The Quseir Formation is a geological formation in the vicinity of the Kharga Oasis in Egypt.[1] It is Campanian In age.[2] The lithology largely consists of soft shale with hard bands of sandstone, siltstone and phosphorite.[3] The environment of deposition was nearshore to freshwater fluvio-lacustrine characterized by moist and aquatic habitats with a tropical warm-humid climate. It is conformably overlain by the marine late Campanian-Maastrichtian Duwi Formation, and unconformably overlies the Turonian Taref Formation. The sauropod dinosaurs Mansourasaurus and Igai are known from the formation,[4][5] as well as the proximal fibula of an indeterminate theropod.[6] Additionally the lungfish genera Lavocatodus and Protopterus,[7] the crocodyliform Wahasuchus[8] and the bothremydid turtle Khargachelys are also known.[9]

Quseir Formation
Stratigraphic range: Campanian
~80–72 Ma
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsMut & El Hindaw Members
UnderliesDuwi Formation
OverliesUnconformity with Taref Formation
Thicknessat least 250 metres (820 ft)
Lithology
PrimaryShale
OtherSandstone, siltstone, phosphorite
Location
LocationAl Wadi al Jadid, New Valley
Coordinates25°36′N 29°06′E / 25.6°N 29.1°E / 25.6; 29.1
Approximate paleocoordinates9°18′N 24°54′E / 9.3°N 24.9°E / 9.3; 24.9
RegionKharga Oasis
Country Egypt
Quseir Formation is located in Egypt
Quseir Formation
Quseir Formation (Egypt)

Fossil content

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Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Dinosaurs

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Sauropods

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Sauropods of the Quseir Formation
Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
Mansourasaurus[10] M. shahinae a fragment of the skull roof, a part of the lower braincase, the dentaries of the lower jaws, three neck vertebrae, two back vertebrae, eight ribs, the right scapula, the right coracoid, both humeri, a radius, a third metacarpal, three metatarsals, and parts of osteoderms. A lithostrotian sauropod
 
Igai[11] I. semkhu A saltosaurid titanosaur
 

Theropods

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Theropods of the Quseir formation
Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
cf. Spinosaurus[12][13] cf. S. sp.
 
Spinosaurus_UDL
Theropoda Indet.[6] Indeterminate A proximal fibula

Fish

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Boney Fish

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Fish of the Quseir Formation
Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
Lavocatodus[7]
Protopterus[7]
 
Protopterus_dolloi_Boulenger2
A modern Protopterus species

Cartilaginous Fish

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Crocodyliformes

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Crocodyliformes of the Quseir Formation
Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
Wahasuchus[14] W. egyptensis Fossils of skull and jaw fragments, dorsal vertebrae, and fragmentary appendicular remains A mesoeucrocodylian

Turtles

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Turtles of the Quseir Formation
Genus Species Location Material Notes Images
Khargachelys[9] K. caironensis A bothremydid turtle

