Khargeh Oasis (Paleocene to of Egypt)

Where: Egypt (25.3° N, 30.6° E: paleocoordinates 13.1° N, 25.1° E)

• coordinate based on nearby landmark

• local area-level geographic resolution

When: Dakhla Formation, Danian to Danian (66.0 - 59.2 Ma)

• The "Aschgraue Blätterthone" belongs to the upper part of the Dakhla Shale. Upper Dakhla Shale contains planktonic foraminifera belonging to zones P1C, P2, and P3; and calcareous nannofossils of zones NP2 and NP4, both indicating an upper Danian-Selandian age range.

• group of beds-level stratigraphic resolution

Environment/lithology: offshore; lithified marl

• A morphologically small and low-diversity benthic foraminiferal assemblage indicates a low oxygen environment. These foraminifera suggest that sediment deposition occurred within a low-energy, low-oxygen middle neritic environment. Higher in the unit, benthic foraminifera are rare (c. 10%), relative to planktic foraminifera (c. 90%). The low benthic/planktic ratio, high abundance of planktic foraminifera, and absence of coarse detrital influx in the sediment indicate a deeper middle to outer neritic, open marine environment.
• green-grey marls and clays

Size class: macrofossils

Primary reference: A. Quaas. 1902. Die Fauna der Overwegischichten und der Blätterthone in der libyschen Wüste [The fauna of the Overwegi and Blätterthone Beds in the Libyan Desert]. Palaeontographica 30(2):155-334 [W. Kiessling/U. Merkel]more details

Purpose of describing collection: taxonomic analysis

PaleoDB collection 87000: authorized by Wolfgang Kiessling, entered by Uta Merkel on 27.02.2009

Creative Commons license: CC BY (attribution)

