Introduction
⌅The correlations and geochronology of the diverse sedimentary units in the Arabian Peninsula have been the subject of debate ever since the first studies were undertaken in the 20th Century (Cavelier, 1975Cavelier, C. (1975). Qatar Peninsula, Tertiaire en affleurement. In W. Sugden & A. J. Standring (Eds.), Lexique Stratigraphique International. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.; Powers, 1968Powers, R. W. (1968). Saudi Arabia. In Lexique Stratigraphique International (Asie, volume 3). Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.; Powers et al. 1966Powers, R. W., Ramirez, L. E., Redmond, C. & Elberg. E. L. Jr. (1966). Geology of the Arabian Peninsula. Sedimentary geology of Saudi Arabia. United States Geological Survey Professional Paper, 560, 1-147. https://doi.org/10.3133/pp560D.; Tleel, 1973Tleel, J. W. (1973). Surface geology of Dammam Dome, Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists, 57, 558-576. https://doi.org/10.1306/819A4304-16C5-11D7-8645000102C1865D.; Simmons et al. 2007Simmons, M. D., Sharland, P. R., Casey, D. M., Davies, R. B. & Sutcliffe, O. E. (2007). Arabian Plate sequence stratigraphy: Potential implications for global chronostratigraphy. GeoArabia, 12 (4), 101-128. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia1204101.; Steineke et al. 1958Steineke, M., Harriss, T.F., Parsons, K.R. & Berg, E.L. (1958). Geological Map of the Western Persian Gulf Quadrangle, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia [Map]. United States Geological Survey.; Ziegler, 2001Ziegler, M. (2001). Late Permian to Holocene Paleofacies Evolution of the Arabian Plate and its Hydrocarbon Occurrences. GeoArabia, 6 (3), 445-503. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia0603445.). Due to the presence of hydrocarbons in many areas of the peninsula, the marine deposits in particular, have been extensively studied not only in surface exposures but also in drill logs (Sharland et al. 2004Sharland, P. R., Casey, D., Davies, R. B., Simmons, M. D. & Sutcliffe, O. E. (2004). Arabian Plate Sequence Stratigraphy - revisions to SP2. GeoArabia, 9 (1), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia0901199 ) but there are still some problematic issues concerning the correlations and ages of the deposits. For example, the Taqah unit (Oman) is considered by Sharland et al. (2004)Sharland, P. R., Casey, D., Davies, R. B., Simmons, M. D. & Sutcliffe, O. E. (2004). Arabian Plate Sequence Stratigraphy - revisions to SP2. GeoArabia, 9 (1), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia0901199 to correlate to both the Chattian and to the Aquitanian, yet fossil mammals from the Taqah site indicate that it is late Rupelian in age (Figs 1, 2) (Crochet et al. 1990Crochet, J. Y., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen. S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1990). Première découverte d’un créodonte dans la péninsule Arabique: Masrasector ligabuei n. sp. (Oligocène inférieur de Taqah, Formation d’Ashawq, Sultanat d’Oman). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, Séries 2, 311 (12), 1455-1460., 1992Crochet, J. Y., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Roger, J., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1992). Découverte d’un péradictidé (Marsupialia) dans l’Oligocène inférieur du Sultanat d’Oman: nouvelles données sur la paléobiogéographie des marsupiaux de la plaque arabo-africaine. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, Séries 2, 314, 539-545.; Gheerbrant et al. 1993Gheerbrant, E., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Deux nouveaux primates dans l’Oligocène inférieur de Taqah (Sultanat d’Oman): Premiers adapiformes (?Anchomomyini) de la peninsule arabique. Palaeovertebrata, 22, 141-196., 1995Gheerbrant, E., Thomas, H., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1995). Nouveau primate Oligopithecinae (Simiiformes) de l’Oligocène inférieur de Taqah, Sultanat d’Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, 321, 425-432.; Harrison, 2001Harrison, T. (2001). Late Oligocene to middle Miocene catarrhines from Afro-Arabia. In W. C. Hartwig (Ed.), The Primate Fossil Record (pp. 311-338). Cambridge University Press.; Pickford, 2015cPickford, M. (2015c). Large ungulates from the basal Oligocene of Oman: 3. Anthracotheriidae. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 30 (2), 257-264. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.30.2.17254.; Pickford & Thomas, 1994Pickford, M. & Thomas, H. (1994). Sexual dimorphism in Moeripithecus markgrafi from the early Oligocene of Taqah, Oman. In B. Thierry, J.R. Anderson, J. J. Roeder & N. Herrenschmidt (Eds.), Current Primatology, Ecology and Evolution (pp. 261-264), Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg.; Pickford et al. 1994Pickford, M., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Roger, J., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1994). Early Oligocene Hyracoidea (Mammalia) from Thaytiniti and Taqah, Dhofar Province, Sultanate of Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Série II, 318 (10), 1395-1400., 2014Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Sen, S., Roger, J., & Sulaimani, Z. (2014). Palaeogene non-marine molluscs from Oman: implications for the timing of uplift of the Dhofar Plateau and the opening of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 392(1), 93-105. https://doi.org/10.1144/sp392.5.; Privé-Gill et al. 1993Privé-Gill, C., Gill, G., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Premier bois fossile associé aux Primates oligocènes du Dhofar (Taqah, Sultanat d’Oman). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Séries 2, 316, 553-559.; Roger et al. 1992Roger, J., Platel, J. P., de Grissac, C. B., & Cavelier, C. (1992). Geology of Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman): geology and geodynamic evolution during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres, Oman., 1993Roger, J., Sen, S., Thomas, H., Cavelier, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Stratigraphic, palaeomagnetic and palaeoenvironmental study of the Early Oligocene vertebrate locality of Taqah (Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman). Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 28, 93-119. https://doi.org/10.1127/nos/28/1993/93.; Seiffert, 2006Seiffert, E. R. (2006). Revised age estimates for the later Paleogene mammal faunas of Egypt and Oman. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, 103 (13), 5000-5005. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0600689103., 2007Seiffert, E.R. (2007). Evolution and extinction of Afro-Arabian primates near the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Folia Primatologica, 78 (5-6), 314-327. https://doi.org/10.1159/000105147.; Senut & Thomas, 1992 Senut, B., & Thomas, H. (1992). First discoveries of anthropoid postcranial remains from Taqah (early Oligocene, Sultinate of Oman). Abstracts XIV Congress of the International Primatology Society, Strasbourg., 1994Senut, B. & Thomas, H. (1994). First discoveries of anthropoid postcranial remains from Taqah (Early Oligocene, Sultanate of Oman). In Thierry, B., Anderson, J. R., Roeder, J. J. & Herrenschmidt, N. (Eds.), Current Primatology 1, Ecology and Evolution, (pp. 255-260). Université. Louis Pasteur.; Sigé et al. 1994Sigé, B., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Gheerbrant, E., Roger, J. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1994). Les chiroptères de Taqah (Oligocène inférieur, Sultanat d’Oman). Premier inventaire systématique. Münchener Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, A26, 35-48.; Thomas & Gheerbrant, 1992Thomas, H. & Gheerbrant, E. (1992). Discovery of a new species of Oligopithecus in the early Oligocene of Oman. XIVth Congress of the International Primatological Society, 288.; Thomas et al. 1982Thomas, H., Sen, S., Khan, M., Battail, B. & Ligabue, G. (1982). The Lower Miocene fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). ATLAL, The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology, 5 (III), 109-136., 1988Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1988). Découverte des plus anciens “anthropoïdes” du continent arabo-africain et d’un primate tarsiiforme dans l’Oligocène du Sultanat d’Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, 306, 823-829., 1989Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Bourdillon de Grissac, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1989). Découverte de vertébrés fossiles dans l’Oligocène inférieur du Dhofar (Sultanat d’Oman). Geobios, 22, 101-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80091-9., 1999Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Al-Sulaimani, Z. & Al-Busaidi, S. (1999). Oligocene and Miocene terrestrial vertebrates in the southern Arabian Peninsula (Sultanate of Oman) and their geodynamic and palaeogeographic settings. In P. Whybrow, & A. Hill (Eds.), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 430-442). Yale University Press.).
