Ouled Abdoun Basin

Ouled Abdoun Basin
Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
The Oulad Abdoun and other major phosphate basins (in yellow) of Morocco
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Sedimentary Basins
Location
Coordinates	32°53′N 6°55′W / 32.883°N 6.917°W / 32.883; -6.917
Region	Béni Mellal-Khénifra, Khouribga
Country	Morocco
Ouled Abdoun Basin (Morocco)

The Oulad Abdoun Basin (also known as the Ouled Abdoun Basin or Khouribga Basin) is a

The Oulad Abdoun is located west of the Atlas Mountains, near the city of Khouribga. The Oulad Abdoun phosphate deposits encompass some 100 by 45 kilometres (62 by 28 mi), an area of 4,500 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi).^[2] The Oulad Abdoun is the largest and northernmost of Morocco's major phosphate basins, which from northeast to southwest, include the Ganntour, Meskala, and Oued Eddahab (Laayoune-Baa) basins.^[1][2]

Paleobiota

Life restoration

of Ouled Abdoun Basin during the late cretaceous: paleofauna roaming on land (left) and sea (right).

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.

The Oulad Abdoun Basin stretches from the late Cretaceous to the Eocene and contains abundant marine vertebrate fossils, including

sea birds and a small number of terrestrial mammals.^[3][4]

Bony fish

Bony fish from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Acipenseridae[5]	Indeterminate		Maastrichtian		First record of a sturgeon on the continent of Africa.
Enchodus	E. libycus		Maastrichtian		An enchodontid aulopiform.
	E. bursauxi		Maastrichtian
	E. elegans		Maastrichtian
Eoserrasalmimus[6]	E. cattoi		Maastrichtian		A pycnodontiform .
Mawsoniidae[7]	Indeterminate		Maastrichtian		A giant mawsoniid coelacanth measuring 3.65–5.52 metres (12.0–18.1 ft) long.
Phacodus[8]	P. punctatus var. africanus		Maastrichtian		A pycnodontiform.
Plethodidae[9]	Indeterminate		Maastrichtian		Youngest occurrence of plethodid fish.
Pycnodontidae	Indeterminate		Maastrichtian
Pseudoegertonia	P. sp.		Maastrichtian
Serrasalmimus[6]	S. secans		Thanetian		A carnivorous pycnodontiform.
Stephanodus	S. libycus		Maastrichtian
Stratodus	S. apicalis		Maastrichtian		An alepisauroform .

Sharks

Sharks from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Abdounia[10]	A. africana		Selandian		A requiem shark.
Casieria	C. maghrebiana		Selandian
Chiloscyllium	C. salvani.		Selandian		A carpet shark.
Cretalamna	C. appendiculata		Maastrichtian
	C. maroccana		Maastrichtian
Delpitoscyllium	D. africanum		Selandian
Eostegostoma	E. sp.		Selandian		A carpet shark.
Foumtizia	F. abdouni		Selandian
Galeorhinus	G. mesetaensis		Selandian
Ginglymostoma	G. chenanei		Selandian
	G. khouribgaense		Selandian
Hologinglymostoma	H. jaegeri		Selandian
Khouribgaleus	K. gomphorhiza		Selandian
Metlaouia	M. delpiti		Selandian
Microscyliorhinus	M. simplex		Selandian
Palaeogaleus	P. larachei		Selandian
Palaeorhincodon	P. daouii		Selandian		A carpet shark.
Porodermoides	P. spanios		Selandian
Premontreia	P. peypouqueti		Selandian
	P. subulidens		Selandian
Scyliorhinus	S. ptychtus		Selandian
	S. entomodon		Selandian
	S. sulcidens		Selandian
Serratolamna	S. serrata		Maastrichtian
	S. khderii		Maastrichtian
Squalicorax	S. pristodontus		Maastrichtian
	S. bassanii		Maastrichtian
	S. africanus		Maastrichtian
	S. microserratus		Maastrichtian
	S. benguerirensis		Maastrichtian
Triakis	T. antunesi		Selandian