Taxonomic list

Show authors, comments, and common names
Crinoidea
 Isocrinida - Pentacrinitidae
Pentacrinus sp.
Pentacrinus sp. Miller 1821 Sea lily
Echinoidea
 Cidaroida - Cidaridae
Cidaris sp.
Cidaris sp. Leske 1778 pencil urchin
 Spatangoida - Micrasteridae
? Micraster sp.
? Micraster sp. Agassiz 1836 heart urchin
 Spatangoida - Hemiasteridae
Hemiaster chargensis
 Arbacioida - Arbaciidae
? Coelopleurus fourtaui n. sp.
? Coelopleurus fourtaui n. sp. sea urchin
Sedentaria
 Sabellida - Serpulidae
Pyrgopolon pomeli n. sp.
Rhynchonellata
 Terebratulida - Cancellothyrididae
Terebratulina chrysalis
Terebratulina chrysalis Schlotheim 1813
Cephalopoda
 Nautilida - Hercoglossidae
"Nautilus desertorum" = Cimomia desertora
"Nautilus desertorum" = Cimomia desertora Quaas 1902
Bivalvia
 Nuculanida - Nuculanidae
Leda leia
Leda leia Wanner 1902 pointed nut clam
 Nuculida - Nuculidae
Nucula tremolatestriata, Nucula sp., Nucula chargensis n. sp.
Nucula sp. Lamarck 1799 nut clam
Nucula chargensis n. sp. Quaas 1902 nut clam
 Ostreida - Gryphaeidae
Gryphaea hypoptera
 Arcida - Cucullaeidae
Cucullaea sp.
Cucullaea sp. Lamarck 1801 clam
 Carditida - Crassatellidae
"Crassatella zitteli" = Crassatella rothii
"Crassatella zitteli" = Crassatella rothii Fraas 1872 clam
 Carditida - Astartidae
Astarte sp.
Astarte sp. Sowerby 1816 clam
 Lucinida - Thyasiridae
Axinus cretaceus
Axinus cretaceus Wanner 1902 clam
 Cardiida - Glossidae
Isocardia sp.
Isocardia sp. Lamarck 1799 clam
 Cardiida - Trapezidae
Cypricardia sp.
Cypricardia sp. Lamarck 1819 clam
 Cardiida - Cardiidae
"Cardium cf. becksii" = Acanthocardia becksii
"Cardium cf. becksii" = Acanthocardia becksii Muller 1847 cockle
 Cardiida - Tellinidae
Tellina sp.
Tellina sp. Linnaeus 1758 tellin clam
Scaphopoda
 Dentaliida - Dentaliidae
Dentalium bicarinatum
Gastropoda
 Ptenoglossa - Vasidae
Tudicla peroni
 Epitonioidea - Epitoniidae
Scalaria desertorum
 Cerithioidea - Cerithiidae
Cerithium cf. periphractum, Cerithium abietiforme
Cerithium abietiforme Wanner 1902 cerith snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Naticidae
Natica sp., Natica (Vanicoro) farafrensis
Natica sp. Scopoli 1777 moon snail
Natica (Vanicoro) farafrensis Wanner 1902 moon snail
 Sorbeoconcha - Ranellidae
"Triton sp." = Charonia, "Triton chalmasi" = Charonia, "Triton farafrense n. sp." = Charonia
"Triton sp." = Charonia Gistel 1848 triton
"Triton chalmasi" = Charonia triton
"Triton farafrense n. sp." = Charonia triton
 Sorbeoconcha - Cypraeidae
Cypraea sp.
Cypraea sp. Linnaeus 1758 cowry
 Sorbeoconcha - Triviidae
Erato sp.
Erato sp. Risso 1826 snail
 Neogastropoda - Nassariidae
Fusus sp.
Fusus sp. Bruguière 1789 snail
 Neogastropoda - Buccinidae
? Strepsidura ficuloides n. sp., Chrysodomus sp.
? Strepsidura ficuloides n. sp. true whelk
Chrysodomus sp. Swainson 1840 true whelk
 Neogastropoda - Clavatulidae
"Pleurotoma (Surcula) libyca" = Turricula
"Pleurotoma (Surcula) libyca" = Turricula snail
 Neogastropoda - Volutidae
Volutilithes daniensis n. sp., Volutilithes desertorum n. sp.
 Sorbeoconcha - Aporrhaidae
"Alaria schweinfurthi n. sp." = Dicroloma, "Alaria sp." = Dicroloma
"Alaria schweinfurthi n. sp." = Dicroloma snail
"Alaria sp." = Dicroloma Gabb 1868 snail
 Trochoidea - Trochidae
Trochus sp.
Trochus sp. Linnaeus 1758 top snail
 Heterostropha - Ringiculidae
Avellana cretacea n. sp.
Avellana cretacea n. sp. snail
  -
Tornatella chargensis
Anthozoa
 Scleractinia - Caryophylliidae
"Coelosmilia cf. milneri" = Smilotrochus milneri, "Trochocyathus epicharis" = Trochocyathus speciosus, Caryosmilia granosa
"Coelosmilia cf. milneri" = Smilotrochus milneri Gregory 1898 stony coral
"Trochocyathus epicharis" = Trochocyathus speciosus Gabb and Horn 1860 stony coral
Caryosmilia granosa Wanner 1902 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Guyniidae
"Palaeopsammia zitteli" = Palaeopsammia zitteli, "Thecocyathus aegyptiacus" = Palaeopsammia zitteli, "Palaeopsammia multiformis" = Palaeopsammia zitteli
"Palaeopsammia zitteli" = Palaeopsammia zitteli Vaughan 1900 stony coral
"Thecocyathus aegyptiacus" = Palaeopsammia zitteli Vaughan 1900 stony coral
"Palaeopsammia multiformis" = Palaeopsammia zitteli Vaughan 1900 stony coral
 Scleractinia - Fungiacyathidae
"? Brachycyathus daniensis" = Fungiacyathus deltoidophorus
"? Brachycyathus daniensis" = Fungiacyathus deltoidophorus Felix 1909 stony coral