Mishash Formation
The Mishash Formation is a Late Cretaceous (Campanian-Maastrichtian) geologic formation in Israel. The formation is correlated with the Duwi Formation of Egypt and the Amman and Ruseifa Formations of Jordan. Mosasaur fossils assigned to Prognathodon currii and pterosaur fossils have been recovered from the formation.
Stratigraphy
The lower boundary of the Mishash Formation lies atop the top of the underlying Menuha Formation, while the upper boundary is covered by the overlying Ghareb Formation. The Mishash Formation is divided into two members known as the Chert Member and Phosphate Member, with the latter overlying the former. Massive chert beds comprise the Chert Member, while the Phosphate Member is made up of cherts, phosphorites, porcellanites and organic-rich carbonates. The Phosphate Member is further divided into three units; the Phosphatic Carbonate Unit lies at the bottom of the member, followed by the Porcelanite Unit in the middle, and finally the Phosphorite Unit at the top.
Fossil content
Color key
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Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; |
Reptiles
| Reptiles reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Arambourgiania | A. sp. | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranium & bone casts | An azhdarchid pterosaur, originally reported as Titanopteryx. |  |
| Liodon | L. asiaticum | Near Jerusalem | Numerous bones | A dubious mosasaur, remains now assigned to Mosasaurinae indet. & Mosasaurini incertae sedis | ||
| Mosasaurinae indet. | Indeterminate | Northeastern Jerusalem | Caudal vertebrae | Mosasaur remains originally assigned to Liodon asiaticum | ||
| Mosasaurini | Incertae sedis | Northeastern Jerusalem | 30 bones | A mosasaur related to Mosasaurus and Plotosaurus, remains originally assigned to Liodon asiaticum | ||
| Prognathodon | P. currii | Oron | Phosphate Member | Skull & 8 vertebrae | A large mosasaur |  |
| Reptilia indet. | Indeterminate | Nahal Qazra | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Endocranium | Remains of an indeterminate reptile. | |
| Titanopteryx | T. sp. | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranium & bone casts | Junior synonym of Arambourgiania. | |
Bony fish
| Bony fish reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Enchodus | E. faujasi | Nahal Qazra & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts | An aulopiform. |  |
| E. sp. | Nahal Qazra, Nahal Zin, Nahal Ashosh & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite, Porcelanite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts & bones | An aulopiform. |  | |
| Micropycnodon | M. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | 3 endocranial casts | A pycnodont. |  |
| Polymixiidae | Indeterminate | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | 3 complete & a fragmentary endocranial cast | A beardfish. |  |
| Prionolepis | P. sp. | Nahal Ashosh | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Endocranial cast | An aulopiform. |  |
| Stratodus | S. sp. | Nahal Qazra, Nahal Zin, Nahal Ashosh & Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Endocranial casts & bones | An aulopiform. |  |
Cartilaginous fish
| Cartilaginous fish reported from the Mishash Formation | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Genus | Species | Presence | Stratigraphic member | Material | Notes | Images |
| Anomotodon | A. plicatus | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark | |
| A. sp. | Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark | ||
| Centroscymnus | cf. C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sleeper shark |  |
| Centrosqualus | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A dogfish shark | |
| Chiloscyllium | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A carpet shark |  |
| Cretalamna | C. appendiculata | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark |  |
| C. caraibaea | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | Species reassigned to Serratolamna | ||
| C. maroccana | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark | ||
| C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A megatooth shark |  | |
| Cretascymnus | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sleeper shark | |
| Cretodus | C. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A pseudoscapanorhynchid shark, small-sized member of the genus |  |
| Echinorhinidae indet. | Indeterminate | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An echinorhinid shark | |
| Ganopristis | G. leptodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | Genus now deemed a junior synonym of Sclerorhynchus | |
| G. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | |||
| Heterodontus | H. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A bullhead shark |  |
| Hexanchus | H. microdon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Numerous teeth | A cow shark | |
| Paraorthacodus | P. aff. nerviensis | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Tooth | A paraorthacodontid shark |  |
| Pristiophorus | P. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A sawshark |  |
| Pseudocorax | P. aff. affinis | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Many teeth | A pseudocoracid shark |  |
| Pteroscyllium | P. sp. 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A catshark | |
| P. sp. 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A catshark | ||
| Rhinobatoidei n. gen. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| Rhinobatos | R. sp. 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | |
| R. sp. 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| R. sp. 3 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A guitarfish | ||
| Rhombodus | R. binkhorsti | Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A myliobatiform ray |  |
| Scapanorhynchus | S. cf. raphiodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A goblin shark |  |
| Sclerorhynchus | S. leptodon | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | A sawskate originally reported as Ganopristis leptodon | |
| S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphatic Carbonate Unit) | Teeth | A sawskate, some material originally reported as Ganopristis sp., also found in the Menuha Formation | ||
| Scyliorhinus | S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | A catshark |  |
| Serratolamna | S. caraibaea | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A serratolamnid shark | |
| Squalicorax | S. bassanii | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark | |
| S. pristodontus | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark |  | |
| S. sp. | Oron & Nahal Zinim | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite & Phosphatic Carbonate units) | Teeth | An anacoracid shark |  | |
| Squalus | S. sp. | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A dogfish shark |  |
| Squatina | S. hassei | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | An angelshark | |
| Triakidae | Triakid 1 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A houndshark | |
| Triakid 2 | Oron | Phosphate Member (Phosphorite Unit) | Teeth | A houndshark | ||