near Ampandriambengy: Turonian, Madagascar
collected by Farke & Sertich 2007

List of taxa
Where & when
Geology
Taphonomy & methods
Metadata & references
Taxonomic list
Reptilia - Abelisauridae
1 specimen
Holotype UA 9855, a partial axial column including cervical vertebra C?5, dorsal vertebrae D?1, D?2, and D?6–D?9, as well as a complete left dorsal rib (DR?2), capitula of two right dorsal ribs, proximal ends of two dorsal ribs, and other rib fragments
see common names

Geography
Country:Madagascar State/province:Antsiranana
Coordinates: 13.8° South, 49.5° East (view map)
Paleocoordinates:32.8° South, 44.7° East (Wright 2013)
Basis of coordinate:estimated from map
Geographic resolution:small collection
Time
Period: Cretaceous Epoch: Late Cretaceous
Stage: Turonian 10 m.y. bin: Cretaceous 6
Key time interval: Turonian
Age range of interval: 93.9 - 89.8 m.y. ago
Stratigraphy
Formation:Ambolafotsy
Stratigraphy comments: The middle, terrestrial unit of the "Ambolafotsy Formation", Turonian in age.
The section containing the Dahalokely site is informally termed the "Ambolafotsy Formation" and is divided into lower, middle (containing the type locality; Figure 1), and upper units [23]. The lower unit has produced several biostratigraphically informative foraminifera, including Whiteinella aprica, W. baltica, Helvetoglobotruncana praehelvetica, and H. helvetica, and the nannofossil Quadrum gartneri [23,25], placing the sample within the Q. gartneri and H. helvetica zones [25]. Relevant biostratigraphic zones and ranges were sourced from Ogg and Lugowski [28], which draws upon data from other published resources (particularly references within [29]), recalibrated to the Geologic Time Scale 2012 [30]. Helvetoglobotruncana helvetica is the most informative of the foraminifera, defining a zone within the latter part of the early Turonian (,93.52–92.99 Ma). The earliest occurrence of Q. gartneri is during the second half of the early Turonian (93.55 Ma), and it persisted into the late Coniacian (,86.44 Ma). Thus, the co-occurrence of these two species suggests that the sediments of the lower unit were deposited during the latter part of the early Turonian (93.52–92.99 Ma). The upper unit contains the ammonite Subprionocyclus neptuni [23,24], a taxon restricted to the late Turonian (90.86–89.77 Ma). Because no biostratigraphically informative microfossils are known from the middle unit yet, these terrestrial deposits may have overlapped temporally with some of the marine biozones. Even so, this biostratigraphic evidence restricts the age of the type locality for Dahalokely to the interval including the latter part of the early Turonian through the late Turonian (93.52– 89.77 Ma).
Lithology and environment
Primary lithology: carbonaceous claystone
Secondary lithology:"cross stratification" sandstone
Includes fossils?Y
Environment:terrestrial indet.
Geology comments: The sediments of most of the middle unit of the Ambolafotsy Formation are interpreted as terrestrial, deposited during a marine regression [23]. Carbonized plant fragments are quite common in the middle unit, along with claystones, shales, and cross-bedded sandstones. Marine microfossils and macrofossils are generally absent [23,25], although a deposit of ostreids several meters above the type locality for Dahalokely suggests that the area was deposited close to the shoreline.
Taphonomy
Modes of preservation:body
Size of fossils:macrofossils
Collection methods and comments
Collection methods:surface (in situ),field collection
Reason for describing collection:taxonomic analysis
Collectors:Farke & Sertich Collection dates:2007
Collection method comments: Permanent collection at the University of Antananarivo (UA; Antananarivo, Madagascar).
The specimen was discovered in situ in the field in northernmost Madagascar (Figure 1) during the 2007 field season.
All necessary permits were obtained for the described study, which complied with all relevant regulations. Fieldwork was conducted under permit from Ministe`re des Mines de Madagascar and in collaboration with the Ministere de l’Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche Scientifique de Madagascar.
Metadata
Also known as:Antsiranana
Database number:143113
Authorizer:R. Benson Enterer:R. Benson
Modifier:M. Carrano Research group:vertebrate
Created:2013-04-19 17:14:56 Last modified:2025-02-22 15:12:02
Access level:the public Released:2013-04-19 17:14:56
Creative Commons license:CC0
Reference information

Primary reference:
46390. A. A. Farke and J. J. W. Sertich. 2013. An abelisauroid theropod dinosaur from the Turonian of Madagascar. PLoS ONE 8(4):e62047:1-18 [R. Benson/R. Benson/M. Carrano]