During the 2022 palaeontological field survey of the Rub Al-Khali, Oman, the authors recovered struthious eggshell fragments from several outcrops of the Marsawdad Formation, some of the unabraded and unsculpted specimens having most likely eroded in recent times from the reddish calcareous sands of the formation. This discovery is of interest because struthious eggshells are known to be reliable biostratigraphic markers in African and Arabian Neogene deposits (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13., 2013Bibi, F., Hill, A., Beech, M. J. & Yasin, W. (2013). Late Miocene fossils from the Baynunah Formation, United Arab Emirates: Summary of a decade of new work. In X. Wang, L. J. Flynn & M. Fortelius (Eds.), Fossil Mammals of Asia: Neogene Biostratigraphy and Chronology (pp. 583-594). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/columbia/9780231150125.003.0027.; Harris & Leakey, 2003Harris, J. & Leakey, M. (2003). 4.3. Lothagam Birds. In M. Leakey & J. Harris (Ed.), Lothagam: The Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa (pp. 161-166). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/leak11870-009.; Pickford, 1998, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.; Pickford & Dauphin, 1993Pickford, M. & Dauphin, Y. (1993). Diamantornis wardi nov. gen., nov. sp. giant extinct bird from Roilepel, Lower Miocene, Namibia. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, 316, 1643-1650.; Pickford & Senut, 2000Pickford, M. & Senut, B. (2000). Geology and palaeobiology of the central and southern Namib Desert, southwestern Africa; Volume 1, Geology and history of study. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 18, 1-155.; Pickford et al. 1995Pickford, M., Senut, B. & Dauphin, Y. (1995). Biostratigraphy of the Tsondab Sandstone (Namibia) based on gigantic avian eggshells. Geobios, 28 (1), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80205-3.; Ségalen et al. 2002Ségalen, L., Renard, M., Pickford, M., Senut, B., Cojan, I., Le Callonec, L. & Rognon, P. (2002). Environmental and climatic evolution of the Namib Desert since the Middle Miocene: the contribution of carbon isotope ratios in ratite eggshells. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 334, 917-924. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(02)01837-0.; Senut, 2000Senut, B. (2000). Fossil ratite eggshells: a useful tool for Cainozoic biostratigraphy in Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 12, 367-373.; Senut & Pickford, 1995Senut, B. & Pickford, M. (1995). Fossil eggs and Cenozoic continental biostratigraphy of Namibia. Palaeontologia Africana, 32, 33-37.; Senut et al. 1994Senut, B., Pickford, M. & Ward, J. D. (1994). Biostratigraphie des éolianites néogènes du Sud de la Sperrgebiet (Désert de Namib, Namibie). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 318, 1001-1007., 1998Senut, B., Dauphin, Y. & Pickford, M. (1998). Nouveaux restes aviens du Néogène de la Sperrgebiet (Namibie): complément à la biostratigraphie avienne des éolianites du désert de Namib. New avian remains from the Neogene of the Sperrgebiet, Namibia: refinement of the avian biostratigraphy of Namib Desert aeolianites. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 327 (9), 639-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1251-8050(99)80119-0.; Stidham, 2004Stidham, T. A. (2004). Extinct ostrich eggshell (Aves, Struthionidae) from the Pliocene Chiwondo Beds, Malawi: implications for the potential biostratigraphic correlation of African Neogene deposits. Journal of Human Evolution, 46, 489-496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.02.002., 2008Stidham, T. A. (2008). The importance of Diamantornis eggshell (Aves, Struthionidae) in the age and correlation of the Prospect Hill Formation, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology, 111, 459-461. https://doi.org/10.2113/gssajg.111.4.459.).
The aim of this contribution is to report on the fossil struthious eggshells from the Marsawdad Formation and to propose a correlation to the Geological Time Scale. This will help to stabilise part of the stratigraphy of the continental deposits of the Rub Al-Khali where the Marsawdad Formation crops out extensively in the neighbourhoods of Muqshin, Marsawdad and Montasar (Berthiaux & Platel, 1992Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Chevrel, S. (1992). Geological map of Abl Ghamghimah, Sheet NE 39-042, scale 1:250,000 [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Chevrel et al. 1992Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals., 1992bPlatel, J. P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992b). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Hayma, Sheet NE 40-02, scale 1:250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.).
Material and Methods
⌅The fossils described in this paper comprise 17 eggshell fragments from locality 25.RAK, Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman, which are curated at the Oman Natural History Museum, Muscat, under catalogue number ONHM-F-4779. Measurements were made with vernier calipers, and images were captured with a Sony Cybershot Camera, and treated with Photoshop Elements15 to enhance contrast and to clean the background. Comparisons were made with fossils from Namibia (Pickford, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.), Kenya (Harris & Leakey, 2003Harris, J. & Leakey, M. (2003). 4.3. Lothagam Birds. In M. Leakey & J. Harris (Ed.), Lothagam: The Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa (pp. 161-166). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/leak11870-009.), Tanzania (Harrison & Msuya, 2005Harrison, T. & Msuya, C. (2005). Fossil struthionid eggshells from Laetoli, Tanzania: Taxonomic and biostratigraphic significance. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 41 (4), 303-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.07.001.; Pickford, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.) and the United Arab Emirates (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.) as well as with specimens from Bou Hanifia (Algeria) (Arambourg, 1959Arambourg, C. (1959). Vertébrés continentaux du Miocène supérieur de l’Afrique du Nord. Publications du service de la carte geologique de l’Algerie (Paléontologie Mémoire), 4, 5-159.).
The meanings of some of the Place Names mentioned in this paper are provided in Table 1.
| Place Name | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ad Dabtiyah | Administer |
| Ain Sala | Sala Spring |
| Al Hafrah | Hole / the Pit |
| Al Ruwais | The small head |
| Al Uruq | The veins |
| Al’ Ayn | The Spring |
| Al-Jadidah | The New |
| An Nafud | Run out |
| Ar Rhyashia | Feather |
| Ar Rimal | The Sands |
| Arba | The fourth |
| Ashawq | Longings |
| As-Sarrar | Squeaky |
| Bani Ma’Aridh | A group of exhibitions or families |
| Barzaman | Ancient Plain |
| Baynunah | In between or clearly viewed (clearly visible, unobscured) |
| Dam | Dam |
| Dammam | House roof |
| Dawkah | Evil and rivalry |
| Ghaba | Forest |
| Ghubbarrah | Dust |
| Harrat Al-Ujayfah | Al-Ujayfah neighborhood |
| Hofuf | Blow (windy) |
| Jabal Mishra ash Shamali | North Mishra Mountain |
| Jabal Uray-Irah | Uray-Irah Mountain |
| Jiddat al Harasis | The Plain of Harasis |
| Khasfah | A substantial palm leaf envelope |
| Marsawdad | ?Observed, ?Predestined |
| Montasar | Victor (Conqueror) |
| Muqshin | Peeled (Exposed) |
| Qa’Amiyat | Lists |
| Qitabit | Fasten, Tether (as in pull strings around camels or around poles) |
| Ramlat al Hawz | Al Hawz Sand |
| Ramlat ar Tabkha | Ar Tabkha sand |
| Ramlat Mashash | Soft ground sands |
| Ramlat Musah | Musah Sand dune |
| Ramlat Umm Daysis | Umm Daysis sand |
| Ramlat Yi La | Yi La sand |
| Rub’ Al-Khali | The Empty Quarter |
| Shigag | Interdune corridor or street (generally flat interdunal areas) |
| Shisr | Sew (Bunt) |
| Shuqqat Al Khalfat | The interdune corridor of Khalfat |
| Taqah | Energy (or a different meaning in the Shehri language) |
| Tayma | The wide land |
| Thabhloten | The Blue Tent (local rendering of the English name) |
| Ulla al-Qurun | On the horns |
| Umm Tina | Fig tree |
| Wadi Bin Khawtar | Abundant goodness wadi |
| Wadi Sabya | Wadi of low land and sands |
Abbreviations
-
MNHN - Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris
-
NHMUK - Natural History Museum of the United Kingdom, London
-
ONHM - Oman Natural History Museum
-
RAK - Rub’ Al-Khali
Background to stratigraphy of the Arabian Peninsula
