Nammoura quarry (BMNH collection) (Cretaceous of Lebanon)

Where: Lebanon (34.1° N, 35.7° E: paleocoordinates 12.9° N, 30.3° E)

• coordinate stated in text

When: Sannine Formation, Middle Cenomanian (99.6 - 93.5 Ma)

• At Namoura the fish-bearing Lagerstatte of 'unit 3' are apparently without microfossils. However, Dalla Vecchia et al. (2002) record that in the overlying 'unit 4' (about 15 m above the fish-bearing layer) the following foraminifers are found: Pseudorhapidionina laurensis (de Castro, 1965), P. dubia (de Castro, 1965), Prealviolina group cretacea (d'Archiac, 1837), Pseudodomia drorimensis Reiss, Hamaoui & Ecker, 1964 and Conicorbitolina group conico (d'Archiac, 1837). These taxa are seen to coincide stratigraphically within the base of the Upper Cenomanian (Schroeder & Neumann 1985: Table 1). Thus, a conservative dating places the Namoura Lagerstatte, which lies just below the foraminfer-bearing 'unit 4' as being in the middle portion of the Middle Cenomanian.

Environment/lithology: lagoonal or restricted shallow subtidal; gray, green, white, yellow, blue, cherty/siliceous wackestone and carbonaceous mudstone

• The rock is a classic lithographic limestone: a pale, laminated micrite, resembling that at the classic Tithonian deposits at Solnhofen, Bavaria.

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the BMNH

• Our specimens were purchased from locals and fossil dealers.

Primary reference: P. L. Forey, L. Yi, C. Patterson and C. E. Davis. 2003. Fossil fishes from the Cenomanian (Upper Cretaceous) of Namoura, Lebanon. Journal of Systematic Palaeontology 1(4):227-330 [G. Lloyd/G. Lloyd]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 124426: authorized by Graeme Lloyd, entered by Graeme Lloyd on 15.02.2012, edited by Matthew Clapham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• In addition to fishes we have also seen a few turtles, crustaceans, an echinoid and abundant land plants from the Namoura plattenkalk. Dalla Vecchia et al. (2002) also recorded bivalves, snakes, a dolichosaur (marine lizard) and a theropod dinosaur. At least one articulated enanthiornine bird as well as isolated feathers have been found.
Actinopteri
 Aspidorhynchiformes - Aspidorhynchidae
Belonostomus sp. Agassiz 1834
BMNH P.62524, P.63242a/b, P.62673a/b, P.63285, P63241, P63286
 Teleostei -
Gaudryella gaudryi Pictet and Humbert 1866
BMNH P.63205-26, P.63264-67, P.63273-84, P.63297-8, P.63302, P.63306-18
 Anguilliformes -
Luenchelys minimus Belouze et al. 2003 eel
BMNH P.62692a/b
 Albuliformes - Albulidae
Lebonichthys namourensis n. sp. Forey et al. 2003 bonefish
BMNH P.63260, P.63251, P.63252, P.63294
 Elopiformes - Elopidae
Ctenodentelops striatus n. gen. n. sp.
Ctenodentelops striatus n. gen. n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P. 63228, P.63227, P.63237-P.63239, P.63253-P.63258, P.63287-P.63292, P.63295, P.63299, P.63301, P.63304, P.63326-P.63331, P.63601, MNHN NRA-54a, NRA-22, NRA-15, 1991-3-4, 1989-12-1, NRA-16, 1991-3-5, MNHN 1991-1-7b
 Aulopiformes - Enchodontidae
Enchodus mecoanalis n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62522, P.63250
 Aulopiformes - Aulopidae
Nematonotus bottae Pictet and Humbert 1866
BMNH P.63319
 Aulopiformes - Apateopholidae
Apateopholis laniatus Davis 1887
BMNH P.63263
 Aulopiformes - Dercetidae
Rhynchodercetis cf. yovanovitchi, "Rhynchodercetis cf. gracilis" = Hastichthys gracilis
Rhynchodercetis cf. yovanovitchi Arambourg 1954
BMNH P.63236, P.62678, P.62690, P.63262, P.63599
"Rhynchodercetis cf. gracilis" = Hastichthys gracilis Chalifa 1989
BMNH P. 63235, P. 63246, P. 63332, P. 62677
 Aulopiformes -
Serrilepis minor n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62676
Serrilepis prymnostrigos n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62523, P.62968, P.62969, P.62970, P.62971, P.63322
 Aulopiformes - Eurypholidae
Eurypholis boissieri Pictet 1850
BMNH P.63323
 Beryciformes -
Paracentrus lebanonensis n. gen. n. sp.
Paracentrus lebanonensis n. gen. n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62518a/b
 Acanthopterygii -
Gigapteryx tethyestris n. gen. n. sp.
Gigapteryx tethyestris n. gen. n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62521
 Teleostei -
Ornategulum sardinioides Pictet 1850
BMNH P.63293
 Ellimmichthyiformes - Paraclupeidae
Triplomystus noorae n. gen. n. sp., Triplomystus oligoscutatus n. gen. n. sp.
Triplomystus noorae n. gen. n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.62517, P.62519, P.62520, P.63325
Triplomystus oligoscutatus n. gen. n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.63155, P.63154
 Ellimmichthyiformes - Armigatidae
Armigatus namourensis n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.59808, P.62527-29, P.63135, P.63137-42, P.63145-47, P.63148a/b, P.63149a/b, P.63151a/b, P.63156, P.63161-64, P.63598a/b
Armigatus alticorpus n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.63134, P.63144
 Teleostei -
Scombroclupea macrophthalma Heckel 1849
BMNH P.62525, P.62526, P.63143, P.63152, P.63153, P.63157, P.63165, P.63247
Scombroclupea diminuta n. sp. Forey et al. 2003
BMNH P.63136, P.63150, P.63158, P.63159, P.63248, P.63168, P.63272, P.63303, P.63230
 Ichthyodectiformes - Cladocyclidae
Eubiodectes libanicus Pictet and Humbert 1866
BMNH P.62691, P.63234, P.63194, P.63600, AUB 100821, MNHN 2000-11-17, MNHN 1993-1-2, MNHN 1998-11, MNHN 1993-1-1
 Neopterygii -
Pycnodontiformes indet. Berg 1937
BMNH P.62516
 Pycnodontiformes - Pycnodontidae
? Proscinetes sp. Gistel 1848
BMNH P.63320a/b
Nursallia tethysensis Capasso et al. 2009
BMNH P.63244a/b, P.63245a/b
Chondrichthyes
  - Trygonidae
Cyclobatis oligodactylus Egerton 1844 shark
BMNH P.63193
 Lamniformes - Anacoracidae
Squalicorax falcatus Agassiz 1843 crow shark
BMNH P.63243