Gueran: Bartonian, Western Sahara
collected 2014-2016

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Odontopterygiformes - Pelagornithidae
Pelagornis sp. Lartet 1857
Zouhri et al. 2018 1 specimen
FSAC Bouj-373, distal portion of maxillary rostrum bearing pseudo-teeth (two fragments).
Reptilia - Crocodyliformes
Crocodyliformes indet. (Hay 1930)
Jouve et al. 2019 2 specimens
FSAC BOUJ-355, fragment of a right dentary; FSAC BOUJ-406, posterior fragment of a left mandibular ramus
Reptilia
Crocodylia indet. (Owen 1842)
Zouhri et al. 2018 6 specimens
FSAC BOUJ-410, a ninth cervical vertebra; FSAC BOUJ-1b, an anterior? cervical vertebra; FSAC BOUJ-400, a posterior dorsal vertebra; FSAC BOUJ-1a, a first caudal vertebra; FSAC BOUJ-124, a caudal vertebra; FSAC BOUJ-96, two fragments of large dorsal osteoderms; FSAC BOUJ-94, a fragment of an osteoderm
    = Eusuchia indet. Huxley 1875
Zouhri et al. 2021
FSAC Bouj-410, could be the (?) ninth cervical vertebra; FSAC Bouj-1b, anterior? cervical vertebra; 400, posterior dorsal vertebra; 1a, first caudal vertebra; 124, caudal vertebra; 96, two fragments of large dorsal osteoderms; 94, fragment of osteoderm.
Gavialoidea indet. (Brochu 1997)
Zouhri et al. 2018 6 specimens
FSAC BOUJ-403, FSAC BOUJ-404, and FSAC BOUJ-401, anterior to posterior portions of a left maxilla; FSAC BOUJ-407, posterior portion of a left maxilla; FSAC BOUJ-402, mid-portion of a right maxilla. All these specimens are from the same individual. FSAC BOUJ-405, portion of a left dentary
Reptilia - Palaeophiidae
Pterosphenus cf. schweinfurthi (Andrews 1901)
Zouhri et al. 2018 4 specimens
Four vertebrae recovered from the Garouaze Locality in Gueran Depression. Two of the specimens (FSAC Bouj -300 and 317) clearly belong to the Palaeophiidae. The two other vertebrae (FSAC Bouj -316 and 318) are very incomplete, but they also likely belong to palaeophiids.
Reptilia - Testudines
Pleurodira indet. (Cope 1865)
Zouhri et al. 2018 2 specimens
FSAC Bouj-196, fragmentary hypoplastron (Fig. 5N).
Reptilia - Testudines - Cheloniidae
Cheloniidae indet. Bonaparte 1832
Zouhri et al. 2018 5 specimens
FSAC Bouj-109 (Fig. 5H), costal fragment; 352 (Fig. 5I), fragmentary hyoplastral process; 351 (Fig. 5J) fragmentary hypoplastron; 353 (Fig. 5K) and 354 (Fig. 5L), dermal plate fragments.
Reptilia - Testudines - Dermochelyidae
Dermochelyidae indet. Lydekker 1889
Zouhri et al. 2018 1 specimen
FSAC Bouj-350 (Fig. 5M), pelvis fragment.
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Barytheriidae
Proboscidea indet. (Illiger 1811)
Zouhri et al. 2018 3 specimens
FSAC Bouj-380a, 380b, and 380c, dental fragments.
    = ? Barytherium sp. Andrews 1901
Zouhri et al. 2021
FSAC Bouj-380a, 380b, and 380c, dental fragments.
Mammalia - Cetacea - Protocetidae
Protocetidae indet. Stromer 1908
5 specimens
species A, species B
Pappocetus lugardi Andrews 1920
4 specimens
Eocetus schweinfurthi (Fraas 1904)
5 specimens
Mammalia - Cetacea - Basilosauridae
Platyosphys aithai n. sp. Gingerich and Zouhri 2015
5 specimens
Chrysocetus fouadassii n. sp. Gingerich and Zouhri 2015
5 specimens
Acipenseriformes
Cylindracanthus sp. Leidy 1856
Zouhri et al. 2018 8 specimens
FSAC Bouj-141, 356 (Fig. 5A), 357, 358, 359, 360, 361, 362, fragments of rostra.
Actinopteri
Percomorpha indet.
Zouhri et al. 2021 8 specimens
FSAC Bouj-141, 363 (Fig.5C), 364, 365, 366, 367, 368, 369, isolated centra.
Actinopteri - Perciformes
Perciformes indet. Bleeker 1859
Zouhri et al. 2018
Actinopteri - Scombriformes - Scombridae
Scombridae indet. (Rafinesque 1815)
Zouhri et al. 2018 1 specimen
FSAC-Bouj-358 (Fig. 5F), fragment of toothed bone.
Actinopteri - Siluriformes
Siluriformes indet.
Zouhri et al. 2018 1 specimen
FSAC-Bouj-372 (Fig. 5G), proximal fragment of a right pectoral spine.
Chondrichthyes - Rhinopristiformes - Pristidae
Pristis cf. lathami Galeotti 1837
Zouhri et al. 2021 12 specimens
12 broken rostral teeth.
Propristis schweinfurthi Priem 1897
Zouhri et al. 2021 5 specimens
Five rostral denticles, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-348.
Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Galeocerdidae
Galeocerdo cf. eaglesomi
Zouhri et al. 2018 30 specimens
    = Galeocerdo eaglesomei White 1926
Zouhri et al. 2021
Thirty isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-337, 338 and 339.
Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Scyliorhinidae
Abdounia sp. Cappetta 1980
Zouhri et al. 2021 12 specimens
A dozen isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-344.
Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Carcharhinidae
Carcharhinus sp. de Blainville 1816
Zouhri et al. 2021 12 specimens
A dozen isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-345, 346 and 347.
Physogaleus sp. Cappetta 1980
Zouhri et al. 2021 40 specimens
40 isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-340, 341, 342 and 343.
Chondrichthyes - Carcharhiniformes - Hemigaleidae
Hemipristis curvatus Dames 1883
Zouhri et al. 2018 5 specimens
Five broken isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-343.
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Odontaspididae
Tethylamna cf. twiggsensis
Zouhri et al. 2018 50 specimens
50 isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-331, 332, 333, 334, 335 and 336.
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Otodontidae
Otodus cf. sokolowi
Zouhri et al. 2018
Otodus sp. Agassiz 1838
Zouhri et al. 2021 12 specimens
A dozen isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-323.
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Lamnidae
Macrorhizodus praecursor (Leriche 1905)
Zouhri et al. 2021 100 specimens
Hundreds of isolated teeth, figured material includes FSAC Bouj-327, 328, 329 and 330.
Chondrichthyes - Lamniformes - Carchariidae
Carcharias koerti
Zouhri et al. 2018
"Carcharias" koerti
Zouhri et al. 2018
see common names

