Aïn el Guettar Formation explained

Aïn el Guettar Formation
Coordinates:	33.2°N 10.3°W
Overlies:	Douiret Formation
Underlies:	Zebbag Formation
Subunits:	Chenini & Oum ed Diab Members
Paleocoordinates:	15.9°N 10.3°W
Country:	Tunisia
Region:	Tataouine
Location:	Sahara Desert
Namedfor:	'Aïn el Guettar
Otherlithology:	Conglomerate, mudstone
Prilithology:	Sandstone
Period:	Albian
Age:	Late Aptian-Early Albian ~
Type:	Formation

The Aïn el Guettar Formation is a geological formation in Tunisia, whose strata date back to the Late Aptian to Early Albian stages of the Cretaceous period.^{[1] [2]} The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones.^[3] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.^[4]

Stratigraphy

The Aïn el Guettar Formation is divided into at least 3 members, which represent different depositional environments. In ascending order these are: the Chenini Member, the Oum ed Diab Member and the Jebel El Mra Member.

Vertebrate paleofauna

The Ain el Guettar Formation during the Early Cretaceous period was a marsh-like habitat with swamps and plenty of water. The most famous dinosaur discoveries made here include Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.

• Carcharodontosaurus saharicus
• Spinosaurus cf. aegyptiacus^[5]
• Tataouinea hannibalis^[6]
• cf. Sarcosuchus
• Araripesuchus^[7]
• Sauropoda indet.
• Iguanodontidae indet.
• Ornithocheiridae indet.^[8]
• Mawsonia

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
• Geology of Tunisia

Further reading

• S. Bouaziz, É. Buffetaut, M. Ghanmi, J.-J. Jaeger, M. Martin, J.-M. Mazin, and H. Tong. 1988. Nouvelles découvertes de vertébrés fossiles dans l'Albien du sud tunisien [New discoveries of fossil vertebrates in the Albian of southern Tunisia]. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 8e série 4(2):335-339
• J. Le Loeuff, É. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, Y. Laurent, M. Ouaja, C. Souillat, D. Srarfi and H. Tong. 2000. Mesozoic continental vertebrates of Tunisia. 5th European Workshop on Vertebrate Palaeontology, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Geowissenschaften Abteilung. Program. Abstracts. Excursion Guides 45

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Notes and References

1. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=125935 Bateun el Hmaima
2. http://www.fossilworks.org/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?a=collectionSearch&collection_no=67203 Bir Miteur, RH 45
3. Benton. Michael J.. Bouaziz. Samir. Buffetaut. Eric. Martill. David. Ouaja. Mohamed. Soussi. Mohamed. Trueman. Clive. April 2000. Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 157. 3–4. 227–246. 10.1016/s0031-0182(99)00167-4. 2000PPP...157..227B. 0031-0182.
4. Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. .
5. Buffetaut, E & Ouaja, M (2002) A new specimen of Spinosaurus (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Tunisia, with remarks on the evolutionary history of the Spinosauridae. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France 173: 415–421.
6. Federico Fanti. Andrea Cau. Mohsen Hassine. Michela Contessi. amp. 2013. A new sauropod dinosaur from the Early Cretaceous of Tunisia with extreme avian-like pneumatization. Nature Communications. 4. 2080. 1–7. 10.1038/ncomms3080. 23836048. 2013NatCo...4.2080F. free.
7. G. Cuny, A. M. Cobbett, F. J. Meunier and M. J. Benton. 2010. Vertebrate microremains from the Early Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Geobios 43:615-628
8. BENTON, M. J., BOUAZIZ, S., BUFFETAUT, E., MARTILL, D. M., OUAJA, M., SOUSSI, M. & TRUEMAN, C. (2000): Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 157: 227–246.