⌅Whilst the stratigraphy of the marine deposits of the Arabian Peninsula has been reasonably stable on account of the presence of abundant marine molluscs, foraminiferans and other fossils in them, there is much less consensus concerning the terrestrial (continental) sediments (Fig. 1), with the literature showing large offsets between the estimated ages of the sedimentary units and their contained faunas. For example, the Hofuf Formation (Thralls & Hassan, 1956Thralls, H. W. & Hassan, R. C. (1956). Geology and oil resources of eastern Saudi Arabia. 20th International Geological Congress, Mexico (pp. 19-32).), was correlated by Al-Saad et al. (2002)Al-Saad, H., Nasir, S., Sadooni, F. N., & Alsharhan, A. S. (2002). Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Hofuf Formation in the State of Qatar in relation to the tectonic evolution of the East Arabian Block. Neues Jahrbuch Für Geologie Und Paläontologie, 2002(7), 426-448. https://doi.org/10.1127/njgpm/2002/2002/426. to the Late Miocene to Pleistocene and by Sharland et al. (2004)Sharland, P. R., Casey, D., Davies, R. B., Simmons, M. D. & Sutcliffe, O. E. (2004). Arabian Plate Sequence Stratigraphy - revisions to SP2. GeoArabia, 9 (1), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia0901199 to the Tortonian-Pleistocene, yet at Al Jadidah, close to the type area, it has yielded characteristic late Middle Miocene faunal remains aged between 14 Ma and 12 Ma (Anonymous, 1975 Anonymous (1975). Mammalian remains from Saudi Arabia. Report on the British Museum (Natural History) 1972-1974, Trustees BMNH, pp. 1-18.; Hamilton et al. 1978Hamilton, W. R., Whybrow, P. C., & McClure, H. (1978). Fauna of fossil mammals from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Nature, 274(5668), 248-249. https://doi.org/10.1038/274248a0.; López-Antoñanzas, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. (2004). Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East: Systematics, Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography, and Palaeoecology [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris., 2009López-Antoñanzas, R. (2009). First Potwarmus from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia and the early phylogeny of murines (Rodentia: Muroidea). Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, 156(3), 664-679. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1096-3642.2008.00494.x.; Morales et al. 1987Morales, J., Soria, D. & Thomas, H. (1987). Les Giraffidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) d’Al Jadidah du Miocène moyen de la formation Hofuf (Province du Hasa, Arabie Saoudite). Geobios, 20 (4), 441-467. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(87)80080-3.; Thomas, 1982Thomas, H., Sen, S., Khan, M., Battail, B. & Ligabue, G. (1982). The Lower Miocene fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). ATLAL, The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology, 5 (III), 109-136., 1983Thomas, H. (1983). Les Bovidae (Artiodactyla, Mammalia) du Miocène moyen de la formation Hofuf (Province du Hasa, Arabie Saoudite). Palaeovertebrata, 13, 157-206., 1985Thomas, H. (1985). The early and middle Miocene land connection of the Afro-Arabian Plate and Asia: A major event for hominoid dispersal? In E. Delson (Ed.) Ancestors: The Hard Evidence (pp. 42-50). Alan Liss.; Thomas et al. 1978Thomas, H., Taquet, P., Ligabue, G. & Del’Agnola, C. (1978). Découverte d’un gisement de vertébrés dans les depôts continentaux du Miocène moyen du Hasa (Arabie Saoudite). Comptes Rendus Sommaires de la Société Géologique de France, 1978 (2), 69-72.; Sen & Thomas, 1979Sen, S. & Thomas, H. (1979). Découverte de rongeurs dans le Miocène de la Formation Hofuf (Province du Hasa, Arabie Saoudite). Comptes Rendus Sommaires de la Société géologique de France, 1, 34-37.; Whitmore, 1987Whitmore, F. (1987). A delphinoid ear bone from the Dam Formation (Miocene) of Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 447-450.) and the fossiliferous deposits thus correlate to the Serravallian. This inconsistency raises the possibility of a mis-correlation between the so-called Hofuf Formation in Qatar (Cavelier, 1975Cavelier, C. (1975). Qatar Peninsula, Tertiaire en affleurement. In W. Sugden & A. J. Standring (Eds.), Lexique Stratigraphique International. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.; Al-Saad et al. 2002Al-Saad, H., Nasir, S., Sadooni, F. N., & Alsharhan, A. S. (2002). Stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Hofuf Formation in the State of Qatar in relation to the tectonic evolution of the East Arabian Block. Neues Jahrbuch Für Geologie Und Paläontologie, 2002(7), 426-448. https://doi.org/10.1127/njgpm/2002/2002/426.) and the Hofuf Formation in its type area in Saudi Arabia (Thralls & Hassan, 1956Thralls, H. W. & Hassan, R. C. (1956). Geology and oil resources of eastern Saudi Arabia. 20th International Geological Congress, Mexico (pp. 19-32).; Sharland et al. 2004Sharland, P. R., Casey, D., Davies, R. B., Simmons, M. D. & Sutcliffe, O. E. (2004). Arabian Plate Sequence Stratigraphy - revisions to SP2. GeoArabia, 9 (1), 199-213. https://doi.org/10.2113/geoarabia0901199 ), or indicates that, as currently understood, it comprises a composite unit of two or more formations.
An overview of the available evidence concerning vertebrate palaeontology of the Arabian Peninsula reveals that there are diverse localities which have yielded fossils of terrestrial animals and plants, spanning the period from Late Eocene to Recent (with gaps) but none are yet known from the period spanning the Late Cretaceous to Bartonian (Figs 1, 2).
Several named formations of continental deposits in Oman (e.g. Barzaman Fm, Ghaba Fm, Roger et al. 1994Roger, J., Pickford, M., Thomas, H., de Broin, F., Tassy, P., Van Neer, W., Bourdillon-de-Grissac, C. & Al-Busaidi, S. (1994). Découverte de vertébrés fossiles dans le Miocène de la région du Huqf au Sultanat d’Oman. Annales de Paléontologie, 80, 253-273.) have not yielded fossils, so there is inherently some uncertainty about their ages. One such unit which previously yielded only charophyte zoogonia, is the Marsawdad Formation which crops out widely in the Rub Al-Khali, Oman (Chevrel et al. 1992Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals., 1992bPlatel, J. P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992b). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Hayma, Sheet NE 40-02, scale 1:250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.). This unit was correlated to the Late Miocene-Pliocene by the authors because, in its type area, it overlies the Dam Formation (Burdigalian) and the Montasar Formation (which overlies the Dam Formation), and underlies supposed Pliocene to Recent deposits. Elsewhere in the Rub’ Al-Khali, the Marsawdad Formation overlies the Dammam Formation (Eocene) and Dawkah Formation (possibly Oligocene to Burdigalian). Chevrel et al. (1992)Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals. considered that the Marsawdad Formation may be equivalent in part to the Hofuf Formation of Saudi Arabia (Powers, 1968Powers, R. W. (1968). Saudi Arabia. In Lexique Stratigraphique International (Asie, volume 3). Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.; Cavelier, 1975Cavelier, C. (1975). Qatar Peninsula, Tertiaire en affleurement. In W. Sugden & A. J. Standring (Eds.), Lexique Stratigraphique International. Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique.) but fossil mammals from several localities near the type area of the latter unit indicate that it is of Middle Miocene age, and thus substantially older than the Marsawdad sediments.
Geological setting Marsawdad Formation
⌅The Marsawdad Formation crops out extensively in the Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman (and probably also in Saudi Arabia) with outcrops mapped in three of the 1: 250,000 geological map sheets of Oman (Sheets, NE 40-01, NE 39-04 and NE 39-08; Chevrel et al. 1992Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals., 1992bPlatel, J. P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992b). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Hayma, Sheet NE 40-02, scale 1:250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.) (Fig. 3). The Marsawdad Formation (map symbol MPlms) is comprised of well-bedded sequences of reddish to yellowish clayey siltstone grading upwards to grey marly limestone and grey to brown micritic limestone with palaeosols. In several outcrops the surface exposures comprise tilted and folded beds (Fig. 4), probably resulting from dissolution of gypsiferous underlying strata accompanied by localised slumping, let-down structures and solution collapse (Le Blanc, 2009, figs 5.5 and 5.7Le Blanc, J. (2009). A Fossil Hunting Guide to the Miocene of Qatar, Middle East. A Geological & Macro-Paleontological Investigation of the Dam Formation. http://leblanc.jacques.googlepages.com/fossilhome.).
Platel & Berthiaux (1992a)Platel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals. interpreted the depositional environment of the Marsawdad Formation as a ‘large continental basin surrounded by palustrine and, more rarely, lacustrine deposits, regularly encroached by fluvio-deltaic fans and very fine-grained detrital material that had been transported over long distances’. West of Montasar the formation is up to 100 metres thick, comprising 15 or more sequences 3-6 metres thick. The base of the succession is reported to be an iron-stained calcrete or a brown limestone palaeosol which locally has a travertine-like aspect.
The only fossils previously recorded from the Marsawdad Formation are charophyte oogonia (Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.) and two eggshell fragments that were collected from deflated surfaces of the formation by Rosén et al. (2021)Rosén, Å. V., Hofmann, B. A., Preusser, F., Gnos, E., Eggenberger, U., Schumann, M., & Szidat, S. (2021). Meteorite terrestrial ages in Oman based on gamma spectrometry and sediment dating, focusing on the Ramlat Fasad dense collection area. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 56(11), 2017-2034. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13758..
