Oued Zra (Miocene of Morocco)

Where: Fes, Morocco (33.8° N, 4.6° W: paleocoordinates 33.7° N, 4.9° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

• basin-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Miocene (11.6 - 5.3 Ma)

• Terrestrial deposits are surrounded by Miocene marine deposits, however no contact has been found. Base of terrestrial sequence is a basalt resting directly on Jurassic beds. The basalt is covered by a red volcanic formation (10-20 m thick) that has been dated to 9.7 +/- 0.5 Ma. Volcanic deposits are overlain by a series of lacustrine chalk ('calcaires') deposits (20-150 m thick). Fossil locality is from a small black clay lense rich in shells and small gastropods. This lense is located near the base of the chalk sequence.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: lacustrine; poorly lithified, lenticular, shelly/skeletal, black claystone

• Suggested that the volcanic flow led to the deposition of the lacustrine chalk deposits by limiting water flow. Thus, fossil locality would be close in age to the basalt (9.7 Ma). This date matches well with biostratigraphic evidence.
• Small black clay lense rich in gastropods and shells. Located near base of lacustrine chalk sequence.

Size class: microfossils

Collection methods: bulk,

• No information on collection size.

Primary reference: J. J. Jaeger. 1977. Les rongeurs du miocene moyen et superieur du Maghreb. Palaeovertebrata 8(1):1-166 [A. Behrensmeyer/S. Cote/S. Cote]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 35361: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Suzanne Cote on 06.12.2003

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• No abundance information available.
Amphibia
 Salientia - Pipidae
Xenopus sp. Wagler 1827 clawed frog
 Salientia - Discoglossidae
? Discoglossidae indet. Günther 1859 painted frog
 Salientia - Ranidae
Rana sp. Linnaeus 1758 frog
Mammalia
 Rodentia - Ctenodactylidae
 Rodentia - Gliridae
Microdyromys chaabi n. sp. dormouse
 Rodentia - Muridae
Progonomys cathalai Schaub 1938 mouse
 Rodentia - Cricetidae
Myocricetodon ouedi n. sp. mouse
Myocricetodon trerki n. sp. mouse
Myocricetodon sp. Lavocat 1952 mouse
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Galerix sp. Pomel 1848 hedgehog
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Soricidae indet. Fischer 1814 shrew
Reptilia
 Ophidia -
 Squamata -
Scolecophidia indet. Duméril and Bibron 1844 snake
 Squamata - Colubridae
Colubridae indet. Oppel 1811 colubrid snake
 Squamata - Anguidae
Anguidae indet. Gray 1825 squamates
Aves
  -
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758 bird