Ahl al Oughlam - general (Pliocene of Morocco)

Also known as Deprez Quarry

Where: Morocco (33.6° N, 7.7° W: paleocoordinates 33.6° N, 7.8° W)

• coordinate estimated from map

When: Late/Upper Pliocene (3.6 - 2.6 Ma)

• Biostratigraphic comparison of fauna suggests age of ~2.5Ma, >2.0Ma for NaO

• formation-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: coastal; poorly lithified limestone and conglomerate

• Marine and karstic cave deposits. Temperate climate, open vegetation, moist.
• M1: biocalcarenite. M2: conglomerate. D2: sands. C1: sands among rockfalls. C2: calcareous crust. LR: sands and silts.

Size class: macrofossils

Preservation: original phosphate, coprolite

Primary reference: J. P. Raynal, J. P. Texier, D. Geraads and F. Z. Sbihi-Alaoui. 1990. Un nouveau gisement paleontologique plio-pleistocene en Afrique du Nord: Ahl al Oughlam (ancienne carriere Deprez) a Casablanca (Maroc). C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Serie II 310:315-320 [A. Behrensmeyer/A. Behrensmeyer/M. Uhen]more details

Purpose of describing collection: general faunal/floral analysis

PaleoDB collection 32052: authorized by Anna Behrensmeyer, entered by Hannah O'Regan on 03.06.2003, edited by Denne Reed, Mark Uhen, Evangelos Vlachos and Bethany Allen