Avian eggshell biochronology of Afro-Arabia
⌅Research in Namibia during the past three decades has led to the establishment of a biostratigraphic scale employing struthious eggshells (Figs 5, 9) (Pickford, 1998, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.; Pickford & Dauphin, 1993Pickford, M. & Dauphin, Y. (1993). Diamantornis wardi nov. gen., nov. sp. giant extinct bird from Roilepel, Lower Miocene, Namibia. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, 316, 1643-1650.; Pickford & Senut, 2000Pickford, M. & Senut, B. (2000). Geology and palaeobiology of the central and southern Namib Desert, southwestern Africa; Volume 1, Geology and history of study. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 18, 1-155.; Pickford et al. 1995Pickford, M., Senut, B. & Dauphin, Y. (1995). Biostratigraphy of the Tsondab Sandstone (Namibia) based on gigantic avian eggshells. Geobios, 28 (1), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80205-3.; Ségalen et al. 2002Ségalen, L., Renard, M., Pickford, M., Senut, B., Cojan, I., Le Callonec, L. & Rognon, P. (2002). Environmental and climatic evolution of the Namib Desert since the Middle Miocene: the contribution of carbon isotope ratios in ratite eggshells. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 334, 917-924. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(02)01837-0.; Senut, 2000Senut, B. (2000). Fossil ratite eggshells: a useful tool for Cainozoic biostratigraphy in Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 12, 367-373.; Senut & Pickford, 1995Senut, B. & Pickford, M. (1995). Fossil eggs and Cenozoic continental biostratigraphy of Namibia. Palaeontologia Africana, 32, 33-37.; Senut et al. 1994Senut, B., Pickford, M. & Ward, J. D. (1994). Biostratigraphie des éolianites néogènes du Sud de la Sperrgebiet (Désert de Namib, Namibie). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 318, 1001-1007., 1998Senut, B., Dauphin, Y. & Pickford, M. (1998). Nouveaux restes aviens du Néogène de la Sperrgebiet (Namibie): complément à la biostratigraphie avienne des éolianites du désert de Namib. New avian remains from the Neogene of the Sperrgebiet, Namibia: refinement of the avian biostratigraphy of Namib Desert aeolianites. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 327 (9), 639-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1251-8050(99)80119-0.). The scale spans the entire Neogene Period, the ages of the eggshell morphotypes being based on mammal fossils found associated with the eggshells (Pickford, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.). Studies on fossil struthious eggshells from other African countries (Kenya, Harris & Leakey, 2003Harris, J. & Leakey, M. (2003). 4.3. Lothagam Birds. In M. Leakey & J. Harris (Ed.), Lothagam: The Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa (pp. 161-166). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/leak11870-009.; Tanzania, Harrison & Msuya, 2005Harrison, T. & Msuya, C. (2005). Fossil struthionid eggshells from Laetoli, Tanzania: Taxonomic and biostratigraphic significance. Journal of African Earth Sciences, 41 (4), 303-315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2005.07.001.; Algeria, Arambourg, 1959Arambourg, C. (1959). Vertébrés continentaux du Miocène supérieur de l’Afrique du Nord. Publications du service de la carte geologique de l’Algerie (Paléontologie Mémoire), 4, 5-159.; Malawi, Stidham, 2004Stidham, T. A. (2004). Extinct ostrich eggshell (Aves, Struthionidae) from the Pliocene Chiwondo Beds, Malawi: implications for the potential biostratigraphic correlation of African Neogene deposits. Journal of Human Evolution, 46, 489-496. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhevol.2004.02.002.; South Africa, Stidham, 2008Stidham, T. A. (2008). The importance of Diamantornis eggshell (Aves, Struthionidae) in the age and correlation of the Prospect Hill Formation, South Africa. South African Journal of Geology, 111, 459-461. https://doi.org/10.2113/gssajg.111.4.459.) and the Arabian Peninsula (United Arab Emirates, Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.; Mikhailov & Zelenkov, 2020Mikhailov, K. E. & Zelenkov, N. (2020). The Late Cenozoic history of the ostriches (Aves; Struthionidae) as revealed by fossil eggshell and bone remains. Earth Science Reviews, 208, 103270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103270.) which were also associated with fossil mammals, have confirmed the utility of the eggshells for biostratigraphic correlations (see Table 2 for references to the geology and palaeontology of the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation). We are therefore reasonably confident that the Marsawdad eggshells will yield a reliable age estimate of the deposits in which they were fossilised. Even though the preservation of the Marsawdad eggshells is not perfect, a few fragments that are lightly eroded are informative enough about surface structure to yield interesting data linking them to the genus Diamantornis rather than to the aepyornithoid type which also occurs in the Late Miocene deposits of the Arabian peninsula (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.).
| LOCALITY | AGE | REFERENCES |
|---|---|---|
| Maitan, Oman | Late Pleistocene-Holocene | Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485; Maiorano et al. 2020Maiorano, M. P., Al Kindi, M., Charpentier, V., Vosges, J., Gommery, D., Marchand, G., Qatan, A., Borgi, F. & Pickford, M. 2020. Living and moving in Maitan: Neolithic settlements and regional exchanges in the southern Rub’ al-Khali (Sultanate of Oman). In K. Bretske, R. Crassard & Y. H. Hilbert (Eds.), Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia, Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (pp. 83-99), Archaeopress. |
| Mahadir Summan, Bani Ma’Aridh, Saudi Arabia | Recent | Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.; Philby, 1933Philby, H. St. J. B. (1933). The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali. Constable and Co. London. |
| Tuwairifa, Ain Sala, Ull al Qurun; Umm Tina, Qa’amiyat, Abu Sabbau, Saudi Arabia | Pleistocene-Holocene | Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.; Philby, 1933Philby, H. St. J. B. (1933). The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali. Constable and Co. London. |
| An Nafud, Saudi Arabia | Pleistocene | Breeze et al. 2017Breeze, P. S., Groucutt, H. S., Drake, N., Louys, J., Scerri, E. M. L., Armitage, S. J., Zalmout, I. S., Memesh, A., Haptari, M. A., Soubhi, S. A., Matari, A. H., Zahir, M., Al-Omari, A., Alsharekh, A., & Petraglia, M. D. (2017). Prehistory and palaeoenvironments of the western Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Archaeological Research in Asia, 10, 1-16. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ara.2017.02.002.; Garrard & Harvey, 1981Garrard, A. & Harvey, C. D. (1981). Environment and settlement during the Upper Pleistocene and Holocene at Jubba in the Great Nefud, northern Arabia. Atlal. The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology Riyad, 5(1401), 137-148.; Rosenberg et al. 2013Rosenberg, T. M., Preusser, F., Risberg, J., Plikk, A., Kadi, K. A., Matter, A. &, Fleitmann, D. (2013). Middle and Late Pleistocene humid periods recorded in palaeolake deposits of the Nafud desert, Saudi Arabia. Quaternary Science Reviews, 70, 109-123. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.03.017.; Schultz & Whitney, 1986Schulz, E. & Whitney, J. W. (1986). Upper Pleistocene and Holocene lakes in the An Nafud, Saudi Arabia. Hydrobiologia, 143, 175-190. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00026660.; Scerri et al. 2015Scerri, E. M. L., Breeze, P. S., Parton, A., Groucutt, H. S., White, T. S., Stimpson, C., Clark-Balzan, L., Jennings, R., Alsharekh, A. M. & Petraglia, M. D. (2015). Middle to Late Pleistocene human habitation in the Nefud Desert, Saudi Arabia. Quaternary International, 382, 200-214. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quaint.2014.09.036.; Thomas et al. 1998Thomas, H., Geraads, D., Janjou, D., Vaslet, D., Memesh, A., Billiou, D., Bocherens, H., Dobigny, G., Eisenmann, V., Gayet, M., de Broin, F., Petter, G. & Halawani, M. (1998). First Pleistocene faunas from the Arabian Peninsula: An Nafud desert, Saudi Arabia. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, 326, 145-152. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1251-8050(97)87459-9. |
| Al Ruwais, Qatar | Pleistocene | Pyenson et al. 2022Pyenson, N. D., Al-Ansi, M., Fieseler, C. M., Al Jaber, K. H., Klim, K. D., Le Blanc, J., Mohamed, A. M. D, Al-Shaik, I. & Marshall, C. D. (2022). Fossil Sirenia from the Pleistocene of Qatar: new questions about the antiquity of sea cows in the Gulf Region. PeerJ, 10, e14075. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.14075. |
| Marsawdad, Oman | Late Miocene | Berthiaux et al. 1992Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Chevrel, S. (1992). Geological map of Abl Ghamghimah, Sheet NE 39-042, scale 1:250,000 [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Chevrel et al. 1992Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals., 1992bPlatel, J. P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992b). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Hayma, Sheet NE 40-02, scale 1:250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; This paper |
| Shuqqat Al Khalfat, Saudi Arabia | Possibly Late Miocene | Buffetaut, 2022Buffetaut, E. (2022). The Enigmatic Avian Oogenus Psammornis: A Review of Stratigraphic Evidence. Diversity, 14(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020123.; Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.; Philby, 1933Philby, H. St. J. B. (1933). The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali. Constable and Co. London. |
