Al-Sarrar, Locality 8, Dam Formation: Burdigalian, Saudi Arabia

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
unclassified
informal Ranoids indet.
Mammalia - Primates
? Primates indet. Linnaeus 1758
1 specimen
1 lateral incisor (AS 676), 'may perhaps belong to a primate.'
Mammalia - Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Ochotonidae indet. Thomas 1897
3 specimens
2 upper and 1 lower molar.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Muridae
Gerbillidae indet. (Gray 1825)
1 specimen
spelled with current rank as Gerbillinae
1 very small lower molar, probably the second molar. Resembles Leakeymys ternani.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Cricetidae
Cricetidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817
Plentiful remains, belonging to a new taxon.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Pedetidae
Megapedetes cf. pentadactylus
3 specimens
3 molars.
Mammalia - Rodentia - Thryonomyidae
Paraphiomys sp. Andrews 1914
10 specimens
10 isolated molars.
    = Paraphiomys knolli n. sp. López-Antoñazas and Sen 2005
López-Antoñazas and Sen 2005
Mammalia - Rodentia - Ctenodactylidae
Metasayimys cf. intermedius
4 specimens
4 dental fragments belong to a medium sized species of gundi group.
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
Mionictis sp. Matthew 1924
4 specimens
Right lower canine (AS 673), proximal left femur (AS 722), proximal right tibia (AS 721), right calcaneum (AS 709)
Mammalia - Carnivora - Felidae
Pseudaelurus turnauensis Hoernes 1882
2 specimens
recombined as Styriofelis turnauensis
1 lower left M1 (674), 1 distal right tibia (AS 741)
Mammalia - Carnivora - Viverridae
Viverra sp. Linnaeus 1758
1 specimen
Upper right P4 (AS 748).
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Rhinocerotidae indet. Gray 1821
1 specimen
1 isolated upper milk molar.
Aceratherium sp. Kaup 1834
15 specimens
1 left humerus (AS 762), 1 right lunate (AS 686), 1 partial left lunate (AS 716), 1 pisiform (AS 779), 1 right magnum (AS 687), 1 right femur (AS 763), 1 right patella (AS 684), 1 associated right tibia and fibula (AS 761), 1 left astragalus (AS 737), 1 right calcaneum (AS 1204), 1 right cuboid (AS 740), 1 right Mt III (AS 678), 1 first phalanx of lateral digit (AS 718), 2 second phalanx of central digit (AS 693, AS 694).
Mammalia - Giraffidae
cf. Canthumeryx sirtensis Hamilton 1973
22 specimens
Specimens include: 1 right upper M1 (AS 670), 1 occipital fragment (AS 719), 1 left metacarpal (AS 765), 1 right humerus (AS 679), 1 left radius (AS 766), 1 left scapula fragment (AS 720).
Mammalia - Suidae
Suidae indet. Gray 1821
3 specimens
A giant suid larger than Bunolistriodon massai. 2 specimens definitely from this locality - AS 744 (and ungual phalanx) and AS 692 (a proximal phalanx). AS 734 ( a very worn lower P3 or P4) is possibly from this locality.
Listriodon sp. von Meyer 1846
2 specimens
1 distal sesamoid (AS 736), 1 distal humerus (AS 750)
Mammalia - Erinaceidae
Erinaceidae indet. Fischer von Waldheim 1817
2 specimens
2 upper premolars.
Mammalia - Hyracoidea - Titanohyracidae
Pachyhyrax aff. championi (Arambourg 1933)
4 specimens
recombined as Afrohyrax championi
maxillary fragment with unworn M1-2 (AS 669), Upper M3 fragment (AS 671), 1 ectoloph fragment (no number) and an unworn right lower first incisor (AS 672)
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Gomphotherium sp. Burmeister 1837
Many specimens, mainly juvenile in fragmentary condition. One adult mandible - AS 764. Milk teeth, two permanent lower incisors (AS 743, 746),
Mammalia - Proboscidea - Deinotheriidae
cf. Deinotherium sp. Kaup 1829
corrected as Dinotherium
Scarce material, rather large form.
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
Geochelone sp. Fitzinger 1835
Geochelone sensu lato sp. one or two species.
Reptilia - Boidae
Boidae indet. Gray 1825
Eryx - Gongylophis group.
Reptilia - Colubridae
Colubridae indet. Oppel 1811
Reptilia - Amphisbaenidae
Amphisbaenidae indet. Gray 1865
Reptilia - Pelecaniformes - Threskiornithidae
Threskiornithidae indet. Richmond 1917
1 specimen
Humerus fragment of an Ibis (AS 745).
Reptilia - Crocodylia
Crocodylus cf. pigotti Tchernov and Van Couvering 1978
    = Crocodylia indet. Owen 1842
Buffetaut 1984
Amphibia - Temnospondyli
Anura indet. (Fischer von Waldheim 1813)
Bufonoids and Ranoids indet.
Chondrichthyes - Myliobatiformes - Dasyatidae
Dasyatis sp. Rafinesque 1810
Bivalvia - Ostreida - Ostreidae
Ostrea latimarginata Vredenburg 1908
Bivalvia - Lucinida - Lucinidae
Gonimyrtea sp. Marwick 1929
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Ungulinidae
cf. Diplodonta sp. Bronn 1831
Bivalvia - Cardiida - Veneridae
cf. Clementia sp. Gray 1847
Gastropoda - Turritellidae
Turritella sp. Lamarck 1799
Gastropoda - Strombidae
Strombus sp. Linnaeus 1758
Arachnida - Solifugae
Galeodes (Galeodes) sp. Olivier 1791
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:based on nearby landmark
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
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: "limestone"
Lithology description: Two levels with fossils - level 7, highly fossiliferous limestone (marine invertebrate fossils, mainly pelecypods). Level 3, fossiliferous silt containing terrestrial vertebrate remains (level 3 fauna described in the paper)
Environment:fluvial 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:Sirenia ribs found in surface deposits, but cannot be correlated with uppermost beds of localities 6, 8 and 9.
Metadata
Database number:47069
Authorizer:A. Turner, P. Mannion, M. Uhen Enterer:H. O'Regan, M. Uhen, P. Mannion
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:PACED
Created:2005-02-07 05:56:34 Last modified:2022-01-28 05:56:13
Access level:the public Released:2005-02-07 05:56:34
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]
14553 R. L. López-Antoñazas and S. Sen. 2005. New species of Paraphiomys (Rodentia, Thryonomyidae) from the lower Miocene of As-Sarrar, Saudi Arabia. Palaeontology 48(2):223-233 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/J. Alroy]