Qasr el Sagha Formation

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Quasr el Sagha Formation
Stratigraphic range: Priabonian
~37–34  Ma
O
S
D
C
P
T
J
K
Pg
N
Type Geological formation
Sub-unitsDir Abu Lifa & Temple Members
Underlies Gebel Qatrani Formation
Overlies Birket Qarun Formation
Lithology
Primary Sandstone
Other Mudstone
Location
Location Fayum District
Coordinates 29°30′N30°30′E / 29.5°N 30.5°E / 29.5; 30.5
Approximate paleocoordinates 24°54′N26°30′E / 24.9°N 26.5°E / 24.9; 26.5
Country Egypt
Extent Wadi El Hitan
Egypt relief location map.jpg
Orange pog.svg
Qasr el Sagha Formation (Egypt)

The Qasr el Sagha Formation is a geological formation located in Egypt. [1] The formation is part of the Wadi El Hitan World Heritage Site. The Qasr el Sagha Formation overlies the Birket Qarun Formation and is overlain by the Gebel Qatrani Formation. The sandstones and shales of the formation were deposited in a deltaic to shallow marine environment. [2] It dates to the Late Eocene (middle Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago). [3]

Contents

Paleontological significance

Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxonTaxon falsely reported as presentDubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Fossils of the early whale genus Saghacetus ("Sagha whale", originally named "Zeuglodon osiris") were first collected at Qasr al Sagha by German explorer Georg August Schweinfurth in January 1886 (a well-preserved dentary).Saghacetus is common in the middle of Qasr el Sagha, but there are few other specimens of archaeocetes whales; the only exception being the enigmatic "Prozeuglodon stromeri", named in 1828 based on specimens from 1904, but never adequately described before their destruction during the bombing of Munich in World War II. [4]

Other fossils found in the formation include: [5]

Mammals

Afrotheres

Afrotheres
GenusSpeciesPresenceStratigraphic memberMaterialNotesImages
Archaeosiren A. stromeriWestlich von Dimeh, Fayum. [6] A skull & isolated thoracic vertebrae. [6] Synonym of Eosiren libyca.
Barytherium B. cf. B. graveLocality 25 & an unspecified locality. [7] Dir Abu Lifa Member. [7] 2 teeth (DPC 2917 & 4071). [7] A basal proboscidean.
Barytherium graveDB1.jpg
Eosiren E. libycaNorth of Birket Qarun. [6] Temple Member. [6] Skulls & vertebrae. [6] A dugongid.
Eosiren lybica.JPG
Moeritherium M. lyonsiVarious localities. [7] Dir Abu Lifa Member. [7] Numerous specimens. [7] A basal proboscidean.
Moeritherium NT small.jpg
Pliohyracidae Genus & species indeterminate½ mile east of Qasr el Sagha Temple. [7] Dir Abu Lifa Member. [7] A mandible (AMNH 13445). [7] A large hyrax formerly thought to be a juvenile specimen of Moeritherium gracile. [7]
Protosiren P. sp.Mandible. [6] Actually from the Gehannam Formation or Birket Qarun Formation.

Ferae

Ferae
GenusSpeciesPresenceStratigraphic memberMaterialNotesImages
Apterodon A. saghensisLocality 25. [7] Dir Abu Lifa Member. [7] Left mandibular fragment. [7] A hyaenodont.
A. sp.Three localities. [7] Dir Abu Lifa & Temple member. [7] Mandibular elements & 2 humeri. [7] A hyaenodont.
cf. Hyaenodon cf. H. brachycephalus"Near Qasr el Sagha". [7] An eroded left mandibular corpus (AMNH 128553). [7] A hyaenodont.

Ungulates

Ungulates
GenusSpeciesPresenceStratigraphic memberMaterialNotesImages
cf. Bothriogenys cf. B. sp.Locality 25. [7] Dir Abu Lifa Member. [7] A weathered right distal humerus & shaft. [7] An anthracothere.
Bothriogenys fraasi.JPG
Dorudon D. atrox"Feinktirnigem graugriinlichem Sandstein der Saghastufe, Fayum". [6] Remains of an immature individual now destroyed. [6] A basilosaurid whale.
Dorudon cropped.png
Prozeuglodon P. stromeri"Feinktirnigem graugriinlichem Sandstein der Saghastufe, Fayum". [6] Remains of an immature individual now destroyed. [6] Junior synonym of Dorudon atrox .
Saghacetus S. osirisMultiple localities. [6] Temple Member. [6] Multiple specimens. [6] [8] A basilosaurid whale.
Saghacetus osiris eo sup fayum.JPG
Stromerius S. nidensisBlanckenhorn's interval II 5a of the Saghastufe. [9] Temple Member. [9] 2 vertebral sequences (UM 100140 & BSPM 1902.XI.504-510). [9] A basilosaurid whale.
Stromerius vertebrae Stromer 1903.png
Zeuglodon Z. elliotsmithiiNorth of Birket Qarun. [6] An endocast. [6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.
Z. sensitivusGar-el-Gehannem. [6] Temple Member. [6] An endocast. [6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.
Z. zitteli"Zeuglodonberg". [6] A fragmentary rostrum & 3 articulated cervical vertebrae. [6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.

