The
Oulad Abdoun Basin (also known as the
Ouled Abdoun Basin or
Khouribga Basin ) is a
phosphate sedimentary basin located in
Morocco , near the city of
Khouribga . It is the largest in Morocco, comprising 44% of Morocco's phosphate reserves, and at least 26.8 billion tons of phosphate. It is also known as an important site for
vertebrate fossils , with deposits ranging from the
Late Cretaceous (
Cenomanian -
Turonian ) to the
Eocene epoch (
Ypresian ), a period of about 25 million years.
Geography
The Oulad Abdoun is located west of the Atlas Mountains , near the city of Khouribga . The Oulad Abdoun phosphate deposits encompass some 100 by 45 kilometres (62 by 28 mi), an area of 4,500 square kilometres (1,700 sq mi). The Oulad Abdoun is the largest and northernmost of Morocco's major phosphate basins, which from northeast to southwest, include the Ganntour , Meskala , and Oued Eddahab (Laayoune-Baa) basins.
Paleobiota
Color key
Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text ; crossed out taxa are discredited.
The Oulad Abdoun Basin stretches from the late Cretaceous to the Eocene and contains abundant marine vertebrate fossils, including sharks , bony fish , turtles , crocodilians , and other reptiles, as well as sea birds and a small number of terrestrial mammals.
Fish
Bony fish
Sharks
Other cartilaginous fish
Reptiles
Crocodylomorphs
Lepidosaurs
Mosasaurs
Mosasaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus
Species
Location
Time
Material
Notes
Images
Carinodens
C. minalmamar
Maastrichtian
A small mosasaurine mosasaur with crushing teeth.
Eremiasaurus
E. heterodontus
Maastrichtian
A mosasaurine mosasaur with unusual cutting dentition.
Gavialimimus
G. almaghribensis
Maastrichtian
An unusual longirostrine plioplatecarpine mosasaur.
Globidens
G. phosphaticus
Maastrichtian
A mosasaurine mosasaur with specialized crushing teeth.
G. simplex
Maastrichtian
G. aegyptiacus
Maastrichtian
Now referred to its own genus, Igdamanosaurus .
Halisaurus
H. arambourgi
Maastrichtian
A halisaurine mosasaur.
Igdamanosaurus
I. aegyptiacus
Maastrichtian
Khinjaria
K. acuta
Maastrichtian
a partial skull and vertebra
A plioplatecarpine mosasaur.
Mosasaurus
M. beaugei
Maastrichtian
A large mosasaurine mosasaur .
Pachyvaranus
P. crassispondylus
Maastrichtian
A pachyvaranid
Platecarpus
P. ptychodon
Maastrichtian
A nomen dubium . Now referred to its genus, Gavialimimus.
Pluridens
P. serpentis
Maastrichtian
A large halisaurine mosasaur, also known from Niger and Nigeria.
Prognathodon
P. currii
Maastrichtian
A large mosasaurine mosasaur.
P. giganteus
Maastrichtian
Stelladens
S. mysteriosus
Maastrichtian
A medium-sized mosasaurine with distinct, unique teeth structure.
Thalassotitan
T. atrox
Maastrichtian
A large-bodied mosasaurine with powerful jaws, similar to P. currii .
Xenodens
X. calminechari
Maastrichtian
A small mosasaurine mosasaur with unusual, shark-like teeth.
Serpentes
Snakes from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus
Species
Location
Time
Material
Notes
Images
Palaeophis
P. maghrebianus
Maastrichtian?–Ypresian
A palaeophiid marine snake .
Plesiosaurs
Turtles
Pterosaurs
Pterosaurs from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus
Species
Location
Time
Material
Notes
Images
Alcione
A. elainus
Maastrichtian
A nyctosaurid which shows possible adaptations towards diving behaviour.
Barbaridactylus
B. grandis
Maastrichtian
A nyctosaurid.
Simurghia
S. robusta
Maastrichtian
A nyctosaurid related to Alcione .
Phosphatodraco
P. mauritanicus
Maastrichtian
An azhdarchid .
cf Arambourgiania
A. sp ?
Maastrichtian
A giant azhdarchid, may belong to the Jordanian taxon Arambourgiania .
Azhdarchidae
Indet.
Maastrichtian
A new taxon, currently unnamed.
Tethydraco
T. regalis
Maastrichtian
A pterosaur of debated affinity; may be an azhdarchid or a pteranodontid .
Dinosaurs
Late Maastrichtian dinosaurs of Ouled Abdoun Basin, including Minqaria , Ajnabia , Chenanisaurus , and several unnamed specimens
Bird fossils are common in the Basin, which includes the oldest birds in Africa. At least three orders and several families of sea birds are represented, including Procellariiformes (albatrosses and petrels, fossils assignable to Diomedeidae and Procellariidae ), Pelecaniformes (pelicans and allies, fossils assignable to Phaethontidae , Prophaethontidae , Fregatidae and Pelagornithidae ), and Anseriformes (waterfowl, including fossil Presbyornithidae ).
Ornithischians
Ornithischians from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus
Species
Location
Time
Material
Notes
Images
Ajnabia
A. odysseus
Office Cherifien des Phosphates mines at Sidi Chennane
Maastrichtian
partial left maxilla with teeth
fragments of right maxilla
partial right dentary
A small lambeosaurine hadrosaur ; the first known from Africa.
Lambeosaurinae
Indeterminate
Maastrichtian
A lambeosaurine larger than Ajnabia and Minqaria .
Lambeosaurinae
Indeterminate
Maastrichtian
A lambeosaurine larger than Ajnabia and Minqaria .
Minqaria
M. bata
Maastrichtian
right maxilla
left dentary
braincase
A lambeosaurine hadrosaur.
Saurischians
Saurischians from the Khouribga Phosphates
Genus
Species
Location
Time
Material
Notes
Images
Abelisauridae
Indeterminate
Maastrichtian
right tibia
Probably distinct from Chenanisaurus due to its smaller size (about 5 m (16 ft) long) despite being mature. Similar to South American abelisaurids.
Abelisauridae
Indeterminate
Maastrichtian
right metatarsal II
A mature specimen but very small for an abelisaurid, about 2.6 m (8.5 ft) long
Chenanisaurus
C. barbaricus
Maastrichtian
anterior end of left dentary
2 premaxillary teeth
a maxillary tooth
A large abelisaurid theropod .
Titanosauria
Indeterminate
Maastrichtian
right femur, tibia, and fibula
undescribed material
A new titanosaurian taxon, currently unnamed.
Dasornis
D. tolapica
Selandian
A pelagornithid , or pseudotooth bird.
D. emuinus
Ypresian
Lithoptila
L. abdounensis
Thanetian
A seabird related to modern tropicbirds .
Mammals
Afrotheres
Hyaenodonts
Molluscs
See also