Qasr el Sagha Formation

The Qasr el Sagha Formation is a geological formation located in Egypt.[1] The formation is part of the Wadi El Hitan World Heritage Site. The Qasr el Sagha Formation overlies the Birket Qarun Formation and is overlain by the Gebel Qatrani Formation. The sandstones and shales of the formation were deposited in a deltaic to shallow marine environment.[2] It dates to the Late Eocene (middle Priabonian, 37.2 to 33.9 million years ago).[3]

Quasr el Sagha Formation
Stratigraphic range: Priabonian
~
TypeGeological formation
Sub-unitsDir Abu Lifa & Temple Members
UnderliesGebel Qatrani Formation
OverliesBirket Qarun Formation
Lithology
PrimarySandstone
OtherMudstone
Location
LocationFayum District
Coordinates29.5°N 30.5°E / 29.5; 30.5
Approximate paleocoordinates24.9°N 26.5°E / 24.9; 26.5
Country Egypt
ExtentWadi El Hitan
Qasr el Sagha Formation is located in Egypt
Qasr el Sagha Formation
Qasr el Sagha Formation (Egypt)

Paleontological significance
Color key
Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon
 Notes
Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited.

Fossils of the early whale genus Saghacetus ("Sagha whale", originally named "Zeuglodon osiris") were first collected at Qasr al Sagha by German explorer Georg August Schweinfurth in January 1886 (a well-preserved dentary).Saghacetus is common in the middle of Qasr el Sagha, but there are few other specimens of archaeocetes whales; the only exception being the enigmatic "Prozeuglodon stromeri", named in 1828 based on specimens from 1904, but never adequately described before their destruction during the bombing of Munich in World War II.[4]

Other fossils found in the formation include:[5]

Afrotheres
Afrotheres
GenusSpeciesPresence Stratigraphic member MaterialNotesImages
Archaeosiren A. stromeri Westlich von Dimeh, Fayum.[6] A skull & isolated thoracic vertebrae.[6] Synonym of Eosiren libyca.
Barytherium B. cf. B. grave Locality 25 & an unspecified locality.[7] Dir Abu Lifa Member.[7] 2 teeth (DPC 2917 & 4071).[7] A basal proboscidean.
Eosiren E. libyca North of Birket Qarun.[6] Temple Member.[6] Skulls & vertebrae.[6] A dugongid.
Moeritherium M. lyonsi Various localities.[7] Dir Abu Lifa Member.[7] Numerous specimens.[7] A basal proboscidean.
Pliohyracidae Genus & species indeterminate ½ mile east of Qasr el Sagha Temple.[7] Dir Abu Lifa Member.[7] A mandible (AMNH 13445).[7] A large hyrax formerly thought to be a juvenile specimen of Moeritherium gracile.[7]
Protosiren P. sp. Mandible.[6] Actually from the Gehannam Formation or Birket Qarun Formation.

Ferae
Ferae
GenusSpeciesPresence Stratigraphic member MaterialNotesImages
Apterodon A. saghensis Locality 25.[7] Dir Abu Lifa Member.[7] Left mandibular fragment.[7] A hyaenodont.
A. sp. Three localities.[7] Dir Abu Lifa & Temple member.[7] Mandibular elements & 2 humeri.[7] A hyaenodont.
cf. Hyaenodon cf. H. brachycephalus "Near Qasr el Sagha".[7] An eroded left mandibular corpus (AMNH 128553).[7] A hyaenodont.

Ungulates
Ungulates
GenusSpeciesPresence Stratigraphic member MaterialNotesImages
cf. Bothriogenys cf. B. sp. Locality 25.[7] Dir Abu Lifa Member.[7] A weathered right distal humerus & shaft.[7] An anthracothere.
Dorudon D. atrox "Feinktirnigem graugriinlichem Sandstein der Saghastufe, Fayum".[6] Remains of an immature individual now destroyed.[6] A basilosaurid whale.
Prozeuglodon P. stromeri "Feinktirnigem graugriinlichem Sandstein der Saghastufe, Fayum".[6] Remains of an immature individual now destroyed.[6] Junior synonym of Dorudon atrox.
Saghacetus S. osiris Multiple localities.[6] Temple Member.[6] Multiple specimens.[6][8] A basilosaurid whale.
Stromerius S. nidensis Blanckenhorn’s interval II 5a of the Saghastufe.[9] Temple Member.[9] 2 vertebral sequences (UM 100140 & BSPM 1902.XI.504-510).[9] A basilosaurid whale.
Zeuglodon Z. elliotsmithii North of Birket Qarun.[6] An endocast.[6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.
Z. sensitivus Gar-el-Gehannem.[6] Temple Member.[6] An endocast.[6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.
Z. zitteli "Zeuglodonberg".[6] A fragmentary rostrum & 3 articulated cervical vertebrae.[6] Junior synonym of Saghacetus osiris.

