Dakhla Formation

Dakhla Formation
Dakhla Formation
Stratigraphic range: Maastrichtian-Danian ; ~71–63 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Geological formation
Sub-units	Ammonite Hill Member; Baris Oyster Mudstone Member; Beida Shale Member; Kharga Shale Member;
Underlies	Tarawan Formation
Overlies	Duwi Formation
Thickness	230 meters
Lithology
Primary	Shale
Other	Marl, Phosphorite
Location
Country	Egypt

Last updated June 08, 2025

The Dakhla Formation, also called the Dakhla Shale,^[5] is a Maastrichtian-Danian geologic formation in the Western Desert, Egypt.^[4]^[6] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.^[7]

Fossil content

Color key

Taxon	Reclassified taxon	Taxon falsely reported as present	Dubious taxon or junior synonym	Ichnotaxon	Ootaxon	Morphotaxon

Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; ~~crossed out~~ taxa are discredited.

Reptiles

Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Sauropoda		Ammonite Hill Member^[8]	A left femur (Vb-646).^[8]	Most similar to femurs of Brachiosaurus or Saltasaurus .^[8]

Turtles

Turtles reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Arenila	A. krebsi	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Partial skull.^[9]	A bothremydid turtle.
Arenila	?Cf. A. krebsi	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Partial dorsal shell & right pelvis.^[9]	A bothremydid turtle.
Bothremydidae	Undetermined large forms	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Nuchal bone, left pleuron & partial plastron of one individual.^[9]	A large bothremydid turtle, with a shell length of 70 to 80 centimeters.^[9]
Panchelonioidea	Gen. et. sp. indet.	Ammonite Hill Member^[10]	Humerus (NVP010).^[10]	A giant marine turtle.
Taphrosphys	T. cf. sulcatus	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Anterior part of dorsal shell & partial dorsal shell with partial anterior plastral lobe.^[9]	A bothremydid turtle.
Taphrosphys	Cf. T. sp.	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Left first pleural.^[9]	A bothremydid turtle.
?Aff. Tasbacka	?Aff. T. sp.	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Left humerus.^[9]	A chelonioid sea turtle.
Zolhafah	Z. bella	Ammonite Hill Member^[9]	Skull.^[9]	A bothremydid turtle.

Mosasaurs

Mosasaurs reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Globidens	G. phosphaticus	Beris Oyster Mudstone Member^[2]	A single tooth crown (CUNV0011).^[2]	A mosasaurine.
Halisaurus	H. hebae	Beris Oyster Mudstone Member^[11]		A halisaurine
Mosasaurinae	Indeterminate	Beris Oyster Mudstone Member^[2]	A fragmentary small dentary with a single tooth (CUNV0012).^[2]	A mosasaurine.
Prognathodon	P. sp.	"Lower part"	Two tooth crowns, three cervical, nine dorsal, three caudal vertebrae, and ribs, found in association (NVP025).^[5]	Most similar to P. overtoni, possibly a member of that species

Fish

Fish reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Anomoeodus	A. aegypticus	Lower Beris Member^[12]	A single specimen (NVP023).^[12]	A pycnodont.
Diastemapycnodus	D. tavernensis	Beris Member^[13]	"A single vomer with partial dentition".^[13]	A pycnodont.
Sclerorhynchus	S. cf. leptodon^[14]	Beris Member	Four fragmentary rostral denticles originally attributed to Onchopristis sp.^[15]	A sawskate.
Sclerorhynchoidei	Indeterminate^[14]	Beris Member	An exceptionally large, 1.46 metres (4.8 ft) long rostrum originally attributed to Onchopristis sp.^[15]	A sawskate.

Invertebrates

Bivalves

Bivalves reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Apectoichnus	A. longissimus	Ammonite Hill Member^[1]	Borings in Nypa fruits.^[1]	Bivalve borings.
Teredolites	T. clavatus	Ammonite Hill Member^[1]	32 moderately preserved borings (TBT02-33) & two badly preserved specimens (TBT44-45) in Nypa fruits.^[1]	Bivalve borings.

