Al-Sarrar, Locality 6, Dam Formation: Burdigalian, Saudi Arabia
List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
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Reptilia
- Ciconiiformes
- Ciconiidae
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Mycteria cinereus
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| distal part of humerus AS 805. | ||||||||||
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? Mycteria sp.
Linnaeus 1758
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| almost complete ulna AS 821. | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
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Crocodylus cf. pigotti
Tchernov and Van Couvering 1978
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| 1 left dentary with 13 alveoli, plus other specimens. | ||||||||||
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= Crocodylus pigotti
Tchernov and Van Couvering 1978
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Buffetaut 1984 | |||||||||
| recombined as Brochuchus pigotti | ||||||||||
| AS 979 (left dentary) | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
- Boidae
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Python sp.
Daudin 1803
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| medium sized. | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
- Testudines
- Pelomedusidae
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Pelomedusidae indet.
Cope 1868
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Reptilia
- Testudines
- Carettochelyidae
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Carettochelyidae n. gen. indet.
Gill 1889
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| a new form related to Allaeochelys and Carettochelys. | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Proboscidea
- Gomphotheriidae
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Gomphotheriidae indet.
Hay 1922
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| 1 mandible, a very old individual. ?Amebelodontinae | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Perissodactyla
- Rhinocerotidae
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Aceratherium sp.
Kaup 1834
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| Right proximal radius (AS 863). | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Tragulidae
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Dorcatherium cf. libiensis
Hamilton 1973
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3 specimens | |||||||||
| distal humerus AS 813, metatarsus portion AS815, proximal radius AS 812. | ||||||||||
| see common names | ||||||||||
Geography
| Country: | Saudi Arabia |
| Coordinates: | 26.0° North, 49.4° East (view map) |
| Paleocoordinates: | 22.9° North, 46.8° East |
| Basis of coordinate: | estimated from map |
Time
| Period: | Neogene | Epoch: | Miocene |
| Stage: | Burdigalian | 10 m.y. bin: | Cenozoic 5 |
| Key time interval: | Burdigalian | ||
| Age range of interval: | 20.44000 - 15.98000 m.y. ago |
Stratigraphy
| Formation: | Dam | ||||
| Stratigraphic resolution: | formation | ||||
| Stratigraphy comments: Late Early Miocene. There are 3 Formations in the succession - the Hadruck, Dam and Hofuf (Hofuf overlies the others). Type section of the Dam Formation is Jabal al Lidam. The depth of the formation at Al-Sarrar varies, but is around 30m. Near the Arabian Gulf the Formation is entirely marine, with more continental facies inland. The Al-Sarrar area is an area of 'continental sediments interbedded with the marine series'.
Fauna has been collected from a number of localities which have been entered individually. | |||||
Lithology and environment
| Primary lithology: | white sandy not reported |
| Lithology description: Locality 6, level 3 - Fossiliferous white sands containing terrestrial vertebrate remains. The only other layer with fossils is level 10 - white limestone with scarce marine pelecypods. | |
| Environment: | fluvial-lacustrine indet. |
| Geology comments: 'The lithologies, sedimentary structures (presence of palaeocurrents in loc. 6 and 8), the character of the fauna exclusively continental and the deposition laid down into low energy zone (specially in loc. 6 and 8 explaining the scarcity of small vertebrates and the association of postcranial bones) suggest a fluviatile environment.' | |
Taphonomy
| Modes of preservation: | body |
| Size of fossils: | macrofossils,mesofossils |
| Associated major elements: | some |
Collection methods and comments
| Collection methods: | bulk,field collection |
| Reason for describing collection: | general faunal/floral analysis |
| Collection method comments: Al-Sarrar localities 4-9 and 11-24 can all be dated within a short period of time. Localities 5,6,7,8, and 9 are considered contemporaneous.
1 ton of unconsolidated sand and silt from localities 6,8,9 and 21, has been sifted and has produced rodent teeth. All fossil material housed in the Department of Antiquities and Museums at Riyadh. | |
| Taxonomic list comments:Viperidae may possibly from this locality. Sirenia ribs found in surface deposits, but cannot be correlated with uppermost beds of localities 6, 8 and 9. | |
Metadata
| Database number: | 47021 | ||
| Authorizer: | A. Turner, P. Mannion | Enterer: | H. O'Regan, P. Mannion |
| Modifier: | G. Varnham | Research group: | PACED |
| Created: | 2005-01-31 08:34:20 | Last modified: | 2022-01-28 05:54:57 |
| Access level: | the public | Released: | 2005-01-31 08:34:20 |
| Creative Commons license: | CC BY |
Reference information
Primary reference:
| 12499. | PACED | H. Thomas, S. Sen, M. Khan, B. Battail, and G. Ligabue. 1982. The Lower Miocene Fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). Atlal 5(3a):109-136 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan] |
Secondary references:
| 47638 | E. Buffetaut. 1984. On the occurrence of Crocodylus pigotti in the Miocene of Saudi Arabia, with remarks on the origin of the Nile crocodile. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1984(9):513-520 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion] |