Quarry M (Jebel Qatrani Formation): Rupelian, Egypt
collected 1966, 1967, 2004

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Varanidae
Varanus sp. Merrem 1820
Holmes et al. 2010
Reptilia - Charadriiformes - Jacanidae
Janipes nymphaeobates n. gen., n. sp. Rasmussen et al. 1987
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Nupharanassa bulotorum n. gen., n. sp. Rasmussen et al. 1987
Rasmussen et al. 1987 3 specimens
Reptilia - Suliformes - Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae indet. Reichenbach 1850
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Reptilia - Balaenicipitiformes - Balaenicipitidae
Goliathia andrewsi Lambrecht 1930
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Reptilia - Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Nycticorax sp. Forster 1817
Rasmussen et al. 1987 2 specimens
Reptilia - Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
? Palaeoephippiorhynchus dietrichi Lambrecht 1930
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Reptilia - Ciconiiformes - Xenerodiopidae
Xenerodiops mycter n. gen., n. sp. Rasmussen et al. 1987
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Reptilia - Phoenicopteriformes - Palaelodidae
aff. Palaelodus sp. Milne-Edwards 1863
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Reptilia - Cuculiformes - Musophagidae
aff. Crinifer sp. Jarocki 1821
Rasmussen et al. 1987
Reptilia - Gruiformes - Rallidae
Rallidae indet. Vigors 1825
Rasmussen et al. 1987
Reptilia - Accipitriformes - Pandionidae
aff. Pandion sp. Savigny 1809
Rasmussen et al. 1987 1 specimen
Mammalia - Macroscelidea - Macroscelididae
Metoldobotes cf. stromeri
Simons et al. 1991
Mammalia - Hyracoidea - Pliohyracidae
Pachyhyrax crassidentatus Schlosser 1910
Rasmussen and Simons 1988
Megalohyrax eocaenus Andrews 1903
Rasmussen et al. 1990
Thyrohyrax domorictus n. gen., n. sp. Meyer 1973
Meyer 1973
CGM 40001 - holotype; the most common hyracoid of the upper sequence, especially at Quarries M and I
Mammalia - Sirenia - Dugongidae
Halitheriinae indet. (Gill 1872)
Fleagle et al. 1986
between Eotheroides libycum and Halitherium schinzii
Mammalia - Primates
Primates indet. Linnaeus 1758
Ankel-Simons 1993
Mammalia - Primates - Parapithecidae
Qatrania fleaglei n. sp. Simons and Kay 1988
Simons and Kay 1988
Apidium phiomense Osborn 1908
Ankel-Simons 1993
Parapithecus grangeri Simons 1974
Simons 2001
recombined as Simonsius grangeri
Mammalia - Primates - Propliopithecidae
Aegyptopithecus zeuxis Simons 1965
Fleagle et al. 1975
Mammalia - Primates - Afrotarsiidae
Afrotarsius chatrathi n. gen., n. sp. Simons and Bown 1985
Mammalia - Primates - Oligopithecidae
Oligopithecidae indet. (Simons 1989)
Seiffert and Simons 2013
DPC 23256
Mammalia - Rodentia
Monamys simonsi (Wood 1968)
Sallam and Seiffert 2019
DPC 3413, 4100, 4232, 6074, 6362, 8233, 8628, 11166 and 23222
Mammalia - Pholidota - Manidae
Manidae indet. Gray 1821
Gebo and Rasmussen 1985
Mammalia - Creodonta
Apterodon macrognathus (Andrews 1904)
Borths and Stevens 2017
Pterodon syrtos Holroyd 1999
Holroyd 1999
Pterodontinae informal sp. A. Polly 1996
Holroyd 1999
synonym of Hyainailourinae
DPC 8345
Mammalia - Anthracotheriidae
Bothriogenys fraasi (Schmidt 1913)
Sallam et al. 2016
DPC 2705, 3606, 3947, 7706, 8638, 11280, 11407 and 20950
Mammalia
Didelphidae indet. Gray 1821
Bown and Simons 1984
compared to Peratherium cuvieri and P. elegans
    = Herpetotheriinae indet. Trouessart 1879
Alroy 2007
    = Peratherium africanum n. sp. Simons and Bown 1984
Hooker et al. 2008
original and current combination Peratherium africanus
CGM 40236 - type; paratypes: CGM 40237 and DPC 3120; referred specimens: DPC 3820, 8201 and 16946
Peratherium africanus n. sp. Simons and Bown 1984
Simons and Bown 1984
see common names

Geography
Country:Egypt State/province:Fayum
Coordinates: 29.5° North, 30.6° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:26.1° North, 27.3° East
