Ouled Abdoun Basin Recette 4 (Paleocene of Morocco)

Where: Morocco (34.3° N, 5.9° W: paleocoordinates 26.6° N, 6.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• hand sample-level geographic resolution

When: Couche 2 Formation, Danian (66.0 - 61.6 Ma)

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; phosphorite

• none given, but "matrix of the specimens" has a "phosphatic nature"

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the AMNH, MNHN

Primary reference: E. S. Gaffney, H. Tong, and P. A. Meylan. 2006. Evolution of the side-necked turtles: The families Bothremydidae, Euraxemydidae, and Araripemydidae. Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History 300:1-318 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 83311: authorized by Mark Uhen, entered by Mark Uhen on 17.08.2008, edited by Roger Benson and Philip Mannion

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

unclassified
  -
Rhinobatoidae indet.3
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
Reptilia
 Testudines - Sandownidae
Brachyopsemys tingitana n. sp.3 Tong and Meylan 2013 turtle
AMNH 30001 (holotype skull); An incomplete skull, lacking the skull roof, with associated lower jaw (AMNH 30558); a complete skull (AMNH 30554); according to the local collectors, (AMNH) 30001, was collected in the ‘dalle couche 2’ (Slab of layer 2) of the ‘Recette 4’ (Quarry 4), in the Ouled Abdoun Basin
 Testudines - Pancheloniidae
Euclastes wielandi1 Hay 1908 turtle
MDE t 28 (lower jaw)
 Testudines - Cheloniidae
Tasbacka ouledabdounensis n. sp.2 Tong and Hirayama 2002 sea turtle
AMNH 30033 - holotype (complete skull); hypodigm: AMNH 30032 (nearly complete juvenile skull) and AMNH 30034 & MDE t31 (two isolated and incomplete lower jaws)
 Testudines - Bothremydidae
Rhothonemys brinkmani n. gen. n. sp. Gaffney et al. 2006 sideneck turtle
exact locality and age of this specimen is not clear
Bothremys maghrebiana n. sp. Gaffney et al. 2006 sideneck turtle
Araiochelys hirayamai n. gen. n. sp. Gaffney et al. 2006 sideneck turtle
THUg 3338, skull (figs. 124, 125), lower jaws (figs. 237, 238), partial disarticulated shell (figs. 262, 263), including a few carapace fragments (left first and fifth costals, left third, seventh, and eighth peripherals and other fragments), nearly complete plastron, and limb bones. MDEt 25, an incomplete and disarticulated shell, collected by H. Tong, L. Cavin, and S. Xerri during January 1999; Danian, Early Paleocene, collected on the surface of Dalle Couche 2 (Danian, Paleocene), Recette 4, Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco, consists of neurals 1– 2, left costals 1–4 (the fourth is incomplete), right costals 2–5 (costals 3 and 5 are incomplete), left 10th and 11th peripherals, one peripheral of bridge region, right hypoplastron and xiphiplastron, and other fragments. MDEt 25 is identified as Araiochelys hirayamai because of the similar size, the shape and structure of the first and fifth costal plates, the similar development of the axillary and inguinal buttress scars, the shape of the posterior lobe of the plastron, and the shape and position of the pubic and ischiac scars. In the context of the known fauna, this identification is likely, but the diversity of bothremydids in the fauna must be kept in mind when considering this identification. The carapace length of MDEt 25 is estimated at 300 mm. Both MDEt 25 and THUg 3338 are from the Danian beds of the Ouled Abdoun Basin, Morocco. None of the plastron and only part of the carapace restoration (fig. 263) are dependent on the identification of MDEt 25 as Araiochelys.
Taphrosphys ippolitoi n. sp. Gaffney et al. 2006 sideneck turtle
Chondrichthyes
 Squaliformes - Squalidae
Squalus sp.3 Linnaeus 1758 dogfish shark
 Galeomorphi -
Youssoubatis ganntourensis3 shark
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Carcharhiniformes - Triakidae
Palaeogaleus brivesi3 Arambourg 1952 hound shark
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Carcharhiniformes - Carcharhinidae
Danogaleus gueriri3 Noubhani and Cappetta 1997 requiem shark
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Orectolobiformes - Ginglymostomatidae
Plicatoscyllium sp.3 Case and Cappetta 1997 nurse shark
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Euselachii -
Lamniformes indet.3 Berg 1958 mackerel shark
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Rajiformes - Sclerorhynchidae
Ctenopristis nougareti3 Arambourg 1940 ray
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Myliobatiformes - Dasyatidae
Dasyatis hexagonalis3 Arambourg 1952 whiptail stingray
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens
 Myliobatiformes -
Ixobatis mucronata3 Arambourg 1952 stingray
teeth found in matrix of Brachyopsemys tingitana specimens