Plants

Plants reported from the Dakhla Formation
Genus	Species	Presence	Material	Notes	Images
Nypa	N. burtinii		Fruits & seed casts.^[16]	A mangrove palm
Nypa	N. sp.	Ammonite Hill Member^[1]	Fruits with bivalve borings.^[1]	A mangrove palm.

References

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 El Hedeny, M.; Kassab, W.; Rashwan, M.; Abu El-Kheir, G.; AbdelGawad, M. (2020-07-01). "Bivalve borings in Maastrichtian fossilNypafruits: Dakhla Formation, Bir Abu Minqar, South Western Desert, Egypt". Ichnos. 28 (1): 24–33. doi:10.1080/10420940.2020.1784158. ISSN 1042-0940. S2CID 225527064.
1 2 3 4 5 6 AbdelGawad, Mohamed K.; Abu El-Kheir, Gebely A.; Kassab, Walid G. (September 2021). "The youngest records of mosasaurid reptiles from the Upper Cretaceous of the South-Western Desert in Egypt". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 132 (5): 556–562. Bibcode:2021PrGA..132..556A. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.07.004. ISSN 0016-7878.
↑ "UPPER DAKHLA FORMATION ( BEIDA SHALE MEMBER) AT G. DUWI, RED SEA, EGYPT: MINERALOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL ASPECTS | Faculty of Science". www.aun.edu.eg. Retrieved 2022-11-23.
1 2 3 4 5 Anan, Tarek I.; Abd El-Wahed, Ahmed G. (2017-12-15). "The Maastrichtian-Danian Dakhla Formation, Eastern Desert, Egypt: Utilization in manufacturing lightweight aggregates" . Applied Clay Science. 150: 10–15. Bibcode:2017ApCS..150...10A. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2017.08.027. ISSN 0169-1317.
1 2 El-Kheir, Gebely A. Abu; Shaker, Ahmed A.; Street, Hallie P.; Longrich, Nicholas R.; Strougo, Amin; Asan, Anhar; AbdelGawad, Mohamed (9 November 2023). "A Prognathodontin Mosasaur from the Maastrichtian of the Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt". Fossil Studies. 1 (1): 60–75. doi: 10.3390/fossils1010007 . ISSN 2813-6284.
↑ Tantawy, A. A.; Keller, G.; Adatte, T.; Stinnesbeck, W.; Kassab, A.; Schulte, P. (2001-12-01). "Maastrichtian to Paleocene depositional environment of the Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt: sedimentology, mineralogy, and integrated micro- and macrofossil biostratigraphies" . Cretaceous Research. 22 (6): 795–827. Bibcode:2001CrRes..22..795T. doi:10.1006/cres.2001.0291. ISSN 0195-6671.
↑ Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517–607.
1 2 3 Rauhut, Oliver W M; Werner, Christa (January 1997). "First record of a Maastrichtian sauropod dinosaur from Egypt". Palaeontolgia Africana. 34: 63–67.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 de Lapparent, France; Werner, Christa (April 1998). "New Late Cretaceous turtles from the Western Desert, Egypt". Annales de Paléontologie. 84 (2): 131–214. Bibcode:1998AnPal..84..131D. doi:10.1016/S0753-3969(98)80005-0.
1 2 Abu El-Kheir, G. A.-M.; AbdelGawad, M. K.; Kassab, W. G. (2021). "First known gigantic sea turtle from the Maastrichtian deposits in Egypt". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66 (2): 349–355.
↑ Shaker, A. A.; Longrich, N. R.; Strougo, A.; Asan, A.; Bardet, N.; Mousa, M. K.; Tantawy, A. A.; Abu El-Kheir, G. A. (2023). "A new species of Halisaurus (Mosasauridae: Halisaurinae) from the lower Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Western Desert, Egypt". Cretaceous Research. 154. 105719. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105719.
1 2 Capasso, Luigi; Abu El-kheir, Gebely Abdelmaksoud; Mousa, Mohamed Kamel; Tantawy, Abdel Aziz (December 2021). "ANOMOEODUS AEGYPTICUS N. SP. (PISCES, †PYCNODONTIFORMES) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF THE DAKHLA FORMATION, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT". Thalassia Salentina (43): 89–104.
1 2 Abu El-Kheir; Tantawy; Mousa; Wahba; Capasso (2022-12-02). "Diastemapycnodus tavernensis gen. et sp. nov. (Actinopterygii, †Pycnodontiformes) from the marine Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of the Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt" . Historical Biology: A Journal of Paleobiology. 34 (12): 2324–2331. Bibcode:2022HBio...34.2324A. doi:10.1080/08912963.2021.2014482. S2CID 245051336.
1 2 Greenfield, T. (2025). "No evidence for a giant, late-surviving Onchopristis: Comment on Capasso et al. (2024)". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 223. 105541. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105541.
1 2 Capasso, L.; Abdel Aziz, S.; Tantawy, A. A.; Mousa, M. K.; Wahba, D. G. A.; Abu El-Kheir, G. A. (2024). "The first described Onchopristis Stromer, 1917, (Elasmobranchii: †Onchopristidae) from the Marine Maastrichtian of Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 105415. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2024.105415.
↑ El-Soughier, Maher I.; Mehrotra, R.C.; Zhou, Zhi-Yan; Shi, Gong-Le (January 2011). "Nypa fruits and seeds from the Maastrichtian–Danian sediments of Bir Abu Minqar, South Western Desert, Egypt". Palaeoworld. 20 (1): 75–83. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2010.09.016. ISSN 1871-174X.

