Rajiformes is one of the four orders in the superorder Batoidea, flattened cartilaginous fishes related to sharks. Rajiforms are distinguished by the presence of greatly enlarged pectoral fins, which reach as far forward as the sides of the head, with a generally flattened body. The undulatory pectoral fin motion diagnostic to this taxon is known as rajiform locomotion. The eyes and spiracles are located on the upper surface of the head and the gill slits are on the underside of the body. Most species give birth to live young, although some lay eggs enclosed in a horny capsule.
Variraptor is a genus of dromaeosaurid theropod dinosaur from the Late Cretaceous of France.
Machimosaurus is an extinct genus of machimosaurid crocodyliform from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. The type species, Machimosaurus hugii, was found in Switzerland. Other fossils have been found in England, France, Germany, Portugal, Switzerland and Tunisia. Machimosaurus rex is the largest named teleosauroid and thalattosuchian, with an estimated length of up to 7.15 m (23.5 ft). Machimosaurus is the largest known crocodyliform of the Jurassic.
Sclerorhynchus is an extinct genus of ganopristid sclerorhynchoid that lived during the Late Cretaceous. The genus Ganopristis is considered a junior synonym of Sclerorhynchus. It was a widespread genus, with fossils found in the Middle East, North Africa, Europe, and North America. While it had a long rostrum with large denticles similar to sawfishes and sawsharks, its closest living relatives are actually skates. Complete specimens of S. atavus show that its fin arrangement was similar to skates, with the pectoral and pelvic fins touching, both dorsal fins located behind the pelvic fins, and a reduced caudal fin.
Dalpiazia is an extinct genus of sclerorhynchid sawfish whose fossils are found in rocks dating from the Maastrichtian stage in mines in Jordan, Libya, Morocco and Syria. The type species D. stromeri was named by Checchia-Rispoli (1933) in honor of Ernst Stromer, and the holotype, a rostral tooth, was found in Tripolitania, Libya.
Striatolamia is an extinct genus of sharks belonging to the family Odontaspididae. These extinct sharks lived from the Early Paleocene to Late Miocene.
Ontocetus is an extinct genus of walrus, an aquatic carnivoran of the family Odobenidae, endemic to coastal regions of the southern North Sea and the southeastern coastal regions of the U.S. during the Miocene-Pleistocene. It lived from 13.6 mya—300,000 years ago, existing for approximately 13.3 million years.
Congosaurus is an extinct genus of dyrosaurid mesoeucrocodylian. Fossils have been found from Lândana, in Angola and date back to the Paleocene epoch. In 1952 and 1964 Congosaurus was proposed to be synonymous with Dyrosaurus. The genus was later thought synonymous with Hyposaurus in 1976 and 1980. It has since been proven a distinct genus of dyrosaurid separate from both Dyrosaurus and Hyposaurus.
Euthecodon is an extinct genus of long-snouted crocodile. It was common throughout much of Africa during the Neogene, with fossils being especially common in Kenya, Ethiopia, and Libya. Although superficially resembling that of gharials, the long snout was a trait developed independently from that of other crocodilians and suggests a diet of primarily fish. Euthecodon coexisted with a wide range of other crocodiles in the areas it inhabited before eventually going extinct during the Pleistocene.
Cretalamna is a genus of extinct otodontid shark that lived from the latest Early Cretaceous to Eocene epoch. It is considered by many to be the ancestor of the largest sharks to have ever lived, such as Otodus angustidens, Otodus chubutensis, and Otodus megalodon.
The Oulad Abdoun Basin is a phosphate sedimentary basin located in Morocco, near the city of Khouribga. It is the largest in Morocco, comprising 44% of Morocco's phosphate reserves, and at least 26.8 billion tons of phosphate. It is also known as an important site for vertebrate fossils, with deposits ranging from the Late Cretaceous (Cenomanian-Turonian) to the Eocene epoch (Ypresian), a period of about 25 million years.
Onchosaurus is an extinct genus of sclerorhynchid sawskate from the Late Cretaceous. Its fossils have been found in the Cretaceous sediments of Egypt, Brazil, Congo, Morocco, France, Niger, Japan, Chile, Peru and the United States.
