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Late Cretaceous (Campanian—Maastrichtian) marine reptiles from the Adaffa Formation, NW Saudi Arabia

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 June 2008

B. P. KEAR ,
T. H. RICH ,
M. A. ALI ,
Y. A. AL-MUFARRIH ,
A. H. MATIRI ,
A. M. MASARY  and
Y. ATTIA
B. P. KEAR*
Affiliation:
Department of Genetics, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Victoria, 3086, Australia Earth Sciences Section–Palaeontology, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, South Australia, 5000, Australia
T. H. RICH
Affiliation:
Palaeontology Department, Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Victoria, 3000, Australia
M. A. ALI
Affiliation:
Saudi Geological Survey, P.O. Box 54141, Jiddah, 21514, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Y. A. AL-MUFARRIH
Affiliation:
Saudi Geological Survey, P.O. Box 54141, Jiddah, 21514, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
A. H. MATIRI
Affiliation:
Saudi Geological Survey, P.O. Box 54141, Jiddah, 21514, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
A. M. MASARY
Affiliation:
Saudi Geological Survey, P.O. Box 54141, Jiddah, 21514, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
Y. ATTIA
Affiliation:
Saudi Geological Survey, P.O. Box 54141, Jiddah, 21514, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia
*
‡Author for correspondence: b.kear@latrobe.edu.au
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Abstract

Marine reptile remains occur in the Upper Cretaceous (lower Campanian to lower Maastrichtian) Adaffa Formation of NW Saudi Arabia. This is the first detailed report of late Mesozoic marine reptiles from the Arabian Peninsula. The fossils include bothremydid (cf. Taphrosphyini) turtles, dyrosaurid crocodyliforms, elasmosaurid plesiosaurs, mosasaurs (Prognathodon, plioplatecarpines) and an indeterminate small varanoid. The assemblage is compositionally similar to contemporary faunas from elsewhere in the Middle East/North Africa, and comprises taxa that are typical of the southern margin of the Mediterranean Tethys.

Keywords

marine reptilesLate CretaceousArabian PeninsulaTethyspalaeobiogeography
Type
Original Article
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 145 , Issue 5 , September 2008 , pp. 648 - 654
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2008

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