Bibliography

Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

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[:2-1] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 El Hedeny, M.; Kassab, W.; Rashwan, M.; Abu El-Kheir, G.; AbdelGawad, M. (2020-07-01). "Bivalve borings in Maastrichtian fossilNypafruits: Dakhla Formation, Bir Abu Minqar, South Western Desert, Egypt". Ichnos. 28 (1): 24–33. doi:10.1080/10420940.2020.1784158. ISSN 1042-0940. S2CID 225527064.

[:5-2] 1 2 3 4 5 6 AbdelGawad, Mohamed K.; Abu El-Kheir, Gebely A.; Kassab, Walid G. (September 2021). "The youngest records of mosasaurid reptiles from the Upper Cretaceous of the South-Western Desert in Egypt". Proceedings of the Geologists' Association. 132 (5): 556–562. Bibcode:2021PrGA..132..556A. doi:10.1016/j.pgeola.2021.07.004. ISSN 0016-7878.

[3] "UPPER DAKHLA FORMATION ( BEIDA SHALE MEMBER) AT G. DUWI, RED SEA, EGYPT: MINERALOGICAL AND GEOCHEMICAL ASPECTS | Faculty of Science". www.aun.edu.eg. Retrieved 2022-11-23.

[:0-4] 1 2 3 4 5 Anan, Tarek I.; Abd El-Wahed, Ahmed G. (2017-12-15). "The Maastrichtian-Danian Dakhla Formation, Eastern Desert, Egypt: Utilization in manufacturing lightweight aggregates" . Applied Clay Science. 150: 10–15. Bibcode:2017ApCS..150...10A. doi:10.1016/j.clay.2017.08.027. ISSN 0169-1317.

[:8-5] 1 2 El-Kheir, Gebely A. Abu; Shaker, Ahmed A.; Street, Hallie P.; Longrich, Nicholas R.; Strougo, Amin; Asan, Anhar; AbdelGawad, Mohamed (9 November 2023). "A Prognathodontin Mosasaur from the Maastrichtian of the Dakhla Oasis, Western Desert, Egypt". Fossil Studies. 1 (1): 60–75. doi: 10.3390/fossils1010007 . ISSN 2813-6284.