| Baynunah Formation (many localities including the site of Ruwais) United Arab Emirates | Late Miocene | Andrews, 1999Andrews, P. (1999). Taphonomy of the Shuwaihat proboscidean, late Miocene, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In P. J. Whybrow & A. Hill (Eds), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 338-353). Yale University Press.; Barry, 1999Barry, J.C. (1999). Late Miocene carnivores from the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In P. J. Whybrow & A. Hill (Eds), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 203-208). Yale University Press.; Beech, 2005Beech, M.J. (2005). The late Miocene fossil site at Ruwais. In M. J. Beech & P. Hellyer (Eds.), Abu Dhabi 8 million years ago: Late Miocene fossils from the western region (pp. 21-33). Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey.; Beech & Hellyer, 2002Beech, M.J. & Hellyer, P. (2002). Fossil research at Ruwais-An interim report on fieldwork. Report Presented to TAKREER. Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey., 2005Beech, M.J. & Hellyer, P. (Eds.), (2005). Abu-Dhabi - 8 million years ago. Late Miocene Fossils from the Western Region. Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey.; Beech & Higgs, 2005Beech, M.J. & Higgs, W. (2005). A new late Miocene Fossil Site in Ruwais, Western Region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In P. Hellyer & M. Ziolkowski (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st Annual Symposium on Recent Paleontological and Archaeological Discoveries in the Emirates (pp. 6-21). Zayed Center for Heritage and History.; Beech et al. 2003Beech, M. J., Higgs, W., Aspinall, S. & Hellyer, P. (2003). A newly discovered late Miocene fossil site at Ruwais-Final Report. Report presented to TAKREER. Abu Dhabi Islands Archaeological Survey.; Bernor et al. 2022Bernor, R. L., Beech, M. J. & Bibi, F. (2022). Equidae from the Baynunah Formation. In F. Bibi, B. Kraatz, M. J. Beech & A. Hill (Eds.), Sands of Time: Ancient Life in the Late Miocene of Abu Dhabi (pp. 259-280). Springer. https://doi.org/10.31233/osf.io/97xvr.; Bibi, 2022Bibi, F. (2022). Bovidae and Giraffidae from the Baynunah Formation. In F. Bibi, B. Kraatz, M. J. Beech & A. Hill (Eds.), Sands of Time: Ancient Life in the Late Miocene of Abu Dhabi (pp. 217-239), Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83883-6_14.; Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13., 2012Bibi, F., Kraatz, B., Craig, N., Beech, M. J., Schuster, M. & Hill, A. (2012). Early evidence for complex social structure in Proboscidea from a late Miocene trackway site in the United Arab Emirates. 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Hippopotamidae from the Baynunah Formation. In F. Bibi, B. Kraatz, M. J. Beech & A. Hill (Eds.), Sands of Time: Ancient Life in the Late Miocene of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 241-258). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-83883-6_15.; Boisserie et al. 2017Boisserie, J. R., Schuster, M., Beech, M. J., Hill, A. & Bibi, F. (2017). A new species of hippopotamine (Cetartiodactyla, Hippopotamidae) from the late Miocene Baynunah Formation, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Palaeovertebrata, 41, 1-16. http://doi.org/10.18563/pv.41.1.e2.; De Bruijn, 1999De Bruijn, H. (1999). A late Miocene insectivore and rodent fauna from the Baynunah Formation, Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In P. J. Whybrow & A. P. Hill (Eds.), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp 186-200). Yale University Press.; De Bruijn & Whybrow, 1994De Bruijn, H. & Whybrow, P. J. (1994). 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| Jabal Midra ash-Shamali, Saudi Arabia | Middle Miocene | Hamilton et al. 1978Hamilton, W. R., Whybrow, P. C., & McClure, H. (1978). Fauna of fossil mammals from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Nature, 274(5668), 248-249. https://doi.org/10.1038/274248a0.; López-Antoñanzas, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. (2004). Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East: Systematics, Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography, and Palaeoecology [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris.; López-Antoñanzas & Sen, 2006López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2006). New Saudi-Arabian jumping Mouse (Zapodidae). Systematics and phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26 (1), 170-181. https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[170:NSAMJM]2.0.CO;2. |
| As-Sarrar, Saudi Arabia | Early Miocene | Flynn et al. 1983Flynn, L. J., Jacobs, L. L. & Sen, S. (1983). La diversité de Paraulacodus (Thryonomyidae, Rodentia) et des groupes apparentés pendant le Miocène. Annales de Paléontologie, 69, 355-366.; López-Antoñanzas, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. (2004). Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East: Systematics, Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography, and Palaeoecology [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris.; López-Antoñanzas & Sen, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2004). Ctenodactylids from the Lower and Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Palaeontology, 47 (6), 1477-1494. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00424.x., 2005López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2005). New species of Paraphiomys (Rodentia, Thryonomyidae) from the Lower Miocene of As-Sarrar, Saudi Arabia. Palaeontology, 48, 223-233. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1475-4983.2005.00445.x., 2006López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2006). New Saudi-Arabian jumping Mouse (Zapodidae). Systematics and phylogeny. Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, 26 (1), 170-181. https://doi.org/10.1671/0272-4634(2006)26[170:NSAMJM]2.0.CO;2.; Pickford, 2009Pickford, M. (2009). New Neogene hyracoid specimens from the Peri-Tethys region and East Africa. Paleontological Research, 13, 265-278. https://doi.org/10.2517/1342-8144-13.3.265.; Pickford & Tsujikawa, 2019Pickford, M. & Tsujikawa, H. (2019). Revision of African Kubanochoerinae (Suidae: Mammalia) with descriptions of new fossils from the Middle Miocene Aka Aiteputh Formation, Nachola, Kenya. Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, 48, 1-105.; Thomas & Battail, 1980Thomas, H. & Battail, B. (1980). Paleoenvironment in the Saudi Arabian lower Miocene (Eastern Province). Unpublished report on Eastern Province Paleontological Survey, 10.; Thomas et al. 1978Thomas, H., Taquet, P., Ligabue, G. & Del’Agnola, C. (1978). Découverte d’un gisement de vertébrés dans les depôts continentaux du Miocène moyen du Hasa (Arabie Saoudite). Comptes Rendus Sommaires de la Société Géologique de France, 1978 (2), 69-72., 1982Thomas, H., Sen, S., Khan, M., Battail, B. & Ligabue, G. (1982). The Lower Miocene fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). ATLAL, The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology, 5 (III), 109-136.; Whybrow et al. 1982Whybrow, P. J., Collinson, M., Daams, R., Gentry, A. & McClure, H. (1982). Geology, fauna (Bovidae, Rodentia) and flora from the early Miocene of Eastern Saudi Arabia. Tertiary Research, 4, 105-120. |
| Tayma, Saudi Arabia | Early Miocene | López-Antoñanzas, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. (2004). Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East: Systematics, Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography, and Palaeoecology [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris.; López-Antoñanzas & Sen, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2004). Ctenodactylids from the Lower and Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Palaeontology, 47 (6), 1477-1494. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00424.x.; Pickford & Tsujikawa, 2019Pickford, M. & Tsujikawa, H. (2019). Revision of African Kubanochoerinae (Suidae: Mammalia) with descriptions of new fossils from the Middle Miocene Aka Aiteputh Formation, Nachola, Kenya. Münchner Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, 48, 1-105. |
| Ad Dabtiyah, Saudi Arabia | Early Miocene | Andrews & Martin, 1987Andrews P. W. & Martin, L. (1987). The phyletic position of the Ad Dabtiyah hominoid. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 383-393.; Andrews et al. 1978Andrews, P. W., Hamilton, W. R., & Whybrow, P. C. (1978). Dryopithecines from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Nature, 274(5668), 249-251. https://doi.org/10.1038/274249a0., 1987 Andrews P. W., Martin, L. & Whybrow, P.J. (1987). Earliest known member of the great ape and human clade. American Journal of Physical Anthropology, New York, 72, 174-175.; Gentry, 1987aGentry, A. W. (1987a). Mastodons from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 395-407., 1978bGentry, A. W. (1987b). Rhinoceroses from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 409-432., 1987cGentry, A. W. (1987c). Ruminants from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 433-439.; Hamilton et al. 1978Hamilton, W. R., Whybrow, P. C., & McClure, H. (1978). Fauna of fossil mammals from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Nature, 274(5668), 248-249. https://doi.org/10.1038/274248a0.; Harrison, 2001Harrison, T. (2001). Late Oligocene to middle Miocene catarrhines from Afro-Arabia. In W. C. Hartwig (Ed.), The Primate Fossil Record (pp. 311-338). Cambridge University Press.; López-Antoñanzas, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. (2004). Neogene Ctenodactylidae, Thryonomyidae, and Zapodidae (Rodentia) from the Middle East: Systematics, Phylogeny, Biostratigraphy, Palaeogeography, and Palaeoecology [Unpublished doctoral dissertation]. Muséum national d’Histoire naturelle de Paris.; López-Antoñanzas & Sen, 2004López-Antoñanzas, R. & Sen, S. (2004). Ctenodactylids from the Lower and Middle Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Palaeontology, 47 (6), 1477-1494. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.0031-0239.2004.00424.x.; Pickford, 1987Pickford, M. (1987). Fossil Suidae from Ad Dabtiyah, Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 441-446.; Whybrow, 1987Whybrow, P. J. (1987). Miocene geology and palaeontology of Ad Dabtiyah, Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 367-457. |
| Jabal Uray’irah, Saudi Arabia | Early Miocene | Gentry, 1987aGentry, A. W. (1987a). Mastodons from the Miocene of Saudi Arabia. Bulletin of the British Museum of Natural History (Geology), 41, 395-407. |