References

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  1. ^ Quseir Formation at Fossilworks.org
  2. ^ Mahmoud, Magdy S. (April 2003). "Palynology and palaeoenvironment of the Quseir Formation (Campanian) from central Egypt". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 36 (3): 135–148. Bibcode:2003JAfES..36..135M. doi:10.1016/s0899-5362(03)00047-2. ISSN 1464-343X.
  3. ^ Sallam, Hesham M.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Kora, Mahmoud; Sertich, Joseph J.W.; Seiffert, Erik R.; Faris, Mahmoud; Ouda, Khaled; El-Dawoudi, Iman; Saber, Sara (May 2016). "Vertebrate paleontological exploration of the Upper Cretaceous succession in the Dakhla and Kharga Oases, Western Desert, Egypt". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 117: 223–234. Bibcode:2016JAfES.117..223S. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2016.01.022. ISSN 1464-343X.
  4. ^ Sallam, Hesham M.; Gorscak, Eric; O’Connor, Patrick M.; El-Dawoudi, Iman A.; El-Sayed, Sanaa; Saber, Sara; Kora, Mahmoud A.; Sertich, Joseph J. W.; Seiffert, Erik R. (2018-01-29). "New Egyptian sauropod reveals Late Cretaceous dinosaur dispersal between Europe and Africa". Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2 (3): 445–451. Bibcode:2018NatEE...2..445S. doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0455-5. ISSN 2397-334X. PMID 29379183. S2CID 3375335.
  5. ^ Gorscak, Eric; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Schwarz, Daniela; Díaz, Verónica díez; Salem, Belal S.; Sallam, Hesham M.; Wiechmann, Marc Filip (2023-07-20). "A new titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Quseir Formation of the Kharga Oasis, Egypt". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 42 (6). doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2199810. ISSN 0272-4634.
  6. ^ a b Salem, Belal S.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Gorscak, Eric; El-Sayed, Sanaa; Sertich, Joseph J.W.; Seiffert, Erik; Sallam, Hesham M. (2021-07-01). "Dinosaur remains from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) of the Western Desert, Egypt". Cretaceous Research. 123: 104783. Bibcode:2021CrRes.12304783S. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2021.104783. ISSN 0195-6671. S2CID 233900405.
  7. ^ a b c Claeson, Kerin M; Sallam, Hesham M; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Sertich, Joseph J. W. (2014). "A revision of the Upper Cretaceous lepidosirenid lungfishes from the Quseir Formation, Western Desert, central Egypt". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 34 (4): 760–766. Bibcode:2014JVPal..34..760C. doi:10.1080/02724634.2014.838574. S2CID 17120150.
  8. ^ Saber, Sara; Sertich, Joseph J.W.; Sallam, Hesham M.; Ouda, Khaled A.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Seiffert, Erik R. (October 2018). "An enigmatic crocodyliform from the Upper Cretaceous Quseir Formation, central Egypt". Cretaceous Research. 90: 174–184. Bibcode:2018CrRes..90..174S. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.004. ISSN 0195-6671.
  9. ^ a b AbdelGawad, Mohamed; Pérez-García, Adán; Hirayama, Ren; Mohesn, Sara; Tantawy, Abdel-Aziz; Abu El-Kheir, Gebely (February 2023). "The First Side-Necked Turtle (Pleurodira, Bothremydidae) from the Campanian (Late Cretaceous) of Egypt". Diversity. 15 (2): 284. doi:10.3390/d15020284. ISSN 1424-2818.
  10. ^ Sallam, Hesham M.; Gorscak, Eric; O’Connor, Patrick M.; El-Dawoudi, Iman A.; El-Sayed, Sanaa; Saber, Sara; Kora, Mahmoud A.; Sertich, Joseph J. W.; Seiffert, Erik R.; Lamanna, Matthew C. (2018-01-29). "New Egyptian sauropod reveals Late Cretaceous dinosaur dispersal between Europe and Africa". Nature Ecology & Evolution. 2 (3): 445–451. Bibcode:2018NatEE...2..445S. doi:10.1038/s41559-017-0455-5. ISSN 2397-334X.
  11. ^ Gorscak, Eric; Lamanna, Matthew C.; Schwarz, Daniela; Díaz, Verónica Díez; Salem, Belal S.; Sallam, Hesham M.; Wiechmann, Marc Filip (2022-12-14). "A new titanosaurian (Dinosauria: Sauropoda) from the Upper Cretaceous (Campanian) Quseir Formation of the Kharga Oasis, Egypt". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 42 (6). doi:10.1080/02724634.2023.2199810. ISSN 0272-4634.
  12. ^ Churcher, C. S.; De iuliis, G. (2001). "A new species of Protopterus and a revision of Ceratodus humei (Dipnoi: Ceratodontiformes) from the Late Cretaceous Mut Formation of eastern Dakhleh Oasis, Western Desert of Egypt". Palaeontology. 44 (2): 305–323. Bibcode:2001Palgy..44..305C. doi:10.1111/1475-4983.00181. ISSN 0031-0239.
  13. ^ Augustin, Felix J.; Hartung, Josephina; Kampouridis, Panagiotis (2023), Hamimi, Zakaria; Khozyem, Hassan; Adatte, Thierry; Nader, Fadi H. (eds.), "Dinosaur Faunas of Egypt—The Terrestrial Late Cretaceous Vertebrate Record", The Phanerozoic Geology and Natural Resources of Egypt, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 253–284, doi:10.1007/978-3-030-95637-0_9, ISBN 978-3-030-95636-3, retrieved 2024-10-18
  14. ^ Saber, Sara; Sertich, Joseph J.W.; Sallam, Hesham M.; Ouda, Khaled A.; O'Connor, Patrick M.; Seiffert, Erik R. (2018). "An enigmatic crocodyliform from the Upper Cretaceous Quseir Formation, central Egypt". Cretaceous Research. 90: 174–184. Bibcode:2018CrRes..90..174S. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.004.