Squamates
Squmates
GenusSpeciesPresence Stratigraphic member MaterialNotesImages
Gigantophis G. garstini "An unspecified locality north of Birket Qarun, Fayum".[10] Vertebrae & ribs.[10] A madtsoiid snake.

Testudines
Testudines
GenusSpeciesPresence Stratigraphic member MaterialNotesImages
Andrewsemys A. libyca An almost complete & well-preserved shell.[11] A podocnemidid.
Cordichelys C. sp. North of Birket Qarun.[12] A nearly complete cranium lacking only the premaxillae (UMMP 13994).[12] A podocnemidid.
Stereogenys 'S.' libyca An almost complete & well-preserved shell.[11] Reassigned to Andrewsemys.
S.(?) sp. North of Birket Qarun.[12] A mostly-complete carapace & plastron (CGM 8718).[12] A podocnemidid.

Fish

See also

References
  1. Vickers-Rich & Rich 1993
  2. Gingerich et al., 2019
  3. Tamariskenbucht (Eocene of Egypt) in the Paleobiology Database. Retrieved July 2013.
  4. Gingerich 2007, pp. 363–4
  5. Qasr el Sagha Formation at Fossilworks.org
  6. Gingerich, Philip D (September 2006). "Marine Mammals (Cetacean and Sirenia) from the Eocene of Gebel Mokattam and Fayum, Egypt: Stratigraphy, Age, and Paleoenvironments". University of Michigan Papers on Paleontology. 30: 1–84.
  7. Holroyd, P.; Simons, E.; Bown, T.; Polly, P. D.; Kraus, M. (1996). "New records of terrestrial mammals from the Upper Eocene Qasr El Sagha Formation, Fayum Depression, Egypt". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  8. Gingerich, Philip D. "Early Evolution of Whales A Century of Research in Egypt". Elwyn Simons: A Search for Origins.
  9. Gingerich, Philip. "Stromerius Nidensis, New Archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) From the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  10. Rio, Jonathan P.; Mannion, Philip D. (2017-07-04). "The osteology of the giant snake Gigantophis garstini from the upper Eocene of North Africa and its bearing on the phylogenetic relationships and biogeography of Madtsoiidae". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. 37 (4): e1347179. doi:10.1080/02724634.2017.1347179. ISSN 0272-4634. S2CID 90335531.
  11. Pérez-García, Adán (2019-03-16). "New information and establishment of a new genus for the Egyptian Paleogene turtle 'Stereogenys' libyca (Podocnemididae, Erymnochelyinae)". Historical Biology. 31 (3): 383–392. doi:10.1080/08912963.2017.1374383. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 90915135.
  12. Cherney, Michael D.; Mantilla, J. a. W.; Gingerich, P.; Zalmout, Iyad S.; Antar, M. (2020). "New Specimens of the Late Eocene Turtle Cordichelys (Pleurodira: Podocnemididae) From Wadi Al Hitan and Qasr El-Sagha in the Fayum Province of Eqypt". S2CID 228833249. {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)

Bibliography
  • A. Pérez-García. 2019. New information and establishment of a new genus for the Egyptian Paleogene turtle ‘Stereogenys’ libyca (Podocnemididae, Erymnochelyinae). Historical Biology 31(3):383-392
  • S. Adnet, H. Cappetta, S. Elnahas and A. Strougo. 2011. A new Priabonian Chondrichthyans assemblage from the Western desert, Egypt: Correlation with the Fayum oasis. Journal of African Earth Sciences 61:27-37
  • Gingerich, Philip D (2007). "Stromerius nidensis, new archaeocete (Mammalia, Cetacea) from the Upper Eocene Qasr El-Sagha Formation, Fayum, Egypt" (PDF). Contributions from the Museum of Paleontology. 31 (13): 363–78. OCLC 214233870.
  • Vickers-Rich, Patricia; Rich, Thomas Hewitt V. (1993). Wildlife of Gondwana. Indiana University Press. ISBN 0-7301-0315-3.
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