Pseudocorax is an extinct genus of mackerel sharks that lived during the Late Cretaceous. It contains six valid species that have been found in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, and North America. It was formerly assigned to the family Anacoracidae, but is now placed in its own family Pseudocoracidae along with Galeocorax. The former species "P." australis and "P." primulus have been reidentified as species of Echinorhinus and Squalicorax, respectively.
Sclerorhynchoidei is an extinct suborder of rajiform rays that had long rostra with large denticles similar to sawfishes and sawsharks. This feature was convergently evolved and their closest living relatives are actually skates. While they are often called "sawfishes", sawskates is a more accurate common name for sclerorhynchoids. The suborder contains five named families: Ganopristidae, Ischyrhizidae, Onchopristidae, Ptychotrygonidae, and Schizorhizidae. Several genera are not currently placed in any of these families. Sclerorhynchoids first appeared in the Barremian and went extinct during the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, with former Paleocene occurrences being misidentifications or reworked specimens.
Amphiorycteropus is an extinct genus of mammals in the family Orycteropodidae within Tubulidentata. The genus is known from fossils dating from Middle Miocene to Early Pliocene, found in Africa, Asia and Europe.
The Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, otherwise known as BSGF - Earth Sciences Bulletin is a peer-reviewed open access scientific journal covering Earth sciences. The journal publishes articles, short communications, reviews, comments and replies. It is published by EDP Sciences and the editor-in-chief is Laurent Jolivet. The journal was established in 1830. It is a publication of the Société géologique de France. Most of the older content, published before 1924 is available online at the Biodiversity Heritage Library.
The Azilal Formation, also known as Toundoute Continental Series and Wazzant Formation, is a geological unit in the Azilal, Béni-Mellal, Ouarzazate, Tinerhir and Errachidia provinces of the High Atlas of Morocco, that cover the Latest Pliensbachian to Middle Aalenian stages of the Jurassic Period. It is a terrestrial deposit which overlies marine dolomites of equivalent age to the Rotzo Formation of Italy, mostly part of the Aganane Formation. Dinosaur remains, such the sauropod Tazoudasaurus and the basal ceratosaur Berberosaurus are known from the unit, along with several undescribed genera. The Units inside the group have been considered individual on the past, being a division of the so-called "Couches rouges", and subdivided by a supposed geological scale. The strata of the group extends towards the Central High Atlas, covering different anticlines, and topographic accidents along the range of the Mountains. Although new studies have suggested that the strata is coeval in age, and should be referred to as a unique unit. The formation is best assigned to an alluvial environment occasionally interrupted by shallow marine incursions and marks a dramatic decrease of the carbonate productivity under increasing terrigenous sedimentation. The Azilal Formation consists mainly of claystones rich in continental plant debris and laminated microbial facies. The toarcian High Atlas is divided in 5 units: the continental layers with paralic deposits belong to the Azilal, along the shoreface layers of the Tagoudite Formation and Tafraout Formation, both connected with the offshore Ait Athmane Formation and the deeper shelf deposits of the Agoudim 1 Formation.
Megaceroides algericus is an extinct species of deer known from the Late Pleistocene to the Holocene of North Africa. It is one of only two species of deer known to have been native to the African continent, alongside the Barbary stag, a subspecies of red deer. It is considered to be closely related to the giant deer species of Eurasia.
Paraisurus is an extinct genus of mackerel sharks that lived during the Cretaceous. It contains four valid species, which have been found in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australia. A fifth species, P. amudarjensis, is now considered a synonym of P. compressus. While this genus is mostly known from isolated teeth, an associated dentition of P. compressus was found in the Weno Formation of Texas. It went extinct around the Albian-Cenomanian boundary, as a supposed Coniacian occurrence of "P. sp." is likely a misidentified pseudoscapanorhynchid.
Schizorhizidae is an extinct family of cartilaginous fish from the Late Cretaceous belonging to the suborder Sclerorhynchoidei. This family contains the genera Harranahynchus and Schizorhiza. It was originally named as a subfamily of Sclerorhynchidae, but was later raised to the rank of family.
