Mizdah Formation

Mizdah Formation
Stratigraphic range: Cenomanian-Turonian ~99–89  Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Location
Coordinates	26°36′N12°48′E / 26.6°N 12.8°E / 26.6; 12.8
Approximate paleocoordinates	9°24′N9°06′E / 9.4°N 9.1°E / 9.4; 9.1
Region	Awbari Governorate
Country	Libya
Extent	Idehan Ubari, Libyan Desert
Mizdah Formation (Libya)

The Mizdah Formation is a geologic formation in the Awbari Governorate, southwestern Libya. The unit preserves fossils dating back to the Cenomanian and Turonian stages of the early Late Cretaceous period. ^[1]

Fossil content

The formation has provided the following fossils: ^{[1] [2]}

Fish

• Carcharias amonensis
• Distobatus sp.
• Onchopristis sp.
• Protopterus sp.
• Chondrichthyes indet.
• Enchodontidae indet.
• Lepisosteidae indet.
• Osteichthyes indet.
• Pycnodontidae indet.

Reptiles

• Simoliophis libycus
• Crocodylia indet.
• Testudines indet.
• ?Sauropoda indet.
• ?Theropoda indet.

Mammals

• Mammalia indet.

See also

• Echkar and Farak Formations, contemporaneous fossiliferous formations of Niger
• Kem Kem Group, contemporaneous fossiliferous unit of Morocco
• Sannine Formation, contemporaneous fossiliferous formation of Lebanon
• Calcare di Bari, contemporaneous fossiliferous formation of Italy

References

1. Mizdah Formation at Fossilworks.org
2. Nessov et al., 1998

Bibliography

• Nessov, L. A.; Zhegallo, V. I.; Averianov, A. O. (1998), "A new locality of Late Cretaceous snakes, mammals and other vertebrates in Africa (western Libya)" (PDF), Annales de Paléontologie , 84 (3): 265–275, Bibcode:1998AnPal..84..265N, doi:10.1016/S0753-3969(99)80002-0