Al-Sarrar, Locality 9, Dam Formation: Burdigalian, Saudi Arabia

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Gastropoda - Turritellidae
Turritella sp. Lamarck 1799
unclassified
cf. Schweboemys sp.
Amphibia - Temnospondyli
Anura indet. (Fischer von Waldheim 1813)
Ranoids and Bufonoids indet.
Reptilia - Sauria
Sauria indet. MacCartney 1802
Lizards indet.
Reptilia - Theropoda
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758
2 specimens
1 proximal tarsometatarsal (AS 1203) and a distal radius (868). The poor state of the specimens seems to exclude the possibility of a more precise identification.
Reptilia - Crocodylia
Crocodylus cf. pigotti Tchernov and Van Couvering 1978
    = Crocodylia indet. Owen 1842
Buffetaut 1984
Reptilia - Testudines - Podocnemididae
aff. Stereogenys sp. Andrews 1901
Reptilia - Testudines - Pelomedusidae
Pelomedusidae indet. Cope 1868
Reptilia - Testudines - Trionychidae
aff. Cycloderma sp. Peters 1854
Reptilia - Testudines - Testudinidae
Geochelone sp. Fitzinger 1835
Geochelone sensu lato sp. one or two species.
Reptilia - Testudines - Carettochelyidae
Carettochelyidae indet. Gill 1889
a new form related to Allaeochelys and Carettochelys.
Reptilia - Colubridae
Colubridae indet. Oppel 1811
Reptilia - Boidae
Boidae indet. Gray 1825
Eryx - Gongylophis group.
Python sp. Daudin 1803
medium sized.
Mammalia - Tragulidae
Dorcatherium cf. libiensis Hamilton 1973
8 specimens
1 upper 1 (AS 978), 1 upper M2 (AS 895), 1 molar (AS 908), 1 cubo-navicular-cuneiform (AS 904), 1 distal tibia (AS 970), 1 distal metapodial fragment (AS 902), 1 calcaneum (AS 894), 1 proximal ulna (AS 907).
Mammalia - Bovidae
Bovidae indet. Gray 1821
1 specimen
An upper M3 (AS 899). Similar in size to the living Dorcas Gazelle.
Mammalia - Giraffidae
cf. Canthumeryx sirtensis Hamilton 1973
1 specimen
1 lower right I2.
Mammalia - Suidae
Listriodon sp. von Meyer 1846
1 specimen
A fragmentary right upper molar (AS 872).
Mammalia - Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Aceratherium sp. Kaup 1834
1 specimen
1 first phalanx of lateral digit (AS 912).
Mammalia - Carnivora - Mustelidae
cf. Martes sp. Frisch 1775
1 specimen
Part of a left mandble with worn M1 (AS 871).
Mammalia - Rodentia - Dipodidae
Dipodidae indet. Waterhouse 1842
1 specimen
1 lower half-molar. larger than those from locality 21.
Mammalia - Primates
? Primates indet. Linnaeus 1758
1 specimen
1 distal tibia (AS 896), only doubtfully referred to a primate.
Actinopteri - Siluriformes - Clariidae
Clarias sp. Scopoli 1777
Heterobranchus sp. Hilaire 1827
Actinopteri - Centropomidae
Lates sp. Cuvier 1828
see common names

Geography
Country:Saudi Arabia
Coordinates: 26.0° North, 49.4° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:22.9° North, 46.8° East
Basis of coordinate:based on nearby landmark
Time
Period: Neogene Epoch: Miocene
Stage: Burdigalian 10 m.y. bin: Cenozoic 5
Key time interval: Burdigalian
Age range of interval: 20.44 - 15.98 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Dam
Stratigraphy comments: Late Early Miocene. There are 3 Formations in the succession - the Hadruck, Dam and Hofuf (Hofuf overlies the others). Type section of the Dam Formation is Jabal al Lidam. The depth of the formation at Al-Sarrar varies, but is around 30m. Near the Arabian Gulf the Formation is entirely marine, with more continental facies inland. The Al-Sarrar area is an area of 'continental sediments interbedded with the marine series'.
Fauna has been collected from a number of localities which have been entered individually.
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: sandstone
Lithology description: Cross-bedded sands, coarse grained sands and silts. Level 1, locality 9 is a 'cross-bedded complex (white and yellow sands, thin beds of green shales), including: yellow coarse sand with continental fossil vertebrates (mammals, reptiles and freshwater fishes).' Higher in the sequence is level 6, a fossilferous sandy limestone containing marine invertebrates (entered separately).
Environment:fluvial indet.
Geology comments: 'The lithologies, sedimentary structures (presence of palaeocurrents in loc. 6 and 8), the character of the fauna exclusively continental and the deposition laid down into low energy zone (specially in loc. 6 and 8 explaining the scarcity of small vertebrates and the association of postcranial bones) suggest a fluviatile environment.'
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils,mesofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:bulk,field collection
Reason for describing collection:general faunal/floral analysis
Collection method comments: Al-Sarrar localities 4-9 and 11-24 can all be dated within a short period of time. Localities 5,6,7,8, and 9 are considered contemporaneous.
1 ton of unconsolidated sand and silt from localities 6,8,9 and 21, has been sifted and has produced rodent teeth.
All fossil material housed in the Department of Antiquities and Museums at Riyadh.
Taxonomic list comments:Four orders and 7 genera of fish are recognised 'mainly from localities 7, 9 and 21' but they are not all listed by locality. Those that are listed by locality have been entered on the faunal lists. The others are: Hyperopisus sp., Barbus sp., Labeo sp., Heterobranchus sp., Clarias sp. and Lates sp.
Also finds of Viperidae may possibly be from this locality.
Sirenia ribs found in surface deposits, but cannot be correlated with uppermost beds of localities 6, 8 and 9.
Metadata
Database number:47074
Authorizer:A. Turner, P. Mannion Enterer:H. O'Regan, P. Mannion
Modifier:G. Varnham Research group:PACED
Created:2005-02-07 08:31:56 Last modified:2022-01-28 05:56:47
Access level:the public Released:2005-02-07 08:31:56
Creative Commons license:CC BY
Reference information

Primary reference:

12499.PACED H. Thomas, S. Sen, M. Khan, B. Battail, and G. Ligabue. 1982. The Lower Miocene Fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). Atlal 5(3a):109-136 [A. Turner/H. O'Regan/H. O'Regan]

Secondary references:

47638 E. Buffetaut. 1984. On the occurrence of Crocodylus pigotti in the Miocene of Saudi Arabia, with remarks on the origin of the Nile crocodile. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie, Monatshefte 1984(9):513-520 [P. Mannion/P. Mannion]