Level 4, Benguérir (Cretaceous of Morocco)

Where: Morocco (32.3° N, 7.8° W: paleocoordinates 24.4° N, 8.4° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Late/Upper Maastrichtian (70.6 - 66.0 Ma)

• The use of dissimilarity indices and agglomerative method underscores two distinct associations: a lower one including the levels L6 and L5, and an upper one comprising the levels L4 to L2. These two associations allow to separate a lower and an upper Maastrichtian level. Moreover, the special morphology of the teeth of S. pristodontus occurring in L2, compared to what is observed in lower levels, permits us to distinguish a lower Upper Maastrichtian and an upper Upper Maastrichtian faunal assemblage.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; poorly lithified phosphorite

Size classes: macrofossils, mesofossils

Reposited in the MNHN

Collection methods: surface (in situ),

• Repository: University of Montpellier 2; Office Chérifien des Phosphates, Khouribga, Morocco (OCP)

Primary reference: N. Bardet, X. Pereda Suberbiola, M. Iarochène, M. Amalik, and B. Bouya. 2005. Durophagous Mosasauridae (Squamata) from the Upper Cretaceous phosphates of Morocco, with description of a new species of Globidens. Netherlands Journal of Geosciences — Geologie en Mijnbouw 84(3):167-175 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 213666: authorized by Matthew Clapham, entered by Matthew Clapham on 07.09.2020

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Chondrichthyes
 Rajiformes - Rhinobatidae
"Rhinobatos" "sp. 1"2 Link 1790 guitarfish
"Rhinobatos" "sp. 2"2 Link 1790 guitarfish
"Rhinobatos" "sp. 4"2 Link 1790 guitarfish
 Rajiformes - Sclerorhynchidae
Dalpiazia stromeri2 Checchia-Rispoli 1933 ray
Ctenopristis nougareti2 Arambourg 1940 ray
Ganopristis leptodon2 Arambourg 1935 ray
 Myliobatiformes - Rhombodontidae
Rhombodus meridionalis2 Arambourg 1952 stingray
Rhombodus microdon2 Arambourg 1952 stingray
 Myliobatiformes -
Coupatezia elevata2 Noubhani and Cappetta 1997 stingray
Dasyrhombodus bondoni2 Arambourg 1952 stingray
 Lamniformes - Serratolamnidae
Serratolamna serrata2 Agassiz 1838 mackerel shark
 Lamniformes - Aquilolamnidae
Cretomanta sp.2 Case et al. 1990 mackerel shark
 Lamniformes - Anacoracidae
Squalicorax microserratus1 Cappetta et al. 2014 crow shark
Squalicorax pristodontus2 Agassiz 1835 crow shark
 Lamniformes - Otodontidae
Cretolamna maroccana2 mackerel shark
 Orectolobiformes - Ginglymostomatidae
Plicatoscyllium sp.2 Case and Cappetta 1997 nurse shark
Plicatoscyllium gharbii2 Noubhani and Cappetta 1997 nurse shark
Actinopteri
 Aulopiformes - Enchodontidae
Enchodus elegans2 Dartevelle and Casier 1949
 Aulopiformes - Dercetidae
Stratodus apicalis2 Cope 1872
Reptilia
 Testudines -
Chelonioidea indet.2 Baur 1893 sea turtle
 Testudines - Bothremydidae
Bothremydidae indet.2 sideneck turtle
 Loricata - Dyrosauridae
Dyrosauridae indet.2 crocodilian
 Plesiosauria - Elasmosauridae
Elasmosauridae indet.2 Cope 1869 elasmosaur
 Squamata - Mosasauridae
Eremiasaurus heterodontus2 LeBlanc et al. 2012 mosasaur
Prognathodon sp.2 Dollo 1889 mosasaur
Prognathodon currii Christiansen and Bonde 2002 mosasaur
OCP.DEK/GE (one tooth)
Globidens phosphaticus Bardet et al. 2005 mosasaur
OCP.DEK/GE 344-345 (anterior teeth), OCP.DEK/GE 346 (median tooth) and OCP.DEK/GE unnumbered (12 teeth)
"Platecarpus" ptychodon2 Arambourg 1952 mosasaur
Halisaurus arambourgi2 Bardet et al. 2005 mosasaur
 Squamata - Pachyvaranidae
Pachyvaranus crassispondylus3 Arambourg 1952 squamates
OCP.DEK/GE (vertebrae)