Adrar Mgorn 1 (Paleocene of Morocco)

Where: Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco (31.6° N, 5.7° W: paleocoordinates 24.8° N, 7.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Jbel Guersif Formation (Subatlas Group), Thanetian (59.2 - 56.0 Ma)

• "Shark teeth indicate that the age is Thanetian" (Gingerich, 1990).

•Lithostratigraphy is from Augé & Rage (2006) and Dragastan & Herbig (2007, Micropaleontology 53(1-2), 1-72). (TL)

•" [...] a magnetostratigraphic study has suggested an Upper or Uppermost Thanetian age for Adrar Mgorn 1 (Gheerbrant et al., 1998)" (Augé & Rage, 2006).

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: peritidal; dolomitic, shelly/skeletal limestone

• "nearshore marine setting" (Gingerich, 1990).

•"Both the Jbel Guersif and Ait Ouarhitane Formations were deposited in shallow marine environment, but terrestrial vertebrates (mammals and lepidosaurians) are numerous in the faunas. The floras indicate that deposition of the vertebrate remains took place in proximity of a mangrove under tropical conditions, whereas the hinterland was covered by a tropical forest" (Augé & Rage, 2006).

•"For the late Thanetian Jbel Guersif Formation, Kuss and Herbig (1993, figs. 5, 6) deduced a tidal flat and restricted lagoon in the easternmost 30 kilometers of the outcrop area around Tinerhir [...]" (Dragastan & Herbig, 2007), which geographically exactly applies for Adrar Mgorn.

•According to the latter two quotes, the original environment entry >>marginal marine indet.<< was altered (TL).

•The Ouarzazate Basin is a foreland Basin according to Tawadros (2012).

• "hard calcareous matrix" (Gingerich, 1990).

•According to Tawadros (2012, Geology of North Africa, Taylor & Francis) and Dragastan & Herbig (2007, Micropaleontology 53(1-2), 1-72), the Jbel Guersif Formation consists of at least one shallowing-upward sequence of shallow marine, white to pale rose bioclastic limestones. Augé & Rage (2006) speak of "dolomitic limestones". Thus the original lithology entry >>calcareous "siliciclastic"<< was altered (TL).

Size class: macrofossils

Collected in 1977; reposited in the MNHN

Collection methods: acetic

• specimens are "fragile and extracted with difficulty in acid" (Gingerich, 1990)

•USTL = Laboratoire de Paléontologie, Université des Sciences et Techniques du Languedoc, Montpellier, France

Primary reference: P. D. Gingerich. 1990. African dawn for primates. Nature 346:411 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 88301: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 06.04.2009, edited by Philip Mannion and Torsten Liebrecht

