Quarry M (Jebel Qatrani Formation) (Oligocene of Egypt)

Also known as Fayum "upper sequence"

Where: Fayum, Egypt (29.5° N, 30.6° E: paleocoordinates 26.1° N, 27.3° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• outcrop-level geographic resolution

When: Jebel Qatrani Formation, Rupelian (33.9 - 28.1 Ma)

• Quarry M is about "250 m above the base" of the formation (Simons et al. 2007) and in the "upper sequence" = Upper Fossil Wood Zone (there are two general fossil producing levels in the Jebel Qatrani, the "upper" and the "lower" sequences)

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: fluvial; poorly lithified sandstone

• "Jebel Qatrani Formation..comprises predominantly fluvial sandstones and mudstones deposited as point bars and overbank deposits"
• at least one Aegyptopithecus specimen was filled with "sandstone matrix" (Simons et al. 2007)

Size class: macrofossils

Collected in 1966, 1967, 2004; reposited in the YPM

Collection methods: quarrying,

• YPM and Egyptian Geological Museum (CGM) collections

•collectors include G. E. Meyer (1960s) and R. Patnaik (2004)

Primary reference: E. L. Simons and T. M. Bown. 1985. Afrotarsius chatrathi, first tarsiiform primate (? Tarsiidae) from Africa. Nature 313:475-477 [J. Alroy/J. Alroy]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 12960: authorized by John Alroy, entered by Robin Whatley on 12.01.2002, edited by Jill Wertheim, John Alroy, Patricia Holroyd, Mark Uhen, K. Christopher Beard, Philip Mannion and Grace Varnham

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Mammalia
 Rodentia -
Monamys simonsi13 Wood 1968 rodent
DPC 3413, 4100, 4232, 6074, 6362, 8233, 8628, 11166 and 23222
 Placentalia -
Primates indet.1 Linnaeus 1758 primate
 Primates - Parapithecidae
"Parapithecus grangeri" = Simonsius grangeri16, Apidium phiomense1, Qatrania fleaglei n. sp.19
"Parapithecus grangeri" = Simonsius grangeri16 Simons 1974 monkey
Apidium phiomense1 Osborn 1908 monkey
Qatrania fleaglei n. sp.19 Simons and Kay 1988 monkey
 Primates - Propliopithecidae
Aegyptopithecus zeuxis4 Simons 1965 monkey
 Primates - Oligopithecidae
Oligopithecidae indet.15 Simons 1989 monkey
DPC 23256
 Primates - Afrotarsiidae
Afrotarsius chatrathi n. gen. n. sp.
Afrotarsius chatrathi n. gen. n. sp. Simons and Bown 1985 monkey
 Artiodactyla - Anthracotheriidae
Bothriogenys fraasi14 Schmidt 1913 anthracothere
DPC 2705, 3606, 3947, 7706, 8638, 11280, 11407 and 20950
 Creodonta - Hyainailouridae
Pterodon syrtos7, "Pterodontinae "sp. A."" = Hyainailourinae7, Apterodon macrognathus2
Pterodon syrtos7 Holroyd 1999 creodont
"Pterodontinae "sp. A."" = Hyainailourinae7 Pilgrim 1932 creodont
DPC 8345
Apterodon macrognathus2 Andrews 1904 creodont
 Pholidota - Manidae
Manidae indet.5 Gray 1821 pangolin
 Hyracoidea - Pliohyracidae
Pachyhyrax crassidentatus12 Schlosser 1910 hyrax
Thyrohyrax domorictus n. gen. n. sp.9 Meyer 1973 hyrax
CGM 40001 - holotype; the most common hyracoid of the upper sequence, especially at Quarries M and I
Megalohyrax eocaenus10 Andrews 1903 hyrax
 Macroscelidea - Macroscelididae
Metoldobotes cf. stromeri18 elephant shrew
 Sirenia - Dugongidae
Halitheriinae indet.3 dugong
between Eotheroides libycum and Halitherium schinzii
 Theriamorpha - Herpetotheriidae
"Peratherium africanus n. sp." = Peratherium africanus17, "Peratherium africanum n. sp." = Peratherium africanus8
"Peratherium africanus n. sp." = Peratherium africanus17 Simons and Bown 1984 marsupial
"Peratherium africanum n. sp." = Peratherium africanus8 Simons and Bown 1984 marsupial
compared to Peratherium cuvieri and P. elegans
Reptilia
 Squamata - Varanidae
Varanus sp.6 Merrem 1820 monitor lizard
Aves
 Charadriiformes - Jacanidae
Nupharanassa bulotorum n. gen. n. sp.11, Janipes nymphaeobates n. gen. n. sp.11
Nupharanassa bulotorum n. gen. n. sp.11 Rasmussen et al. 1987 shorebird
Janipes nymphaeobates n. gen. n. sp.11 Rasmussen et al. 1987 shorebird
 Accipitriformes - Pandionidae
aff. Pandion sp.11 Savigny 1809 osprey
 Cuculiformes - Musophagidae
aff. Crinifer sp.11 Jarocki 1821 turacos
 Gruiformes - Rallidae
Rallidae indet.11 Vigors 1825 rail
 Suliformes - Phalacrocoracidae
Phalacrocoracidae indet.11 Reichenbach 1850 cormorant
 Balaenicipitiformes - Balaenicipitidae
Goliathia andrewsi11 Lambrecht 1930 shoebill
 Ciconiiformes - Xenerodiopidae
Xenerodiops mycter n. gen. n. sp.11
Xenerodiops mycter n. gen. n. sp.11 Rasmussen et al. 1987 bird
 Ciconiiformes - Ciconiidae
? Palaeoephippiorhynchus dietrichi11 Lambrecht 1930 stork
 Pelecaniformes - Ardeidae
Nycticorax sp.11 Forster 1817 night heron
 Phoenicopteriformes - Palaelodidae
aff. Palaelodus sp.11 Milne-Edwards 1863 swimming flamingo