[6] Tantawy, A. A.; Keller, G.; Adatte, T.; Stinnesbeck, W.; Kassab, A.; Schulte, P. (2001-12-01). "Maastrichtian to Paleocene depositional environment of the Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt: sedimentology, mineralogy, and integrated micro- and macrofossil biostratigraphies" . Cretaceous Research. 22 (6): 795–827. Bibcode:2001CrRes..22..795T. doi:10.1006/cres.2001.0291. ISSN 0195-6671.

[dinosaurdistribution-7] Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517–607.

[:7-8] 1 2 3 Rauhut, Oliver W M; Werner, Christa (January 1997). "First record of a Maastrichtian sauropod dinosaur from Egypt". Palaeontolgia Africana. 34: 63–67.

[:4-9] 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 de Lapparent, France; Werner, Christa (April 1998). "New Late Cretaceous turtles from the Western Desert, Egypt". Annales de Paléontologie. 84 (2): 131–214. Bibcode:1998AnPal..84..131D. doi:10.1016/S0753-3969(98)80005-0.

[:3-10] 1 2 Abu El-Kheir, G. A.-M.; AbdelGawad, M. K.; Kassab, W. G. (2021). "First known gigantic sea turtle from the Maastrichtian deposits in Egypt". Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 66 (2): 349–355.

[11] Shaker, A. A.; Longrich, N. R.; Strougo, A.; Asan, A.; Bardet, N.; Mousa, M. K.; Tantawy, A. A.; Abu El-Kheir, G. A. (2023). "A new species of Halisaurus (Mosasauridae: Halisaurinae) from the lower Maastrichtian (Upper Cretaceous) of the Western Desert, Egypt". Cretaceous Research. 154. 105719. doi:10.1016/j.cretres.2023.105719.

[:6-12] 1 2 Capasso, Luigi; Abu El-kheir, Gebely Abdelmaksoud; Mousa, Mohamed Kamel; Tantawy, Abdel Aziz (December 2021). "ANOMOEODUS AEGYPTICUS N. SP. (PISCES, †PYCNODONTIFORMES) FROM THE LATE CRETACEOUS OF THE DAKHLA FORMATION, WESTERN DESERT, EGYPT". Thalassia Salentina (43): 89–104.

[:1-13] 1 2 Abu El-Kheir; Tantawy; Mousa; Wahba; Capasso (2022-12-02). "Diastemapycnodus tavernensis gen. et sp. nov. (Actinopterygii, †Pycnodontiformes) from the marine Maastrichtian (Late Cretaceous) of the Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt" . Historical Biology: A Journal of Paleobiology. 34 (12): 2324–2331. Bibcode:2022HBio...34.2324A. doi:10.1080/08912963.2021.2014482. S2CID 245051336.

[Greenfield-14] 1 2 Greenfield, T. (2025). "No evidence for a giant, late-surviving Onchopristis: Comment on Capasso et al. (2024)". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 223. 105541. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2025.105541.

[Capasso2024-15] 1 2 Capasso, L.; Abdel Aziz, S.; Tantawy, A. A.; Mousa, M. K.; Wahba, D. G. A.; Abu El-Kheir, G. A. (2024). "The first described Onchopristis Stromer, 1917, (Elasmobranchii: †Onchopristidae) from the Marine Maastrichtian of Dakhla Formation, Western Desert, Egypt". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 105415. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2024.105415.

[16] El-Soughier, Maher I.; Mehrotra, R.C.; Zhou, Zhi-Yan; Shi, Gong-Le (January 2011). "Nypa fruits and seeds from the Maastrichtian–Danian sediments of Bir Abu Minqar, South Western Desert, Egypt". Palaeoworld. 20 (1): 75–83. doi:10.1016/j.palwor.2010.09.016. ISSN 1871-174X.

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