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Geographic resolution:outcrop
Time
Period:Paleogene Epoch:Oligocene
Stage:Rupelian 10 m.y. bin:Cenozoic 4
*Period:Tertiary *Epoch:Early/Lower Oligocene
*International age/stage:Rupelian - Rupelian
Key time interval:Rupelian
Age range of interval:33.90000 - 27.82000 m.y. ago
* legacy (obsolete) database fields
Stratigraphy
Formation:Jebel Qatrani
Stratigraphic resolution:group of beds
Stratigraphy comments: Quarry M is about "250 m above the base" of the formation (Simons et al. 2007) and in the "upper sequence" = Upper Fossil Wood Zone (there are two general fossil producing levels in the Jebel Qatrani, the "upper" and the "lower" sequences)
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: poorly lithified sandstone
Lithology description: at least one Aegyptopithecus specimen was filled with "sandstone matrix" (Simons et al. 2007)
Environment:fluvial indet. Tectonic setting:passive margin
Geology comments: "Jebel Qatrani Formation..comprises predominantly fluvial sandstones and mudstones deposited as point bars and overbank deposits"
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Preservation of anatomical detail:medium
Disassociated major elements:all
Collection methods and comments
Collection excludes:some genera
Collection methods:selective quarrying,field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Museum repositories:YPM
Collection dates:1966, 1967, 2004
Collection method comments: YPM and Egyptian Geological Museum (CGM) collections
collectors include G. E. Meyer (1960s) and R. Patnaik (2004)
Metadata
Also known as:Fayum "upper sequence"
Database number:12960
Authorizer:J. Alroy, M. Uhen, P. Holroyd, K. Beard, J. Head, P. Mannion Enterer:R. Whatley, P. Mannion, K. Beard, J. Alroy, G. Varnham, J. Wertheim, P. Holroyd, M. Uhen
Modifier:M. Uhen Research group:vertebrate
Created:2002-01-12 13:22:08 Last modified:2013-07-03 15:59:22
Access level:the public Released:2002-01-12 13:22:08
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:
24324. E. L. Simons and T. M. Bown. 1985. Afrotarsius chatrathi, first tarsiiform primate (? Tarsiidae) from Africa. Nature 313:475-477 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]

Secondary references:

19636 J. Alroy. 2007. Synonymies and reidentifications of North American fossil vertebrates and so forth. [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
79345% 10660F. Ankel-Simons. 1993. Description and evaluation of five primate sacra from the Oligocene of Egypt. Geological Survey of Egypt,1995, Special Publication; Thirty years of international cooperation on the geology of Egypt and related sciences 69:115-134 [J. Alroy/J. Wertheim/M. Uhen]
64064 M. R. Borths and N. J. Stevens. 2017. Deciduous dentition and dental eruption of Hyainailouroidea (Hyaenodonta, “Creodonta,” Placentalia, Mammalia). Palaeontologia Electronica 20.3.55A [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd]
24325 T. M. Bown and E. L. Simons. 1984. First record of marsupials (Metatheria; Polyprotodonta) from the Oligocene in Africa. Nature 308:447-449 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
47472 P. Coster, M. Benammi, M. Mahboubi, R. Tabuce, M. Adaci, L. Marivaux, M. Bensalah, S. Mahoubi, A. Mhboubi, F. Mebrouk, C. Mameri and J.-J. Jaeger. 2012. Chronology of the Eocene continental deposits of Africa: Magnetostratigraphy and biostratigraphy of the El Kohol and Glib Zegdou Formations, Algeria. GSA Bulletin 124(9/10):1590-1606 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
18782 J. G. Fleagle, T. M. Bown, J. D. Obradovich and E. L. Simons. 1986. How old are the Fayum primates?. Primate Evolution 1-17 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
35965 J. G. Fleagle, E. L. Simons, and G. C. Conroy. 1975. Ape limb bone from the Oligocene of Egypt. Science 189:135-137 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