Other Cartilaginous Fish

Other Cartilaginous Fish from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Archaemanta	A. priemi		Selandian		A ray .
Burnhamia	B. cf. davisi		Selandian		A devil ray
Coupatezia	C. larivei		Selandian		A ray.
	C. fallax		Maastrichtian
	C. elevata		Maastrichtian
Dasyatis	D. ponsi		Selandian		A stingray. An indeterminate species found in Maastrichtian deposits of Ganntour Basin.
Delpitia	D. reticulata		Selandian		A ray.
Gymnura	G. delpiti		Selandian		A ray.	Gymnura
Heterobatis	H. talbaouii		Selandian		A ray.
Heterotorpedo	H. brahimi		Selandian		A ray.
Hypolophodon	H. sp.		Selandian		A ray.
Rhombodus	R. binkhorsti		Maastrichtian		A ray.
	R. microdus		Maastrichtian
	R. meridionalis		Maastrichtian
Schizorhiza	S. stromeri		Maastrichtian		A sclerorhynchoid skate which resembled a sawfish.

Crocodylomorphs

Crocodylomorphs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Arambourgisuchus[11]	A. khouribgaensis		Thanetian		A dyrosaurid.
Atlantosuchus	A. coupatezi		Danian		A dyrosaurid.
Chenanisuchus	C. lateroculi		Thanetian		The most basal known dyrosaurid.
Dyrosaurus	P. maghribensis		Ypresian		A dyrosaur.
Maroccosuchus[12]	M. zennaroi		Ypresian		A crocodylian .
Ocepesuchus[13]	O. eoafricanus		Maastrichtian		A crocodylian .

Lepidosaurs

Lepidosaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Mosasaurus	M. beaugei		Maastrichtian		A large mosasaurine mosasaur.
Eremiasaurus	E. heterodontus		Maastrichtian		A mosasaurine mosasaur with unusual cutting dentition.
Halisaurus	H. arambourgi		Maastrichtian		A halisaurine mosasaur.
Globidens	G. phosphaticus		Maastrichtian		A mosasaurine mosasaur with specialized crushing teeth.
	G. simplex		Maastrichtian
	G. aegyptiacus		Maastrichtian		Now referred to its own genus, Igdamanosaurus.
Igdamanosaurus	I. aegyptiacus		Maastrichtian
Carinodens	C. minalmamar		Maastrichtian		A small mosasaurine mosasaur with crushing teeth.
Platecarpus	P. ptychodon		Maastrichtian		A nomen dubium. Now referred to its own genus, Gavialimimus.
Gavialimimus[14]	G. almaghribensis		Maastrichtian		An unusual longirostrine plioplatecarpine mosasaur.
Prognathodon	P. currii		Maastrichtian		A large mosasaurine mosasaur.
	P. giganteus		Maastrichtian
Thalassotitan[15]	T. atrox		Maastrichtian		A large-bodied mosasaurine with powerful jaws, similar to P. currii.
Stelladens[16]	S. mysteriosus		Maastrichtian		A medium-sized mosasaurine with distinct, unique teeth structure.
Pluridens[17]	P. serpentis		Maastrichtian		A large halisaurine mosasaur, also known from Niger and Nigeria.
Xenodens[18]	X. calminechari		Maastrichtian		A small mosasaurine mosasaur with unusual, shark-like teeth.
Pachyvaranus	P. crassispondylus		Maastrichtian		A pachyvaranid
Palaeophis[19]	P. maghrebianus		Maastrichtian?–Ypresian		A palaeophiid marine snake.

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Zarafasaura	Z. oceanis		Maastrichtian		An elasmosaurid plesiosaur with an unusually short skull.

Turtles

Turtles from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Alienochelys[20]	A. selloumi		Maastrichtian		A sea turtle with crushing jaws.
Araiochelys[21]	A. hirayamai
Argillochelys[22]	A. africana		Ypresian		A pancheloniid sea turtle.
Bothremys[21]	B. kellyi		Danian-Thanetian
	B. maghrebiana
Brachyopsemys	B. tingitana		Danian		A sandownid sea turtle
Euclastes	E. acutirostris		Danian-Thanetian		A pancheloniid sea turtle. An indeterminate species also present in the Maastrichtian deposits of Ganntour Basin.[23]
	E. wielandi		Danian
Labrostochelys[21]	L. galkini		Danian
Ocepechelon[24]	O. bouyai		Maastrichtian		A giant protostegid sea turtle with an unusual pipette-like snout.
Puppigerus	P. camperi		Ypresian
Rhothonemys[21]	R. brinkmani		Danian
Tasbacka	T. ouledabdounensis		Danian
Taphrosphys	T. ippolitoi		Danian
Ummulisani	U. rutgersensis		Ypresian

Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Alcione[25]	A. elainus		Maastrichtian		A nyctosaurid which shows possible adaptations towards diving behaviour.
Barbaridactylus	B. grandis		Maastrichtian		A nyctosaurid.
Simurghia	S. robusta		Maastrichtian		A nyctosaurid related to Alcione.
Phosphatodraco	P. mauritanicus		Maastrichtian		An azhdarchid.
cf Arambourgiania	A. sp?		Maastrichtian		A giant azhdarchid, may belong to the Jordanian taxon Arambourgiania.
Azhdarchidae	Indet.		Maastrichtian		A new taxon, currently unnamed.
Tethydraco	T. regalis		Maastrichtian		A pterosaur of debated affinity; may be an azhdarchid or a pteranodontid.

Dinosaurs

Bird fossils are common in the Basin, which includes the oldest birds in Africa.

Fregatidae and Pelagornithidae), and Anseriformes (waterfowl, including fossil Presbyornithidae).^[4]

Dinosaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Abelisauridae[26]	Indeterminate	Sidi Daoui	Maastrichtian	right metatarsal II	A mature specimen but very small for an abelisaurid, about 2.6 m (8.5 ft) long
Abelisauridae[26]	Indeterminate	Sidi Chennane	Maastrichtian	right tibia	Probably distinct from Chenanisaurus due to its smaller size (about 5 m (16 ft) long) despite being mature. Similar to South American abelisaurids.
Ajnabia[27]	A. odysseus	Office Cherifien des Phosphates mines at Sidi Chennane	Maastrichtian	partial left maxilla with teeth fragments of right maxilla partial right dentary	A small hadrosaur ; the first known from Africa.
Chenanisaurus[28]	C. barbaricus	Sidi Chennane Sidi Daoui	Maastrichtian	anterior end of left dentary 2 premaxillary teeth a maxillary tooth	A large theropod .
Titanosauria	Indeterminate		Maastrichtian		A new taxon, currently unnamed.
Dasornis	D. tolapica		Selandian		A pelagornithid, or pseudotooth bird.
	D. emuinus		Ypresian
Lithoptila[29]	L. abdounensis		Thanetian		A tropicbirds .

Mammals

Mammals from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Abdounodus[30]	A. hamdii		Thanetian-Ypresian
Daouitherium[31]	D. rebouli		Ypresian		An early proboscidean.
Eritherium[32]	E. azzouzorum		Thanetian		An early proboscidean.
Hadrogeneios[33]	H. phosphaticus		Selandian-Thanetian
Ocepeia[30]	O. daouiensis		Selandian
	O. grandis		Thanetian
Phosphatherium	P. escuilliei		Selandian		An early proboscidean.
Boualitomus	B. marocanensis		Selandian		A hyaenodont.
Lahimia[34]	L. selloumi		Selandian		A hyaenodont.
Stylolophus[35]	S. minor		Ypresian		An embrithopod.
	S. major		Ypresian

Mollusc

Mollusca from the Khouribga Phosphates[36]
Genus	Species	Location	Time	Material	Notes	Images
Cucullaea (Idonearca)	C. (I.) thevestensis				A false ark shell .
Heligmopsis	H. wegmanianus		Maastrichtian		A feather oyster also present in Ganntour basin.
Venericardia	V. coquandi		Danian		A carditid clam also present in Ganntour basin.
Baculites	B. sp.		Maastrichtian		A straight-shelled ammonite , also present in Ganntour basin.
Cimomia	C. aff. sudanensis		Ypresian		A nautiloid also present in Ganntour basin.
Ampullinopsis	A. crassatina				An ampullinid gastropod.
Hemithersitea	H. chouberti		Lutetian		A thersiteid gastropod.

See also

• Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event
• Fauna of Africa
• List of dinosaur bearing rock formations

References

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External links

• Fossil Vertebrates from the Phosphate Basins of Morocco, paleontological research from the
  Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle
  , Paris.