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• "Twenty-three mammalian species are represented" (Gingerich, 1990)
Amphibia
 Salientia -
Anura indet.1 Fischer von Waldheim 1813 frog
1 tibiale-fibulare complex (USTL THR 400)
Mammalia
  -
Mammalia indet.6 Linnaeus 1758 mammal
THR 298, 352 and 362
 Theriamorpha -
Eutheria " sp. 2 "7 eutherian
THR-MFSP 46 (tooth)
Eutheria " sp. 3 "7 eutherian
THR-MFSP 47 (tooth)
Eutheria " sp. 4 "7 eutherian
THR-MFSP 48 (tooth)
Eutheria " sp. 5 "7 eutherian
THR-MFSP 49 (tooth)
Eutheria " sp. 1 "7 eutherian
THR-MFSP 45 (tooth)
 Primates -
Altiatlasius koulchii n. gen. n. sp. Sigé et al. 1990 primate
cf. Altiatlasius koulchii7 Sigé et al. 1990 primate
THR-MFSP 42 and 43 (teeth)
 Theriamorpha -
"? Ungulata indet." = Euungulata6
"? Ungulata indet." = Euungulata6 Waddell et al. 2001 placental
THR 304 (left m1 or 2)
 Procreodi - Arctocyonidae
Arctocyonidae indet.7 Murray 1866 condylarth
 Placentalia -
? Creodonta indet.7 Cope 1875 creodont
THR-MFSP 41 (tooth)
 Creodonta -
? Proviverrinae indet.6 Schlosser 1886 creodont
THR 43 (left m1 or 2)
 Creodonta - Hyaenodontidae
"Tinerhodon disputatum n. gen. n. sp." = Tinerhodon disputatus6, "cf. Tinerhodon disputatum" = Tinerhodon disputatus6
"Tinerhodon disputatum n. gen. n. sp." = Tinerhodon disputatus6 Gheerbrant 1995 creodont
THR 192 - holotype (left m3); additional referred remains
"cf. Tinerhodon disputatum" = Tinerhodon disputatus6 Gheerbrant 1995 creodont
THR 292, 294 and 313
 Theriamorpha - Viverravidae
Viverravidae indet.6 Wortman and Matthew 1899 placental
THR 299 (p4)
 Placentalia -
Condylarthra indet.6 Cope 1881 placental
THR 100 (lower left molar)
 Eutheria -
Proteutheria "sp. 1"6 Romer 1966 eutherian
THR 155 (left m1 or 2); "Proteutheria or Lipotyphla indet. 1"
Proteutheria "sp. 2"6 Romer 1966 eutherian
THR 273 (left m3); "Proteutheria or Lipotyphla indet. 2"
Proteutheria "sp. 3"6 Romer 1966 eutherian
THR 282 (left m1 or 2); "Proteutheria or Lipotyphla indet. 3"
? Proteutheria "sp. 4"6 Romer 1966 eutherian
THR 195 (right m1 or 2); "? Proteutheria or ? Lipotyphla indet. 4"
 Proteutheria - Palaeoryctidae
Palaeoryctes minimus n. sp.4 Gheerbrant 1992 eutherian
THR 159 - type (left m1 or 2); additional referred remains
cf. Palaeoryctes minimus4 Gheerbrant 1992 eutherian
THR 217 (left lower molar)
Didelphodontinae "sp. 1"4 Simpson 1927 eutherian
THR 157 (right upper molar m1 or 2)
Didelphodontinae "sp. 2"4 Simpson 1927 eutherian
THR 168 (right m1 or 2)
Didelphodontinae "sp. 3"4 Simpson 1927 eutherian
THR 86, 97 and 131 (left m1s)
 Theriamorpha - Adapisoriculidae
? Garatherium "n. sp."6 Crochet 1984 eutherian
THR 362 (left m1 or 2)
Garatherium todrae n. sp.7 Gheerbrant et al. 1998 eutherian
THR-MFSP 35 - type (left M3); THR-MFSP 34 (left M1/2) and THR 273 (left M1/2); tentatively assigned material: THR-MFSP 35 (left M3)
Afrodon chleuhi n. gen. n. sp.2 Gheerbrant 1988 eutherian
THR 161 - holotype (left m2)
 Cimolesta - Cimolestidae
Cimolestes cuspulus n. sp.4 Gheerbrant 1992 eutherian
THR 130 - type (right m1 or 2); additional referred remains
Cimolestes cf. incisus4 Marsh 1889 eutherian
THR 148 (right m2); previously mentioned as "cf. Cimolestes sp." by Caappetta et al. (1987)
Aboletylestes robustus n. sp.4 Gheerbrant 1992 eutherian
THR 184 - type (right m1); referred material: THR 126 (right m2)
? Aboletylestes hypselus4 Russell 1964 eutherian
THR 5, 163, 165, 190 and 200
 Cimolesta - Todralestidae
cf. Todralestes sp.5 Gheerbrant 1991 eutherian
THR 290 (right m3 of a juvenile)
Todralestes variabilis n. gen. n. sp.3 Gheerbrant 1991 eutherian
THR 134 - holotype (partial right maxilla); hypodigm: THR 90 (dentary fragment); approximately 150 referred specimens
Reptilia
 Squamata - Madtsoiidae
Madtsoiidae indet.1 Hoffstetter 1961 snake
4 articulated vertebrae (THR 412)
 Squamata -
Scolecophidia indet.1 snake
1 vertebra (MNHN THR MFSP 55)
 Squamata - Tropidophiidae
cf. Dunnophis sp.1 Hecht 1959 dwarf boa
2 vertebrae (USTL THR 421; MNHN THR MFSP 57)
 Squamata - Boidae
Boidae indet.1 Gray 1825 boa
1 vertebra (USTL THR 420)
 Squamata -
Coniophis sp.1 Marsh 1892 snake
3 vertebrae USTL THR 418, 419; MNHN THR MFSP 56)
 Squamata - Gekkonidae
Gekkonidae indet.1 Gray 1825 gecko
frontal bone (USTL THR 401), incomplete maxilla (USTLTHR 402), 3 incomplete dentaries (USTLTHR 403 and 404; MNHN THR MFSP 52), and one fragment of dentigerous bone (USTL THR 405)
 Squamata -
Lacertilia indet.1 lizard
1 vertebra and 2 humeri (USTL THR 415, 416)
Lacertilia "indet. A"1 lizard
7 fragments of dentigerous bone (USTL THR 409, 410; MNHN THR MFSP 51)
Lacertilia "indet. B"1 lizard
1 fragment of dentigerous bone (USTL THR 413)
Lacertilia "indet. C"1 lizard
1 fragment of dentigerous bone (USTL THR 411, 412)
Amphisbaenia indet.1 worm lizard
2 partial dentaries (USTL THR 408; MNHN THR MFSP 54), 1 vertebra (MNHN, THRbis 10)
Todrasaurus gheerbranti n. gen. n. sp.1 Augé and Rage 2006 worm lizard
Holotype: nearly complete left dentary with part of splenial (USTL THR 407).
Scincomorpha indet.1 Camp 1923 squamates
anterior part of a left dentary (USTL THR 406) and one trunk vertebra (MNHN THR MFSP 53)
 Eosuchia -
Lepidosauria indet.1 lepidosaur
1 fragment of dentigerous bone (USTL THR 414)