Al-Sarrar, Locality 21, Dam Formation: Burdigalian, Saudi Arabia
List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
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Chondrichthyes
- Myliobatiformes
- Myliobatidae
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Myliobatis sp.
Cuvier 1816
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Actinopteri
- Spariformes
- Sparidae
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Sparidae indet.
(Cuvier 1817)
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Amphibia
- Temnospondyli
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Anura indet.
(Fischer von Waldheim 1813)
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| Bufonoids and Ranoids indet. | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
- Boidae
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Boidae indet.
Gray 1825
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| Eryx - Gongylophis group. | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
- Viperidae
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Viperidae indet.
Oppel 1811
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Reptilia
- Elapidae
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Elapidae indet.
Boié 1827
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| Naja - Palaeonaja group. | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
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Scolecophidia indet.
Duméril and Bibron 1844
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Reptilia
- Colubridae
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Colubridae indet.
Oppel 1811
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Reptilia
- Charadriiformes
- Charadriidae
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Charadriinae indet.
Vigors 1825
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| distal part of a small humerus (AS 1201) | ||||||||||
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Reptilia
- Crocodylia
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Crocodylus cf. pigotti
Tchernov and Van Couvering 1978
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= Crocodylia indet.
Owen 1842
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Buffetaut 1984 | |||||||||
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Reptilia
- Sauria
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Sauria indet.
MacCartney 1802
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| Lizards indet. | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Rodentia
- Dipodidae
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cf. Protalactaga sp.
Young 1929
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| Primitive, probably a new genus and species. | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Rodentia
- Cricetidae
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Cricetidae indet.
Fischer von Waldheim 1817
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Mammalia
- Rodentia
- Pedetidae
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Megapedetes cf. pentadactylus
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1 specimen | |||||||||
| one molar. | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Rodentia
- Ctenodactylidae
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Metasayimys cf. intermedius
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20 specimens | |||||||||
| 1 maxillary fragment and 19 isolated molars. | ||||||||||
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Mammalia
- Rodentia
- Thryonomyidae
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Paraphiomys knolli
López-Antoñazas and Sen 2005
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López-Antoñazas and Sen 2005 | |||||||||
| 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: | not reported |
| Lithology description: No lithology given for locality 21. | |
| 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 |
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.
All fossil material housed in the Department of Antiquities and Museums at Riyadh. 1 ton of unconsolidated sand and silt from localities 6,8,9 and 21, has been sifted and has produced rodent teeth. | |
| Taxonomic list comments:Four orders and 7 genera of fish are recognised 'mainly from localities 7, 9 and 21' but they are not all listed by locality. Those that are listed by locality have been entered on the faunal lists. The others are: Hyperopisus sp., Barbus sp., Labeo sp., Heterobranchus sp., Clarias sp. and Lates sp. | |
Metadata
| Database number: | 47095 | ||
| Authorizer: | A. Turner, P. Mannion, M. Uhen | Enterer: | H. O'Regan, P. Mannion, M. Uhen |
| Modifier: | G. Varnham | Research group: | PACED |
| Created: | 2005-02-08 03:58:15 | Last modified: | 2022-01-28 05:53:25 |
| Access level: | the public | Released: | 2005-02-08 03:58:15 |
| 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] |