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• much material remains unpublished.
Show authors, comments, and common names
Chondrichthyes
 Plagiostomi -
Plagiostomi indet.2
Plagiostomi indet.2 elasmobranch
Gnathostomata
  -
Osteichthyes indet.
Actinopteri
 Spariformes - Sparidae
Sparidae indet.
Sparidae indet. Cuvier 1817
Reptilia
 Testudines - Testudinidae
? Centrochelys marocana n. sp.4, Testudo oughlamensis n. sp.4
? Centrochelys marocana n. sp.4 Gmira et al. 2013 spurred tortoise
Testudo oughlamensis n. sp.4 Gmira et al. 2013 turtle
 Squamata - Gekkonidae
Gekkonidae indet.2
Gekkonidae indet.2 Gray 1825 gecko
 Squamata - Anguidae
Ophisaurus koellekeri2
Ophisaurus koellekeri2 glass lizard
 Squamata - Trogonophidae
Trogonophis darelbeidae n. sp.1
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
Blanus sp.2 Wagler 1830 worm lizard
originally entered as "Balanus sp."
 Squamata - Lacertidae
cf. Acanthodactylus sp.2
cf. Acanthodactylus sp.2 Wiegmann 1834 Fringe-fingered lizard
 Squamata - Scincidae
Eumeces algeriensis2, Chalcides sp.2
Chalcides sp.2 Linnaeus 1758 skink
 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 - Colubridae
Coluber hippocrepis2, cf. Macroprotodon sp.2, Malpolon sp.2
cf. Macroprotodon sp.2 Guichenot 1850 false smooth snake
Malpolon sp.2 Fitzinger 1826 colubrid snake
 Crocodylia - Crocodylidae
Crocodylus sp.2
Crocodylus sp.2 Laurenti 1768 crocodile
 Galliformes - Phasianidae
Phasianidae indet.2
Phasianidae indet.2 Horsfield 1821 pheasant
Aves
  -
Aves indet.
Aves indet. Linnaeus 1758 bird
20 species
 Odontopterygiformes - Pelagornithidae
Pelagornithidae indet.2, Pelagornis mauretanicus n. sp.5
Pelagornithidae indet.2 Fürbringer 1888 bird
Pelagornis mauretanicus n. sp.5 Mourer-Chauvire and Geraads 2008 bird
 Charadriiformes - Alcoidae
Alcidae indet.2
Alcidae indet.2 Leach 1820 auk
 Procellariiformes - Procellariidae
Procellariidae indet.2
Procellariidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 petrel
 Procellariiformes - Diomedeidae
Diomedeidae indet.2
Diomedeidae indet.2 Gray 1840 albatross
 Suliformes - Sulidae
Sulidae indet.2
Sulidae indet.2 Reichenbach 1849 booby
 Strigiformes - Strigidae
Strigidae indet.2
Strigidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 true owl
 Psittaciformes - Psittacidae
Psittacidae indet.2
Psittacidae indet.2 Illiger 1811 parrot
 Struthioniformes - Struthionidae
Struthionidae indet.2, Struthio asiaticus5
Struthionidae indet.2 Vigors 1825 ostrich
Struthio asiaticus5 Milne-Edwards 1871 Asian ostrich
 Otidiformes - Otididae
Otididae indet.2
Otididae indet.2 Gray 1840 bird
Mammalia
 Proboscidea - Elephantidae
cf. Elephas sp.
cf. Elephas sp. Linnaeus 1758 elephant
 Proboscidea - Gomphotheriidae
Anancus sp.
Anancus sp. Aymard 1855 gomphothere
 Soricomorpha - Soricidae
Suncus barbarus2, "Episoriculus" maghrebiensis2
Suncus barbarus2 white-toothed shrew
"Episoriculus" maghrebiensis2 red-toothed shrew
 Tribosphenida - Erinaceidae
Erinaceus (Atelerix) sp.2
Erinaceus (Atelerix) sp.2 Linnaeus 1758 hedgehog
 Carnivora - Odobenidae
"Alachtherium africanum" = Ontocetus emmonsi2
"Alachtherium africanum" = Ontocetus emmonsi2 Leidy 1859 walrus
 Carnivora - Ursidae
Ursus cf. etruscus
Ursus cf. etruscus Cuvier 1823 bear
 Carnivora - Mustelidae
Prepoecilogale cf. bolti, Mellivora cf. capensis, Poecilictis libyca2, Lutra fatimazohrae2
Prepoecilogale cf. bolti mustelid carnivore
Mellivora cf. capensis Schreber 1776 honey badger
Poecilictis libyca2 Saharan striped weasel
subspecies minor
Lutra fatimazohrae2 Geraads 1997 otter
 Carnivora - Felidae
Acinonyx aicha2, Felis cf. silvestris, Panthera pardus, cf. Lynx sp., cf. Dinofelis sp., Homotherium sp.