| Ghaba, Oman | Early Miocene | Otero & Gayet, 2001Otero, O. & Gayet, M. (2001). Palaeoichthyofaunas from the Lower Oligocene and Miocene of the Arabian Plate: palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical implications. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 165, 141-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00158-9.; Pickford et al. 2021Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Al-Kindi, M. (2021). Ghabah, Oman, an early Miocene fossil locality at the ocean-continent interface. In Proceedings of the first International Conference on Vertebrate Paleontology (pp. 1-27). Faculty of Science, Cairo University, Egypte.; Roger et al. 1994Roger, J., Pickford, M., Thomas, H., de Broin, F., Tassy, P., Van Neer, W., Bourdillon-de-Grissac, C. & Al-Busaidi, S. (1994). Découverte de vertébrés fossiles dans le Miocène de la région du Huqf au Sultanat d’Oman. Annales de Paléontologie, 80, 253-273. |
| Wadi Sabya, Saudi Arabia | Early Miocene or Oligocene | Madden et al. 1978Madden, C. T., Schmidt, D. L. & Whitmore, F. C. (1978). Masritherium (Artiodactyla, Anthracotheriidae) from Wadi Sabya, southwestern Saudi Arabia: an earliest Miocene age for the continental rift valley volcanic deposits of the Red Sea margin. United States Geological Survey, 1-26. |
| Ar Rhyashia, Yemen | Oligocene | Henrici & Baez, 2001Henrici, A., & Báez, A. (2001). First occurrence of Xenopus (Anura: Pipidae) on the Arabian Peninsula: A new species from the Upper Oligocene of Yemen. Journal of Paleontology, 75(4), 870-882. doi:10.1666/0022-3360(2001)0752.0.CO;2. |
| Taqah, Oman | Oligocene | Crochet et al. 1990Crochet, J. Y., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen. S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1990). Première découverte d’un créodonte dans la péninsule Arabique: Masrasector ligabuei n. sp. (Oligocène inférieur de Taqah, Formation d’Ashawq, Sultanat d’Oman). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, Séries 2, 311 (12), 1455-1460., 1992Crochet, J. Y., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Roger, J., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1992). Découverte d’un péradictidé (Marsupialia) dans l’Oligocène inférieur du Sultanat d’Oman: nouvelles données sur la paléobiogéographie des marsupiaux de la plaque arabo-africaine. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, Séries 2, 314, 539-545.; Gheerbrant et al. 1993Gheerbrant, E., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Deux nouveaux primates dans l’Oligocène inférieur de Taqah (Sultanat d’Oman): Premiers adapiformes (?Anchomomyini) de la peninsule arabique. Palaeovertebrata, 22, 141-196., 1995Gheerbrant, E., Thomas, H., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1995). Nouveau primate Oligopithecinae (Simiiformes) de l’Oligocène inférieur de Taqah, Sultanat d’Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences de Paris, 321, 425-432.; Harrison, 2001Harrison, T. (2001). Late Oligocene to middle Miocene catarrhines from Afro-Arabia. In W. C. Hartwig (Ed.), The Primate Fossil Record (pp. 311-338). Cambridge University Press.; Pickford, 2015cPickford, M. (2015c). Large ungulates from the basal Oligocene of Oman: 3. Anthracotheriidae. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 30 (2), 257-264. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.30.2.17254.; Pickford & Thomas, 1994Pickford, M. & Thomas, H. (1994). Sexual dimorphism in Moeripithecus markgrafi from the early Oligocene of Taqah, Oman. In B. Thierry, J.R. Anderson, J. J. Roeder & N. Herrenschmidt (Eds.), Current Primatology, Ecology and Evolution (pp. 261-264), Université Louis Pasteur, Strasbourg.; Pickford et al. 1994Pickford, M., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Roger, J., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1994). Early Oligocene Hyracoidea (Mammalia) from Thaytiniti and Taqah, Dhofar Province, Sultanate of Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Série II, 318 (10), 1395-1400., 2014Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Sen, S., Roger, J., & Sulaimani, Z. (2014). Palaeogene non-marine molluscs from Oman: implications for the timing of uplift of the Dhofar Plateau and the opening of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 392(1), 93-105. https://doi.org/10.1144/sp392.5.; Privé-Gill et al. 1993Privé-Gill, C., Gill, G., Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Premier bois fossile associé aux Primates oligocènes du Dhofar (Taqah, Sultanat d’Oman). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Séries 2, 316, 553-559.; Roger et al. 1992Roger, J., Platel, J. P., de Grissac, C. B., & Cavelier, C. (1992). Geology of Dhofar (Sultanate of Oman): geology and geodynamic evolution during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic. Bureau de Recherches Geologiques et Minieres, Oman., 1993Roger, J., Sen, S., Thomas, H., Cavelier, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Stratigraphic, palaeomagnetic and palaeoenvironmental study of the Early Oligocene vertebrate locality of Taqah (Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman). Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 28, 93-119. https://doi.org/10.1127/nos/28/1993/93.; Seiffert, 2006Seiffert, E. R. (2006). Revised age estimates for the later Paleogene mammal faunas of Egypt and Oman. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, 103 (13), 5000-5005. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0600689103., 2007Seiffert, E.R. (2007). Evolution and extinction of Afro-Arabian primates near the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Folia Primatologica, 78 (5-6), 314-327. https://doi.org/10.1159/000105147.; Senut & Thomas, 1992 Senut, B., & Thomas, H. (1992). First discoveries of anthropoid postcranial remains from Taqah (early Oligocene, Sultinate of Oman). Abstracts XIV Congress of the International Primatology Society, Strasbourg., 1994Senut, B. & Thomas, H. (1994). First discoveries of anthropoid postcranial remains from Taqah (Early Oligocene, Sultanate of Oman). In Thierry, B., Anderson, J. R., Roeder, J. J. & Herrenschmidt, N. (Eds.), Current Primatology 1, Ecology and Evolution, (pp. 255-260). Université. Louis Pasteur.; Sigé et al. 1994Sigé, B., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Gheerbrant, E., Roger, J. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1994). Les chiroptères de Taqah (Oligocène inférieur, Sultanat d’Oman). Premier inventaire systématique. Münchener Geowissenschaftliche Abhandlungen, A26, 35-48.; Thomas & Gheerbrant, 1992Thomas, H. & Gheerbrant, E. (1992). Discovery of a new species of Oligopithecus in the early Oligocene of Oman. XIVth Congress of the International Primatological Society, 288.; Thomas et al. 1982Thomas, H., Sen, S., Khan, M., Battail, B. & Ligabue, G. (1982). The Lower Miocene fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). ATLAL, The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology, 5 (III), 109-136., 1988Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1988). Découverte des plus anciens “anthropoïdes” du continent arabo-africain et d’un primate tarsiiforme dans l’Oligocène du Sultanat d’Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, 306, 823-829., 1989Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Bourdillon de Grissac, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1989). Découverte de vertébrés fossiles dans l’Oligocène inférieur du Dhofar (Sultanat d’Oman). Geobios, 22, 101-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80091-9., 1991bThomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Dejax, J., Schuler, M., Al-Sulaimani, Z., Bourdillon de Grissac, C., Breton, G., Broin, F. de, Camoin, G., Cappetta, H., Carriol, R. P., Cavelier, C., Chaix, C., Crochet, J. Y., Farjanel, G., Gayet, M., Gheerbrant, E., Lauriat-Rage, A., Noel, D., Pickford, M., Poignant, A.F., Rage, J. C., Roman, J., Rouchy, J. M., Sécretan, S., Sigé, B., Tassy, P. & Wenz, S. (1991b). Essai de reconstitution des milieux de sédimentation et de vie des primates anthropoïdes de l’Oligocène de Taqah (Dhofar, Sultanat d’Oman). Bulletin de la Société géologique de France, 262 (4), 713-724. https://doi.org/10.2113/gssgfbull.162.4.713., 1999 Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Al-Sulaimani, Z. & Al-Busaidi, S. (1999). Oligocene and Miocene terrestrial vertebrates in the southern Arabian Peninsula (Sultanate of Oman) and their geodynamic and palaeogeographic settings. In P. Whybrow, & A. Hill (Eds.), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 430-442). Yale University Press. |
| Harrat Al Ujayfa, Saudi Arabia | Oligocene | Zalmout et al. 2010Zalmout, I. S., Sanders, W. J., MacLatchy, L. M., Gunnell, G. F., Al-Mufarreh, Y. A., Ali, M. A., Nasser, A-A. M., Al-Sobhi, S. A., Nadhra, A. O., Matari, A. H., Wilson, J. A. & Gingerich, P. D. (2010). New Oligocene primate from Saudi Arabia and the divergence of apes and Old World monkeys. Nature, 466, 360-353. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature09094. |
| Thaytiniti, Oman | Early Oligocene | Al-Kindi et al. 2017Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Al-Sinani, Y., Al-Ismaili, I. Y., Hartman, A. F., & Heward, A. P. (2017). Large Mammals from the Rupelian of Oman - Recent Finds. Fossil Imprint, 73(3-4), 300-321. https://doi.org/10.2478/if-2017-0017.; Harzhauzer et al. 2016Harzhauser, M., Neubauer, T. A., Kadolsky, D., Pickford, M., & Nordsieck, H. (2016). Terrestrial and lacustrine gastropods from the Priabonian (upper Eocene) of the Sultanate of Oman. PalZ, 90(1), 63-99. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12542-015-0277-1.; Neubert & Van Damme, 2012Neubert, E. & Van Damme, D. (2012). Palaeogene continental molluscs from Oman. Contributions to Natural History, 20, 1-28.; Otero & Gayet, 2001Otero, O. & Gayet, M. (2001). Palaeoichthyofaunas from the Lower Oligocene and Miocene of the Arabian Plate: palaeoecological and palaeobiogeographical implications. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 165, 141-169. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0031-0182(00)00158-9.; Pickford, 2015aPickford, M. (2015a). Large Ungulates from the Basal Oligocene of Oman: 1. Embrithopoda. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 30 (1), 139-148. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.30.1.17200., 2015bPickford, M. (2015b). Large Ungulates from the Basal Oligocene of Oman: 2. Proboscidea. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 30 (2), 33-46. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.30.2.17251., 2015cPickford, M. (2015c). Large ungulates from the basal Oligocene of Oman: 3. Anthracotheriidae. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 30 (2), 257-264. