Tmed el Ksour Member, Zallha Formation (Eocene of Libya)

Where: Libya (28.9° N, 18.9° E: paleocoordinates 24.7° N, 15.2° E)

• coordinate stated in text

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Graret el Jifa Member (Zallah Formation), Priabonian (38.0 - 33.9 Ma)

• The name Zallah Formation was proposed to include the units Tmed El Ksour and Graret el Jifa members of the Wadi Tamet Formation. It varies in thickness from 110-160 m. It includes three subunits: 1) the lower unit is 90 m (295 ft) thick and characterised by the predominance of bioclastic limestones and dolomites, usually glauconitic and containing gypsum interbeds. The middle unit if 38 m (125 ft thick) and made up of green non-fossiliferous clays, interbedded with gypsum. The upper unit is 22 m (72 ft) thick and composed of clays and gypsum with beds of bioclastic dolomite.

• member-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; lithified, dolomitic, glauconitic, gypsiferous, shelly/skeletal limestone and dolomitic, gypsiferous claystone

• No paleoenvironmental data provided.
• Bioclastic limestones and dolomites, usually glauconitic and containing gypsum interbeds, clays and gypsum with beds of bioclastic dolomite.

Size classes: macrofossils, microfossils

Collection methods: No detailed collection data reported.

Primary reference: E. E. Tawadros. 2001. Geology of Egypt and Libya 1-468 [A. Miller/A. Hendy/M. Clapham]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 42144: authorized by Austin Hendy, entered by Austin Hendy on 24.07.2004

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• Collection based on taxa listed in text as typical of formation. Include mollusca, echinodermata and foraminifera.
unclassified
  -
Foraminifera
 Nummulitacea - Nummulitidae
Gastropoda
 Sorbeoconcha - Strombidae
Terebellum fusiforme Lamarck 1802 true conch
 Neogastropoda - Turbinellidae
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
"Gisortia (Vicetia) stefanini" = Gisortia (Vicetia) stefaninii
"Gisortia (Vicetia) stefanini" = Gisortia (Vicetia) stefaninii Negri 1934 cowry
Bivalvia
 Pectinida - Plicatulidae
 Pectinida - Anomiidae
"Carolia lefevrei" = Wakullina (Huyella) lefevrei Fischer 1880 scallop
Carolia placunoides Cantraine 1838 scallop
 Ostreida - Malleidae
 Ostreida - Gryphaeidae
 Ostreida - Ostreidae
"Ostrea elegans" = Cubitostrea elegans, Ostrea reili
"Ostrea elegans" = Cubitostrea elegans Deshayes 1832 oyster
Ostrea reili oyster
Echinoidea
 Cidaroida - Cidaridae
 Spatangoida - Schizasteridae
Schizaster meslei heart urchin
 Echinolampadoida - Echinolampadidae
Echinolampas chiesai sea urchin
Subspecies Echinolampas chiesai messlei
Actinopteri
 Spariformes - Sparidae
"Chrysophrys sp." = Otolithus (Chrysophris)
"Chrysophrys sp." = Otolithus (Chrysophris) Cuvier 1829