Geography
Country:Western Sahara
Coordinates: 25.1° North, 13.9° West (view map)
Paleocoordinates:22.4° North, 17.2° West
Basis of coordinate:stated in text
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period:Paleogene Epoch:Eocene
Stage:Bartonian 10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 3
Key time interval:Bartonian
Age range of interval:41.20000 - 37.71000 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Aridal
Stratigraphic resolution:bed
Stratigraphy comments: ~11 m above the base of the section
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology:gray,white argillaceous,silty sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Lithology description: The sand- stone is white to light gray in color, clayey, silty, poorly-sorted, and very fine to coarse in grain size (F 1⁄4 þ4 to 1). The larger sand grains include clear quartz grains and opaque lithic fragments, all subrounded to rounded, and polished. Sandstone cement is calcareous. Marl and clay casts up to several centimeters in diam- eter are common, and fish coprolites on the order of 1.0e1.5 cm long and 4e5 mm in diameter are present.
Environment:shallow subtidal indet.
Geology comments: neritic zone of a shallow shelf
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Fragmentation:frequent
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:field collection
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Collection dates:2014-2016
Metadata
Also known as:Guerran, Garouan, Garouaz, Punta Güera, Punta Güeran, Krebb Afedeira
Database number:175734
Authorizer:M. Uhen, P. Holroyd, E. Vlachos, P. Mannion Enterer:M. Uhen, P. Mannion, P. Holroyd, E. Vlachos
Modifier:M. Uhen Research group:vertebrate
Created:2016-01-07 13:37:28 Last modified:2019-10-28 12:41:01
Access level:the public Released:2016-01-07 13:37:28
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
57556. P. D. Gingerich and S. Zouhri. 2015. New fauna of archaeocete whales (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Bartonian middle Eocene of southern Morocco. Journal of African Earth Sciences 111:273-286 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]

Secondary references:

69219 S. Jouve, B. Khalloufi, and S. Zouhri. 2019. Longirostrine crocodylians from the Bartonian of Morocco and Paleogene climatic and sea level oscillations in the Peri-Tethys area. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 39(3):e1617723:1-10 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
66463 S. Zouhri, P. D. Gingerich, S. Adnet, E. Bourdon, S. Jouve, B. Khalloufi, A. Amane, N. Elboudali, J.-C. Rage, F. Lapparent De Broin, A. Kaoukaya and S. Sebti. 2018. Middle Eocene vertebrates from the sabkha of Gueran, Atlantic coastal basin, Saharan Morocco, and their peri-African correlations. Comptes Rendus Geoscience 350(6):310-318 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion/M. Uhen]
70669 S. Zouhri, P. D. Gingerich, B. Khalloufi, N. Elboudali, A. Amane, W. Bouzarzar, and O. Saddiqi. 2019. The middle-upper Eocene Vertebrate record from Taraya-Laayoune-Dakhla Antlantic Basin (Morocco). International Symposium 60 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
75886 S. Zouhri, P. D. Gingerich, B. Kahlloufi, E. Bourdon, S. Adnet, S. Jouve, N. Elboudali, A. Amane, J.-C. Rage, R. Tabuce, and F. Lapparent Broin. 2021. Middle Eocene vertebrate fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, southwestern Morocco. Geodiversitas 43(5):121-150 [E. Vlachos/E. Vlachos]