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.30.2.17254.; Pickford et al. 1994Pickford, M., Thomas, H., Sen, S., Roger, J., Gheerbrant, E. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1994). Early Oligocene Hyracoidea (Mammalia) from Thaytiniti and Taqah, Dhofar Province, Sultanate of Oman. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Paris, Série II, 318 (10), 1395-1400., 2014Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Sen, S., Roger, J., & Sulaimani, Z. (2014). Palaeogene non-marine molluscs from Oman: implications for the timing of uplift of the Dhofar Plateau and the opening of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 392(1), 93-105. https://doi.org/10.1144/sp392.5.; Roger et al. 1993Roger, J., Sen, S., Thomas, H., Cavelier, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1993). Stratigraphic, palaeomagnetic and palaeoenvironmental study of the Early Oligocene vertebrate locality of Taqah (Dhofar, Sultanate of Oman). Newsletters on Stratigraphy, 28, 93-119. https://doi.org/10.1127/nos/28/1993/93.; Seiffert, 2006Seiffert, E. R. (2006). Revised age estimates for the later Paleogene mammal faunas of Egypt and Oman. Proceedings of the National Academy of Science of the United States of America, 103 (13), 5000-5005. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.0600689103., 2007Seiffert, E.R. (2007). Evolution and extinction of Afro-Arabian primates near the Eocene/Oligocene boundary. Folia Primatologica, 78 (5-6), 314-327. https://doi.org/10.1159/000105147.; Thomas et al. 1982Thomas, H., Sen, S., Khan, M., Battail, B. & Ligabue, G. (1982). The Lower Miocene fauna of Al-Sarrar (Eastern Province, Saudi Arabia). ATLAL, The Journal of Saudi Arabian Archaeology, 5 (III), 109-136., 1989Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Bourdillon de Grissac, C. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1989). Découverte de vertébrés fossiles dans l’Oligocène inférieur du Dhofar (Sultanat d’Oman). Geobios, 22, 101-120. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(89)80091-9., 1991aThomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S. & Al-Sulaimani, Z. (1991a). The discovery of Moeripithecus markgrafi Schlosser (Propliopithecidae, Anthropoidea, Primates), in the Ashawq Formation (Early Oligocene of Dhofar Province, Sultanate of Oman). Journal of Human Evolution, 20, 33-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/0047-2484(91)90044-V., 1999Thomas, H., Roger, J., Sen, S., Pickford, M., Gheerbrant, E., Al-Sulaimani, Z. & Al-Busaidi, S. (1999). Oligocene and Miocene terrestrial vertebrates in the southern Arabian Peninsula (Sultanate of Oman) and their geodynamic and palaeogeographic settings. In P. Whybrow, & A. Hill (Eds.), Fossil Vertebrates of Arabia: with Emphasis on the Late Miocene Faunas, Geology, and Paleoenvironments of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates (pp. 430-442). Yale University Press. |
| Aydim, Oman | Late Eocene | Al-Sayigh et al. 2008Al-Sayigh, A. R., Nasir, S., Schulp, A. S., & Stevens, N. J. (2008). The first described Arsinoitherium from the upper Eocene Aydim Formation of Oman: Biogeographic implications. Palaeoworld. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.palwor.2007.07.005. |
Fossil eggshells from Oman
⌅Struthious eggshell fragments from the Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman, were described by Al-Kindi et al. (2021)Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485 and Maiorano et al. (2020)Maiorano, M. P., Al Kindi, M., Charpentier, V., Vosges, J., Gommery, D., Marchand, G., Qatan, A., Borgi, F. & Pickford, M. 2020. Living and moving in Maitan: Neolithic settlements and regional exchanges in the southern Rub’ al-Khali (Sultanate of Oman). In K. Bretske, R. Crassard & Y. H. Hilbert (Eds.), Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia, Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (pp. 83-99), Archaeopress. and attributed to Struthio camelus and an extinct species (Diamantornis laini or Struthio daberasensis).
Other eggshell fragments were reported, but not described in detail, by Rosén et al. (2021)Rosén, Å. V., Hofmann, B. A., Preusser, F., Gnos, E., Eggenberger, U., Schumann, M., & Szidat, S. (2021). Meteorite terrestrial ages in Oman based on gamma spectrometry and sediment dating, focusing on the Ramlat Fasad dense collection area. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 56(11), 2017-2034. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13758. (see Table 3). The latter authors estimated the ages of several specimens using the 14C method. Six eggshells less than 1.8 mm thick that were attributed by them to Struthio camelus syriacus yielded Recent ages but two specimens (2.6 and 3.0 mm thick) attributed by them to Struthio kakesiensis? were beyond the range of the 14C method. They commented «Such thick shelled eggs are not attributable to modern Arabian ostrich (Struthio camelus syriacus), but rather to a larger form that became extinct at least 3 Ma ago, for example, Struthio kakesiensis? (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.) known from the Arabian Emirates». Two comments arise from this interpretation:(1) Bibi et al. (2006)Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13. did not report the presence of S. kakesiensis in the UAE, the two ootaxa from the Baynunah Formation listed by them being Diamantornis laini and an aepyornithoid, (2) the estimate of 3 Ma is too young, the Baynunah Formation being correlated by Bibi et al. (2006)Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13. to the Late Miocene (7.4-6.5 Ma).
| Sample N° | Latitude : Longitude | Shell thickness (mm) |
|---|---|---|
| OES3-2015 | 18°45.296’N : 52°47.815’E | -- |
| OES4-2016 | 19°00.530’N : 53°21.991’E | 1.7 |
| 1701-0004 | 18°45.097’N : 53°11.260’E | 1.6 |
| 1702-0055 | 18°55.183’N : 53°21.216’E | 3.0 |
| 1702-0131 | 18°58.151’N : 53°28.426’E | 2.6 |
| 1702-0138 | 18°58.406’N : 53°28.394’E | 1.5 |
| 19-0152 | 19°13.677’N : 53°34.338’E | 1.6 |
| 19-0161 | 19°10.835’N : 53°31.481’E | 1.8 |
| 19-0210 | 19°21.201’N : 53°50.093’E | 1.6 |
The fossil eggshells from locality 25.RAK range in colour from dark chocolate brown (15 fragments) to pale chocolate (2 fragments), like specimens from near Maitan (Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485) and from several localities in Saudi Arabia (Lowe, 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.). The darker specimens are all more deeply sculpted than the paler specimens (Fig. 6). Sculpting affects primarily the outer surface of the shell fragments (Fig. 8), this surface being exposed to the air when the specimens erode out of the deposits in which they were originally fossilised. The preferential orientation of the eggshell fragments is due to the curvature of the shells, their most stable position in windy environments being convex upwards.
The sculpting of the surfaces of the eggshells is due to two processes, sand-blasting (minor) and dissolution due to frequent episodes of wetting by dew (repeated many times). By these slow processes, the eggshells can lose much of their thickness and while doing so tend to develop complex systems of smoothly polished ridges and basins which pattern the surface of the shells.
The ten better preserved eggshell fragments from locality 25.RAK range in thickness from 2.4 to 3.0 mm, whereas seven deeply sculpted specimens are only 2.0 to 2.2 mm thick, but they must in any case have originally been appreciably thicker than eggs of Struthio camelus (Figs 6-8). Thickness measurements of the 17 specimens are as follows: 3 specimens: 2.0 mm, 2 specimens: 2.1 mm, 2 specimens: 2.2 mm, 1 specimen: 2.4 mm, 1 specimen: 2.5 mm, 2 specimens: 2.6 mm, 2 specimens: 2.7 mm, 1 specimen: 2.8 mm, 2 specimens: 2.9 mm, 1 specimen: 3.0 mm.
Two of the 17 Marsawdad specimens are relatively unaffected by sand-blasting and dissolution by dew, so they provide reliable information about the surface texture of the shells. In both cases, there appear to be no pores on the outer surface, thereby resembling the large smooth surfaces that occur between the circular pore complexes in eggs of Diamantornis laini (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.; Pickford, 1998, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.; Pickford & Senut, 2000Pickford, M. & Senut, B. (2000). Geology and palaeobiology of the central and southern Namib Desert, southwestern Africa; Volume 1, Geology and history of study. Memoir of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 18, 1-155.; Pickford et al. 1995Pickford, M., Senut, B. & Dauphin, Y. (1995). Biostratigraphy of the Tsondab Sandstone (Namibia) based on gigantic avian eggshells. Geobios, 28 (1), 85-98. https://doi.org/10.1016/S0016-6995(95)80205-3.; Ségalen et al. 2002Ségalen, L., Renard, M., Pickford, M., Senut, B., Cojan, I., Le Callonec, L. & Rognon, P. (2002). Environmental and climatic evolution of the Namib Desert since the Middle Miocene: the contribution of carbon isotope ratios in ratite eggshells. Comptes Rendus Geoscience, 334, 917-924. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1631-0713(02)01837-0.; Senut, 2000Senut, B. (2000). Fossil ratite eggshells: a useful tool for Cainozoic biostratigraphy in Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 12, 367-373.; Senut & Pickford, 1995Senut, B. & Pickford, M. (1995). Fossil eggs and Cenozoic continental biostratigraphy of Namibia. Palaeontologia Africana, 32, 33-37.; Senut et al. 1994Senut, B., Pickford, M. & Ward, J. D. (1994). Biostratigraphie des éolianites néogènes du Sud de la Sperrgebiet (Désert de Namib, Namibie). Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 318, 1001-1007., 1998Senut, B., Dauphin, Y. & Pickford, M. (1998). Nouveaux restes aviens du Néogène de la Sperrgebiet (Namibie): complément à la biostratigraphie avienne des éolianites du désert de Namib. New avian remains from the Neogene of the Sperrgebiet, Namibia: refinement of the avian biostratigraphy of Namib Desert aeolianites. Comptes Rendus de l’Académie des Sciences, Série II, 327 (9), 639-644. https://doi.org/10.1016/S1251-8050(99)80119-0.). The larger of the two well-preserved Marsawdad fragments (Fig. 7) shows the edge of a depression on one side, which could represent the margin of a circular pore complex as in shells of D. laini (Figs 5, 9).
