Ilimzi (Paleocene of Morocco)

Where: Meknès-Tafilalet, Morocco (31.6° N, 5.7° W: paleocoordinates 24.8° N, 7.5° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• small collection-level geographic resolution

When: Jbel Guersif Formation (Subatlas Group), Thanetian (59.2 - 56.0 Ma)

• Lithostratigraphy is from Augé & Rage (2006) and Dragastan & Herbig (2007, Micropaleontology 53(1-2), 1-72). (TL)

•Dragastan & Herbig (2007) assign a lower Thanetian age to the Jbel Guersif Fm.

Environment/lithology: peritidal; dolomitic, shelly/skeletal limestone

• "Both the Jbel Guersif and Ait Ouarhitane Formations were deposited in shallow marine environment, but terrestrial vertebrates (mammals and lepidosaurians) are numerous in the faunas. The floras indicate that deposition of the vertebrate remains took place in proximity of a mangrove under tropical conditions, whereas the hinterland was covered by a tropical forest" (Augé & Rage, 2006).

•"For the late Thanetian Jbel Guersif Formation, Kuss and Herbig (1993, figs. 5, 6) deduced a tidal flat and restricted lagoon in the easternmost 30 kilometers of the outcrop area around Tinerhir [...]" (Dragastan & Herbig, 2007), which geographically exactly applies for Adrar Mgorn.

•According to the latter two quotes, the original environment entry >>marginal marine indet.<< was altered (TL).

•The Ouarzazate Basin is a foreland Basin according to Tawadros (2012).

• According to Tawadros (2012, Geology of North Africa, Taylor & Francis) and Dragastan & Herbig (2007, Micropaleontology 53(1-2), 1-72), the Jbel Guersif Formation consists of at least one shallowing-upward sequence of shallow marine, white to pale rose bioclastic limestones. Augé & Rage (2006) speak of "dolomitic limestones". Thus the original lithology entry >>calcareous "siliciclastic"<< was altered (TL).

Size class: macrofossils

Reposited in the MNHN

Primary reference: E. Gheerbrant. 1994. Les mammifères paléocènes du Bassin d'Ouarzazate (Maroc). II. Todralestidae (Eutheria, Proteutheria). Palaeontographica Abteilung A 231(4-6):133-188 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 133243: authorized by Philip Mannion, entered by Philip Mannion on 07.09.2012, edited by Torsten Liebrecht

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Cimolesta - Todralestidae
Todralestes variabilis Gheerbrant 1991 eutherian
IMZ 1 (left lower molar with fragment of mandible)
Reptilia
 Squamata - Gekkonidae
? Gekkonidae indet. Gray 1825 gecko
USTL IMZ 11 (fragment of dentary)
 Squamata -
Lacertilia "indet. A" lizard
1 fragment of dentigerous bone (USTL IMZ 10)