Reptiles

Squamates

Squmates
GenusSpeciesPresenceStratigraphic memberMaterialNotesImages
Gigantophis G. garstini"An unspecified locality north of Birket Qarun, Fayum". [10] Vertebrae & ribs. [10] A madtsoiid snake.

Testudines

Testudines
GenusSpeciesPresenceStratigraphic memberMaterialNotesImages
Andrewsemys A. libycaAn almost complete & well-preserved shell. [11] A podocnemidid.
Cordichelys C. sp.North of Birket Qarun. [12] A nearly complete cranium lacking only the premaxillae (UMMP 13994). [12] A podocnemidid.
Stereogenys 'S.' libycaAn almost complete & well-preserved shell. [11] Reassigned to Andrewsemys .
S.(?) sp.North of Birket Qarun. [12] A mostly-complete carapace & plastron (CGM 8718). [12] A podocnemidid.

Fish

See also

References

  1. Vickers-Rich & Rich 1993
  2. Gingerich et al., 2019
  3. Tamariskenbucht (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  4. Gingerich 2007 , pp. 363–4
  5. Qasr el Sagha Formation at Fossilworks.org
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 Gingerich, Philip D (September 2006). "Marine Mammals (Cetacean and Sirenia) from the Eocene of Gebel Mokattam and Fayum, Egypt: Stratigraphy, Age, and Paleoenvironments". University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology. 30: 1–84.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 Holroyd, P.; Simons, E.; Bown, T.; Polly, P. D.; Kraus, M. (1996). "New records of terrestrial mammals from the Upper Eocene Qasr El Sagha Formation, Fayum Depression, Egypt". Palaeovertebrata.
  8. Gingerich, Philip D. "Early Evolution of Whales A Century of Research in Egypt". Elwyn Simons: A Search for Origins.
  9. 1 2 3 Gingerich, Philip. Stromerius Nidensis, New Archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) From the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt (Thesis).
  10. 1 2 Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (2017-07-04). "The osteology of the giant snake Gigantophis garstini from the upper Eocene of North Africa and its bearing on the phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Madtsoiidae". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (4): e1347179. Bibcode:2017JVPal..37E7179R. doi: 10.1080/02724634.2017.1347179 . hdl: 10044/1/48946 . ISSN   0272-4634. S2CID   90335531.
  11. 1 2 Pérez-García, Adán (2019-03-16). "New information and establishment of a new genus for the Egyptian Paleogene turtle 'Stereogenys' libyca (Podocnemididae, Erymnochelyinae)". Historical Biology. 31 (3): 383–392. Bibcode:2019HBio...31..383P. doi:10.1080/08912963.2017.1374383. ISSN   0891-2963. S2CID   90915135.
  12. 1 2 3 4 Cherney, Michael D.; Mantilla, J. a. W.; Gingerich, P.; Zalmout, Iyad S.; Antar, M. (2020), New Specimens of the Late Eocene Turtle Cordichelys (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae) From Wadi Al Hitan and Qasr El-Sagha in the Fayum Province of Eqypt, S2CID   228833249

Bibliography

  • A. Pérez-García. 2019. New information and establishment of a new genus for the Egyptian Paleogene turtle ‘Stereogenys’ libyca (Podocnemididae, Erymnochelyinae). Historical Biology 31(3):383-392
  • S. Adnet, H. Cappetta, S. Elnahas and A. Strougo. 2011. A new Priabonian Chondrichthyans assemblage from the Western desert, Egypt: Correlation with the Fayum oasis. Journal of African Earth Sciences 61:27-37
  • Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC   214233870.
  • Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas Hewitt V. (1993). Wildlife of Gondwana. Indiana University Press. ISBN   0-7301-0315-3.