark | ||
| Centroscymnus[7] | cf. C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sleeper shark |  |
| Centrosqualus[7] | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A dogfish shark | |
| Chiloscyllium[7] | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A carpet shark |  |
| Cretalamna[7] | C. appendiculata | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark |  |
| C. caraibaea | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | Species reassigned to Serratolamna | ||
| C. maroccana | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark | ||
| C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark |  | |
| Cretascymnus[7] | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sleeper shark | |
| Cretodus[7] | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A pseudoscapanorhynchid shark, small-sized member of the genus |  |
| Echinorhinidae indet.[7] | Indeterminate | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An echinorhinid shark | |
| Ganopristis[7] | G. leptodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | Genus now deemed a junior synonym of Sclerorhynchus | |
| G. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | |||
| Heterodontus[7] | H. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A bullhead shark |  |
| Hexanchus[7] | H. microdon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Numerous teeth | A cow shark | |
| Paraorthacodus[7] | P. aff. nerviensis | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Tooth | A paraorthacodontid shark |  |
| Pristiophorus[7] | P. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sawshark |  |
| Pseudocorax[7] | P. aff. affinis | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Many teeth | A pseudocoracid shark |  |
| Pteroscyllium[7] | P. sp. 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A catshark | |
| P. sp. 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A catshark | ||
| Rhinobatoidei n. gen.[7] | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| Rhinobatos[7] | R. sp. 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | |
| R. sp. 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| R. sp. 3 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| Rhombodus[7] | R. binkhorsti | Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A myliobatiform ray |  |
| Scapanorhynchus[7] | S. cf. raphiodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark |  |
| Sclerorhynchus[7] | S. leptodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | A sawskate originally reported as Ganopristis leptodon | |
| S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A sawskate, some material originally reported as Ganopristis sp., also found in the Menuha Formation | ||
| Scyliorhinus[7] | S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | A catshark |  |
| Serratolamna[7] | S. caraibaea | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A serratolamnid shark | |
| Squalicorax[7] | S. bassanii | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark | |
| S. pristodontus | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark |  | |
| S. sp. | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark |  | |
| Squalus[7] | S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A dogfish shark |  |
| Squatina[7] | S. hassei | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An angelshark | |
| Triakidae[7] | Triakid 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A houndshark | |
| Triakid 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A houndshark | ||
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ Mishash Formation at Fossilworks.org
- ^ a b Soudry, David; Nathan, Yaacov; Ehrlich, Sarah (2013). "Geochemical diagenetic trends during phosphorite formation – economic implications: The case of the Negev Campanian phosphorites, Southern Israel". Sedimentology. 60 (3): 800–819. Bibcode:2013Sedim..60..800S. doi:10.1111/j.1365-3091.2012.01361.x. ISSN 0037-0746.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j Lewy, Zeev (1995). "Upper Campanian natural endocranial casts of fish and of a pterosaur" (PDF). Geological Survey of Israel Technical Report: 1–21.
- ^ Soudry, D.; Nathan, Y.; Roded, R. (1985). "The Ashosh-Haroz facies and their significance for the Mishash palae-ogeography and phosphorite accumulation in the northernand central Negev". Israel Journal of Earth Sciences. 34: 211–220.
- ^ a b c Bardet, Nathalie; Desmares, Delphine; SáNchez-Pellicer, Raquel; Gardin, Silvia (2021-05-10). "Rediscovery of "Liodon" asiaticum Répelin, 1915, a Mosasaurini (Squamata, Mosasauridae, Mosasaurinae) from the Upper Cretaceous of the vicinity of Jerusalem – Biostratigraphical insights from microfossils". Comptes Rendus Palevol. 20 (20): 351–372. doi:10.5852/cr-palevol2021v20a20. ISSN 1777-571X.
- ^ Christiansen, Per; Bonde, Niels (2002). "A New Species of Gigantic Mosasaur from the Late Cretaceous of Israel". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 22 (3): 629–644. doi:10.1671/0272-4634(2002)022[0629:ANSOGM]2.0.CO;2. ISSN 0272-4634. JSTOR 4524254.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z Lewy, Zeev; Cappetta, Henri (1989-04-01). "Senonian Elasmobranch teeth from Israel Biostratigraphic and paleoenvironmental implications" (PDF). Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Monatshefte (4): 212–222. doi:10.1127/njgpm/1989/1989/212.
Further reading
edit- Y. Edelman-Furstenberg. 2008. Macrobenthic community structure in a high-productivity region: Upper Campanian Mishash Formation (Israel). Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology 261:58-77
- P. Christiansen and N. Bonde. 2002. A new species of gigantic mosasaur from the Late Cretaceous of Israel. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 22(3):629-644
- Z. Lewy and H. Cappetta. 1989. Senonian Elasmobranch teeth from Israel, biostratigraphic an paleoenvironmental implications. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Monatshefte 1989(4):212-222
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