35963 D. L. Gebo and D. T. Rasmussen. 1985. The earliest fossil pangolin (Pholidota: Manidae) from Africa. Journal of Mammalogy 66(3):538-541 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
83105 R. B. Holmes, A. M. Murray, Y. S. Attia, E. L. Simons, and P. Chatrath. 2010. Oldest known Varanus (Squamata: Varanidae) from the upper Eocene and lower Oligocene of Egypt: support for an African origin of the genus. Palaeontology 53(5):1099-1110 [J. Head/G. Varnham]
17283 P. A. Holroyd. 1999. New Pterodontinae (Creodonta: Hyaenodontidae) from the late Eocene-early Oligocene Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum province, Egypt. PaleoBios 19(2):1-18 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd/P. Mannion]
59842 J. J. Hooker, M. R. Sánchez-Villagra, F. J. Goin, E. L. Simons, Y. Attia and E. R. Seiffert. 2008. The origin of Afro-Arabian 'didelphimorph' marsupials. Palaeontology 51(3):635-648 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
59770 G. E. Meyer. 1973. A new Oligocene hyrax from the Jebel el Quatrani Formation, Fayum, Egypt. Postilla 163:1-11 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
29523 D. T. Rasmussen, M. Gagnon, and E. L. Simons. 1990. Taxeopody in the carpus and tarsus of Oligocene Pliohyracidae (Mammalia: Hyracoidea) and the phyletic position of Hyraxes. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 87(12):4688-4691 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
38655 D. T. Rasmussen, S. L. Olson, and E. L. Simons. 1987. Fossil Birds from the Oligocene Jebel Qatrani Formation, Fayum Province, Egypt. Smithsonian Contributions to Paleobiology 62:1-20 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
42925% 22640D. T. Rasmussen and E. L. Simons. 1988. New Oligocene hyracoids from Egypt. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology 8(1):67-83 [J. Alroy/R. Whatley/P. Mannion]
71449 H. M. Sallam and E. R. Seiffert. 2019. Revision of Oligocene ‘Paraphiomys’ and an origin for crown Thryonomyoidea (Rodentia: Hystricognathi: Phiomorpha) near the Oligocene–Miocene boundary in Africa. Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
60816 H. M. Sallam, A. H. Sileem, E. R. Miller and G. F. Gunnell. 2016. Deciduous dentition and dental eruption sequence of Bothriogenys fraasi (Anthracotheriidae, Artiodactyla) from the Fayum Depression, Egypt. Palaeontologia Electronica 19(3):38A:1-20 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
59537 E. R. Seiffert and E. L. Simons. 2013. Last of the oligopithecids? A dwarf species from the youngest primate-bearing level of the Jebel Qatrani Formation, northern Egypt. Journal of Human Evolution 64:211-215 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]
29577 E. L. Simons. 2001. The cranium of Parapithecus grangeri, an Egyptian Oligocene anthropoidean primate. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 98:7892-7897 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]
64711 E. L. Simons and T. M. Bown. 1984. A New Species of Peratherium (Didelphidae; Polyprotodonta): The First African Marsupial. Journal of Mammalogy 65(4):539-548 [M. Uhen/M. Uhen]
17281 E. L. Simons, P. A. Holroyd, and T. M. Bown. 1991. Early Tertiary elephant-shrews from Egypt and the origin of the Macroscelidea. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 88:9734-9737 [P. Holroyd/P. Holroyd]
32566 E. L. Simons and R. F. Kay. 1988. New material of Qatrania from Egypt with comments on the phylogenetic position of the Parapithecidae (Primates, Anthropoidea). American Journal of Primatology 15:337-347 [K. Beard/K. Beard]
35964 E. L. Simons, E. R. Seiffert, T. M. Ryan and Y. Attia. 2007. A remarkable female cranium of the early Oligocene anthropoid Aegyptopithecus zeuxis (Catarrhini, Propliopithecidae). Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 104:8731-8736 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy/J. Alroy]