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

• much material remains unpublished.
Chondrichthyes
 Plagiostomi -
Plagiostomi indet.2 elasmobranch
Gnathostomata
  -
Amphibia
  -
Amphibia indet. Linnaeus 1758 tetrapod
 Salientia - Bufonidae
Bufo sp.2 Laurenti 1768 toad
Bufo viridis2 Laurenti 1768 European green toad
 Salientia - Hylidae
Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Anancus sp. Aymard 1855 gomphothere
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
cf. Elephas sp. Linnaeus 1758 elephant
 Theriamorpha - Erinaceidae
Erinaceus (Atelerix) sp.2 Linnaeus 1758 hedgehog
 Theriamorpha - Soricidae
Suncus barbarus2 white-toothed shrew
"Episoriculus" maghrebiensis2 red-toothed shrew
 Placentalia -
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat
 Theriamorpha - Sivatheridae
"Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium
"Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium Pomel 1893 placental
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Ceratotherium cf. mauritanicum Pomel 1888 white rhino
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
"Hipparion cf. libycum" = Eurygnathohippus libycum
"Hipparion cf. libycum" = Eurygnathohippus libycum Pomel 1897 hipparionine horse
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
cf. Camelus sp. Linnaeus 1758 camel
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
Tragelaphus sp. de Blainville 1816 antelope
Beatragus antiquus Leakey 1965 hirola
B. antiquus remotus
Parmularius atlanticus Geraads and Amani 1998 antelope
Kobus barbarus Geraads and Amani 1998 antelope
"Gazella thomsoni" = Eudorcas thomsoni Gunther 1884 Thomson's gazelle
originally entered as "Gazella thomasi"
Gazella psolea Geraads and Amani 1998 gazelle
 Cetacea - Kogiidae
Kogia sp. Gray 1846 pygmy sperm whale
 Cetacea - Delphinidae
Delphinus sp. Linnaeus 1758 common dolphin
or Stenella
 Carnivora - Herpestidae
Herpestes abdelalii2 Geraads 1997 mongoose
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Crocuta alba2 spotted hyaena
Chasmaporthetes nitidula2 Ewer 1955 hyaena
subspecies darelbeidae
Hyaenictitherium ? barbarum2 Geraads 1997 hyaena
Pliocrocuta perrieri2 Kretzoi 1938 hyaena
subspecies latidens
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Genetta sp. Cuvier 1816 civet
Viverra leakeyi Petter 1963 civet
 Carnivora - Felidae
Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard
cf. Lynx sp. Kerr 1792 lynx
Felis cf. silvestris Schreber 1777 wildcat
Acinonyx aicha2 Geraads 1997 cheetah
cf. Dinofelis sp. Zdansky 1924 cat
Homotherium sp. Fabrini 1890 cat
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus cf. etruscus Cuvier 1823 bear
 Carnivora - Odobenidae
"Alachtherium africanum" = Ontocetus emmonsi2
"Alachtherium africanum" = Ontocetus emmonsi2 Leidy 1859 walrus
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Lutra fatimazohrae2 Geraads 1997 otter
Poecilictis libyca2 Saharan striped weasel
subspecies minor
Mellivora cf. capensis Schreber 1776 honey badger
Prepoecilogale cf. bolti mustelid carnivore
 Carnivora - Canidae
Lupulella paralius n. sp.3 Geraads 2011 canid
Vulpes hassani n. sp.3 Geraads 2011 fox
Nyctereutes abdeslami2 Geraads 1997 raccoon dog
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
Macaca sp. Lacépède 1799 macaque
 Rodentia - Muridae
Mus haouzi2 house mouse
Praomys skouri2 African soft-furred rat
subspecies oughlamensis
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
Serengetilagus sp. Dietrich 1941 rabbit
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Prolagus sp. Pomel 1853 pika
Reptilia
 Squamata - Colubridae
Malpolon sp.2 Fitzinger 1826 colubrid snake
cf. Macroprotodon sp.2 Guichenot 1850 false smooth snake
 Squamata - Crotalidae
Bitis sp.2, "Macrovipera sp." = Vipera (Macrovipera)2
Bitis sp.2 Gray 1842 puff adder
"Macrovipera sp." = Vipera (Macrovipera)2 Reuss 1927 pit viper
 Squamata - Scincidae
Chalcides sp.2 Linnaeus 1758 skink
 Squamata - Gekkonidae
Gekkonidae indet.2 Gray 1825 gecko
 Squamata - Anguidae
Ophisaurus koellekeri2 glass lizard
 Squamata - Lacertidae
cf. Acanthodactylus sp.2 Wiegmann 1834 Fringe-fingered lizard
 Squamata - Trogonophidae
Trogonophis darelbeidae n. sp.1 Bailon 2000 worm lizard
holotype: 1 incomplete right dental (AaO 2117, INSAP, Rabat, Morocco); referred specimens: 1 incomplete right dental, 3 anterior fragments of right dentals, 1 anterior fragment of left dental, 1 premaxilla, 1 left maxilla, 2 right quadrates
 Squamata - Amphisbaenidae
Blanus sp.2 Wagler 1830 worm lizard
originally entered as "Balanus sp."
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylus sp.2 Laurenti 1768 crocodile
Aves
  -
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758 bird
20 species
 Odontopterygiformes - Pelagornithidae
Pelagornithidae indet.2 Fürbringer 1888 bird
Pelagornis mauretanicus n. sp.5 Mourer-Chauvire and Geraads 2008 bird
 Psittaciformes - Psittacidae
Psittacidae indet.2 Illiger 1811 parrot
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Strigidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 true owl
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Phasianidae indet.2 Horsfield 1821 pheasant
 Procellariiformes - Procellariidae
Procellariidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 petrel
 Procellariiformes - Diomedeidae
Diomedeidae indet.2 Gray 1840 albatross
 Suliformes - Sulidae
Sulidae indet.2 Reichenbach 1849 booby
 Otidiformes - Otididae
Otididae indet.2 Gray 1840 bird
 Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
Struthionidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 ostrich
Struthio asiaticus5 Milne-Edwards 1871 Asian ostrich
 Charadriiformes - Alcidae
Alcidae indet.2 Leach 1820 auk
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
Testudo oughlamensis n. sp.4 Gmira et al. 2013 turtle
? Centrochelys marocana n. sp.4 Gmira et al. 2013 spurred tortoise
Actinopteri
 Spariformes - Sparidae
Sparidae indet. Cuvier 1817