Taxonomy and morphological study on the vertebrate remains of Shark and rays fauna from the Middle and Late Eocene succession, Fayoum Depression, Egypt

Document Type : Research and Reference

Authors

Department of Geology, Fac. of Science, Tanta University, Tanta, Egypt

Abstract

Well preserved vertebrate remains of Shark and ray fauna from the Middle and Late Eocene succession of
Fayoum depression, at Gebal Qasr El-Sagha area have been documented and studied in details. Four stratigraphic sections
are measured, described and sampled in the field at Hussein Wally Village, Birket Qarun, Qasr el-Sagha and Wadi el-
Afreet. Lithostratigraphically, the studied succession is divided into three formations arranged from base to top into
Gehannam, Birket Qarun and Qasr el-Sagha formations. This Eocene sequence provides by far the most complete view of
the endemic African vertebrate fauna. Identification of the basic pattern of fish remains and taxonomic evaluation revealed
that the recorded shark and rays taxa belong to 3 classes, 7 orders, 12 families, 18 genera, and 21 species. The identified
taxa are macro-scale, collected on the surface, and known either from teeth or rostral remains. A taxonomic account and
detailed morphologic description of the fossils shark, rays and bony fish teeth have been achieved. The depositional
environments in the studied Middle-Late Eocene age sequence are interpreted. The abundance of recognized vertebrate
fauna indicates environments varying from open marine shelf with low energy conditions to restricted marine shallow
water conditions. However, the frequent distribution of macrofauna with intense bioturbation in sandstones of Birket Qarun
Formation is a good indicator of restricted shallow water conditions.

Keywords

Delta Journal of Science
Volume 38, Issue 2
December 2017
Pages 219-233

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