Ouled Abdoun Basin (selachians associated with Phosphatherium) (Paleocene of Morocco)

Where: Morocco (34.3° N, 5.9° W: paleocoordinates 27.4° N, 7.1° W)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• hand sample-level geographic resolution

When: Thanetian (59.2 - 56.0 Ma)

• original Thanetian age determination based on selachian teeth found with Phosphatherum type specimen, but these are reworked according to Gheerbrant et al. 2002, who believe the specimen is Ypresian and derives from "level 1 of the local phosphatic series"

• bed-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: marine; phosphorite

• none given, but "matrix of the specimens" has a "phosphatic nature"

Size class: mesofossils

Reposited in the MNHN

• found in matrix surrounding Phosphatherium type specimen that was purchased from fossil dealers and local mine workers

Primary reference: E. Gheerbrant, J. Sudre, and H. Cappetta. 1996. A Palaeocene proboscidean from Morocco. Nature 383:68-70 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 71234: authorized by John Alroy, entered by John Alroy on 22.04.2007, edited by Mark Uhen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Chondrichthyes
 Myliobatiformes - Dasyatidae
Dasyatis sp. Rafinesque 1810 whiptail stingray
"sp. 1"
 Torpediniformes - Torpedinidae
Eotorpedo hilgendorfi Jaekel 1904 torpedo
 Rajiformes - Rhinobatidae
Rhinobatos sp. Link 1790 guitarfish
"sp. 11"
 Carcharhiniformes - Scyliorhinidae
Scyliorhinidae indet. Gill 1862 cat shark
"Genus A sp. 1 and Genus B sp. 2"
Scyliorhinus sp. Blainville 1816 cat shark
"sp. A"