Acinonyx aicha2 Geraads 1997 cheetah
Felis cf. silvestris Schreber 1777 wildcat
Panthera pardus Linnaeus 1758 leopard
cf. Lynx sp. Kerr 1792 lynx
cf. Dinofelis sp. Zdansky 1924 cat
Homotherium sp. Fabrini 1890 cat
 Carnivora - Hyaenidae
Hyaenictitherium ? barbarum2, Chasmaporthetes nitidula2, Crocuta alba2, Pliocrocuta perrieri2
Hyaenictitherium ? barbarum2 Geraads 1997 hyaena
Chasmaporthetes nitidula2 Ewer 1955 hyaena
subspecies darelbeidae
Crocuta alba2 spotted hyaena
Pliocrocuta perrieri2 Kretzoi 1938 hyaena
subspecies latidens
 Carnivora - Viverridae
Viverra leakeyi, Genetta sp.
Viverra leakeyi Petter 1963 civet
Genetta sp. Cuvier 1816 civet
 Carnivora - Herpestidae
Herpestes abdelalii2
Herpestes abdelalii2 Geraads 1997 mongoose
 Carnivora - Canidae
Lupulella paralius n. sp.3, Nyctereutes abdeslami2, Vulpes hassani n. sp.3
Lupulella paralius n. sp.3 Geraads 2011 canid
Nyctereutes abdeslami2 Geraads 1997 raccoon dog
Vulpes hassani n. sp.3 Geraads 2011 fox
 Tribosphenida - Sivatheridae
"Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium
"Sivatherium maurusium" = Libytherium maurusium Pomel 1893 placental
 Perissodactyla - Equidae
"Hipparion cf. libycum" = Eurygnathohippus libycum
"Hipparion cf. libycum" = Eurygnathohippus libycum Pomel 1897 hipparionine horse
 Perissodactyla - Rhinocerotidae
Ceratotherium cf. mauritanicum
Ceratotherium cf. mauritanicum Pomel 1888 white rhino
 Cetacea - Kogiidae
Kogia sp.
Kogia sp. Gray 1846 pygmy sperm whale
 Cetacea - Delphinidae
Delphinus sp.
Delphinus sp. Linnaeus 1758 common dolphin
or Stenella
 Artiodactyla - Bovidae
cf. Pelorovis preafricanus, Tragelaphus sp., Gazella psolea, "Gazella thomsoni" = Eudorcas thomsoni, Beatragus antiquus, Parmularius atlanticus, Kobus barbarus
Tragelaphus sp. de Blainville 1816 antelope
Gazella psolea Geraads and Amani 1998 gazelle
"Gazella thomsoni" = Eudorcas thomsoni Gunther 1884 Thomson's gazelle
originally entered as "Gazella thomasi"
Beatragus antiquus Leakey 1965 hirola
B. antiquus remotus
Parmularius atlanticus Geraads and Amani 1998 antelope
Kobus barbarus Geraads and Amani 1998 antelope
 Artiodactyla - Camelidae
cf. Camelus sp.
cf. Camelus sp. Linnaeus 1758 camel
 Primates - Cercopithecidae
Theropithecus atlanticus, Macaca sp.
Macaca sp. Lacépède 1799 macaque
 Lagomorpha - Ochotonidae
Prolagus sp.
Prolagus sp. Pomel 1853 pika
 Lagomorpha - Leporidae
Lepus sp., Serengetilagus sp.
Lepus sp. Linnaeus 1758 hare
Serengetilagus sp. Dietrich 1941 rabbit
 Rodentia - Muridae
Praomys skouri2, Mus haouzi2, Gerbillus bibersoni2
Praomys skouri2 African soft-furred rat
subspecies oughlamensis
Mus haouzi2 house mouse
 Chiroptera -
Chiroptera indet.
Chiroptera indet. Blumenbach 1779 bat
Amphibia
  -
Amphibia indet.
Amphibia indet. Linnaeus 1758 tetrapod
 Salientia - Bufonidae
Bufo sp.2, Bufo viridis2
Bufo sp.2 Laurenti 1768 toad
Bufo viridis2 Laurenti 1768 European green toad
 Salientia - Hylidae
Hyla cf. meridionalis2
1Bailon 2000; 2Geraads 2006; 3Geraads 2011; 4Gmira et al. 2013; 5Mourer-Chauvire and Geraads 2008