Ben Guerir, couche 6 (Cretaceous of Morocco)

Where: Morocco (32.3° N, 7.8° W: paleocoordinates 24.4° N, 8.4° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Early/Lower Maastrichtian (70.6 - 66.0 Ma)

• Couche VI (or level C6). According to Cappetta et al. (2014): The use of dissimilarity indices and agglomerative method underscores two distinct associations: a lower one including the levels L6 and L5, and an upper one comprising the levels L4 to L2. These two associations allow to separate a lower and an upper Maastrichtian level. Moreover, the special morphology of the teeth of S. pristodontus occurring in L2, compared to what is observed in lower levels, permits us to distinguish a lower Upper Maastrichtian and an upper Upper Maastrichtian faunal assemblage.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: poorly lithified, phosphatic marl

• soft phosphatic beds

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the MNHN

• Repository: University of Montpellier 2; Office Chérifien des Phosphates, Khouribga, Morocco (OCP)

Primary reference: A. Noubhani and H. Cappetta. 1994. Révision des Rhombodontidae (Neoselachii, Batomorphi) des bassins à phosphate du Maroc. Palaeovertebrata 23:1-49 [M. Clapham/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 116903: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Philip Mannion on 14.09.2011, edited by Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Chondrichthyes
 Myliobatiformes -
Dasyatoidea indet.3 Whitley 1940 stingray
Coupatezia sp.3 Cappetta 1982 stingray
Coupatezia ambroggii5 Noubhani and Cappetta 1997 stingray
 Myliobatiformes - Rhombodontidae
Rhombodus microdon3 Arambourg 1952 stingray
Rhombodus meridionalis3 Arambourg 1952 stingray
Rhombodus meridionalis Arambourg 1952 stingray
Rhombodus binkhorsti Dames 1881 stingray
 Galeomorphi -
Youssoubatis sp.3 Cappetta 1992 shark
 Rajiformes -
Rhinobatoidei indet.3 Fowler 1941 guitarfish
 Rajiformes - Rhinobatidae
"Rhinobatos" "sp. 1"3 Link 1790 guitarfish
"Rhinobatos" "sp. 5"3 Link 1790 guitarfish
"Rhinobatos" aff. primarmatus3 Woodward 1889 guitarfish
 Rajiformes - Sclerorhynchidae
Ganopristis leptodon3 Arambourg 1935 ray
Dalpiazia stromeri3 Checchia-Rispoli 1933 ray
Ctenopristis nougareti3 Arambourg 1940 ray
 Rajiformes - Parapalaeobatidae
Parapalaeobates atlanticus3 Arambourg 1952 ray
 Carcharhiniformes - Triakidae
Squatigaleus atlasi5 Cappetta 1989 hound shark
 Carcharhiniformes - Scyliorhinidae
Pteroscyllium sp.3 Cappetta 1980 cat shark
 Orectolobiformes - Ginglymostomatidae
Plicatoscyllium gharbii n. sp.5 Noubhani and Cappetta 1997 nurse shark
 Orectolobiformes - Hemiscylliidae
Chiloscyllium "sp. 1"3 Müller and Henle 1837 carpet shark
Chiloscyllium "sp. 2"3 Müller and Henle 1837 carpet shark
 Lamniformes - Aquilolamnidae
Cretomanta sp.3 Case et al. 1990 mackerel shark
 Lamniformes - Serratolamnidae
Serratolamna khderii3 mackerel shark
 Lamniformes - Anacoracidae
Squalicorax benguerirensis2 Cappetta et al. 2014 crow shark
Squalicorax pristodontus3 Agassiz 1835 crow shark
Squalicorax microserratus2 Cappetta et al. 2014 crow shark
 Lamniformes - Mitsukurinidae
Scapanorhynchus rapax3 Quaas 1902 goblin shark
 Lamniformes - Otodontidae
Cretolamna sp.3 Glikman 1958 mackerel shark
Cretolamna biauriculata3 Wanner 1902 mackerel shark
Reptilia
 Testudines -
Chelonioidea indet.3 Baur 1893 sea turtle
 Testudines - Bothremydidae
Bothremydidae indet.3 sideneck turtle
 Squamata - Mosasauridae
Halisaurus arambourgi3 Bardet et al. 2005 mosasaur
"Platecarpus" ptychodon3 Arambourg 1952 mosasaur
Prognathodon giganteus3 Dollo 1889 mosasaur
Prognathodon currii1 Christiansen and Bonde 2002 mosasaur
OCP.DEK/GE (one tooth)
Globidens phosphaticus1 Bardet et al. 2005 mosasaur
OCP.DEK/GE 347 (median tooth); OCP.DEK/GE unnumbered (6 teeth)
Eremiasaurus heterodontus3 LeBlanc et al. 2012 mosasaur
 Squamata - Pachyvaranidae
Pachyvaranus crassispondylus4 Arambourg 1952 squamates
OCP.DEK/GE (vertebrae)
 Loricata -
Eusuchia indet.3 Huxley 1875 crocodilian
 Loricata - Dyrosauridae
Dyrosauridae indet.3 crocodilian
 Plesiosauria - Elasmosauridae
Elasmosauridae indet.3 Cope 1869 elasmosaur
Actinopteri
 Pycnodontiformes - Pycnodontidae
Pycnodontidae indet.3 Agassiz 1833
 Aulopiformes - Enchodontidae
Enchodus elegans3 Dartevelle and Casier 1949
 Aulopiformes - Dercetidae
Stratodus apicalis3 Cope 1872
 Tetraodontiformes - Eotrigonodontidae
 Elopiformes - Phyllodontidae
Pseudoegertonia sp.3 Dartevelle and Casier 1949