Implications of fossil avian eggshells from the Arabian Peninsula
⌅Over the past nine decades, fossil struthious eggshell fragments have been reported from a variety of localities in the Arabian Peninsula (Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.; McClure, 1984McClure, H. A. (1984). Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironments of the Rub’ Al Khali [Doctoral dissertation, University of London]. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.284800.; Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.; Hofmann et al. 2018Hofmann, B. A., Gnos, E. G., Jull, A. J. T., Szidat, S., Majoub, A., Al Wagdani, K., Habibukkah, S. N., Halawani, M., Haakeem, M., Al Shanti, M. & Al Solami, A. (2018). Meteorite reconnaissance in Saudi Arabia. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 53 (11), 2372-2394. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13132.; Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485; Mairoano et al. 2020Maiorano, M. P., Al Kindi, M., Charpentier, V., Vosges, J., Gommery, D., Marchand, G., Qatan, A., Borgi, F. & Pickford, M. 2020. Living and moving in Maitan: Neolithic settlements and regional exchanges in the southern Rub’ al-Khali (Sultanate of Oman). In K. Bretske, R. Crassard & Y. H. Hilbert (Eds.), Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia, Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (pp. 83-99), Archaeopress.; Rosén et al. 2021Rosén, Å. V., Hofmann, B. A., Preusser, F., Gnos, E., Eggenberger, U., Schumann, M., & Szidat, S. (2021). Meteorite terrestrial ages in Oman based on gamma spectrometry and sediment dating, focusing on the Ramlat Fasad dense collection area. Meteoritics & Planetary Science, 56(11), 2017-2034. https://doi.org/10.1111/maps.13758.; Buffetaut, 2022Buffetaut, E. (2022). The Enigmatic Avian Oogenus Psammornis: A Review of Stratigraphic Evidence. Diversity, 14(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020123.). The most common eggshell fragments reported from the peninsula belong to the extant ostrich, Struthio camelus (Struthio syriacus in Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.). Specimens are known from the vicinity of Maitan, Oman (Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485), from various sites in Saudi Arabia (Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.; McClure, 1976McClure, H. A. (1976). Radiocarbon chronology of Late Quaternary lakes in the Arabian Desert. Nature, 263 (5580), 755-756. https://doi.org/10.1038/263755a0., 1978McClure, H. A . (1978). Ar Rub’ AI Khali. In S. S. Al-Sayari & J. G. Zotl (Eds.), Quaternary Period in Saudi Arabia (pp. 252-263), Springer-Verlag. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-7091-8494-3_11., 1984McClure, H. A. (1984). Late Quaternary Palaeoenvironments of the Rub’ Al Khali [Doctoral dissertation, University of London]. https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.284800.) (Table 2) as well as generally over much of the peninsula (Boug & Islam, 2018Boug, A. & Islam, M. Z. (2018). Dating Saudi Arabian desert surface assemblages with Arabian ostrich Struthio camelus syriacus eggshell by 14C: propositions for palaeoecology and extinction. Biodiversity International Journal, 2 (1), 83-89. https://doi.org/10.15406/bij.2018.02.00048.). These eggshells are thin (less than 2 mm) and generally show the pore arrangement typical of the extant ostrich. Near Maitan, such eggshells were exploited by Neolithic societies to fabricate beads (Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485).
A single fragment of an oospecies with a shell thickness of 2.6 mm (probably of Diamantornis laini but could belong to Struthio daberasensis) was found near Maitan, Oman (Al-Kindi et al. 2021Al-Kindi, M., Pickford, M., Gommery, D., & Qatan, A. (2021). Stratigraphy, palaeoclimatic context and fossils of the Southern Rub Al Khali (the Empty Quarter): results of a geo-archaeological survey around the area of Maitan in the Sultanate of Oman. Historical Biology, 33(9), 1534-1555. https://doi.org/10.1080/08912963.2020.1717485; Maiorano et al. 2020Maiorano, M. P., Al Kindi, M., Charpentier, V., Vosges, J., Gommery, D., Marchand, G., Qatan, A., Borgi, F. & Pickford, M. 2020. Living and moving in Maitan: Neolithic settlements and regional exchanges in the southern Rub’ al-Khali (Sultanate of Oman). In K. Bretske, R. Crassard & Y. H. Hilbert (Eds.), Stone Tools of Prehistoric Arabia, Supplement to Volume 50 of the Proceedings of the Seminar for Arabian Studies (pp. 83-99), Archaeopress.). The eggshells of D. laini from Namibia are considerably thicker than those of S. camelus, ranging in thickness from 2.4 - 3.0 mm. In addition, the pores in eggs of Diamantornis laini are concentrated into circular slightly depressed pore complexes, with large expanses of smooth surfaces devoid of pores between the pore complexes, thereby differing from the eggs of aepyornithoids which have pores liberally scattered over the surface of the eggs (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.).
Restudy of the eggshell fragment (NHMUK A 2043) from Shuqqat Al Khalfat, Saudi Arabia (near 21°57’13’’N - 49°45’41’’E) described by Lowe (1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933b)Lowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x. as suggested by Buffetaut (2022)Buffetaut, E. (2022). The Enigmatic Avian Oogenus Psammornis: A Review of Stratigraphic Evidence. Diversity, 14(2), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/d14020123. was undertaken in March, 2023 (Fig. 10). It is 3.1 - 3.2 mm thick and the apparent lack of pores in the fragment suggests appurtenace to D. laini. On this basis the specimen indicates that the deposits from which it was collected are probably of Late Miocene age.
Arambourg (1959)Arambourg, C. (1959). Vertébrés continentaux du Miocène supérieur de l’Afrique du Nord. Publications du service de la carte geologique de l’Algerie (Paléontologie Mémoire), 4, 5-159. described fossil struthious eggshell fragments from Bou Hanifia, Algeria, reporting that they range in thickness from 2.5 to 3.0 mm. Examination of the fossils housed in the Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Paris (inventory n° 1951-9-295. Fig. 11) reveals that the outer surfaces appear to be devoid of pore structures, and they are thus similar to the surfaces between the circular pore pits of specimens of Diamantornis laini. Remeasurement of the specimens yielded the following data: 1 specimen, 2.0 mm; 1 specimen, 2.1 mm; 3 specimens, 2.2 mm; 1 specimen 2.3 mm; 2 specimens, 2.4 mm; 2 specimens, 2.5 mm; 1 specimen, 2.6 mm; 1 specimen, 2.7 mm.
Recent reassessment of the Bou Hanifia mammals (Pickford & Chaïd-Saoudi, in prep.) suggests that they correlate best with the Late Turolian to Ventian, rather than to the Vallesian, and the fossil eggshells found in the same deposits accord with this reinterptation of the age of the faunas. Thus Bou Hanifia and Marsawdad could be roughly contemporaneous.
Discussion and Conclusions
⌅17 fossilised struthious eggshell fragments collected from exposures of the Marsawdad Formation, Rub’ Al-Khali, Oman, are attributed to the oospecies Diamantornis laini, a form that spans the period 8-7 million years in Namibia (Pickford, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.), Kenya (Harris & Leakey, 2003Harris, J. & Leakey, M. (2003). 4.3. Lothagam Birds. In M. Leakey & J. Harris (Ed.), Lothagam: The Dawn of Humanity in Eastern Africa (pp. 161-166). Columbia University Press. https://doi.org/10.7312/leak11870-009.) and the United Arab Emirates (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.) (Fig. 12). On this basis, the Marsawdad Formation is considered to be of Late Miocene age, corresponding to the Turolian-Ventian ages of Europe (Morales et al. 2013Morales, J., Peláez-Campomanes, P., Abella, J., Montoya, P., Gibert, L., Scott, G., Cantalapiedra, J. L. & Sanisidro, O. (2013). The Ventian mammal age (Latest Miocene): present state. Spanish Journal of Palaeontology, 28 (2), 149-160. https://doi.org/10.7203/sjp.28.2.17849.). The geologists who mapped the formation (Chevrel et al. 1992Chevrel, S., Berthiaux, A., Platel, J. P. & Roger, J. (1992). Geological Map of Shisr, Sheet NE 39-08, scale 1:250,000, with Explanatory Notes [Map]. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.; Platel & Berthiaux, 1992aPlatel, J.P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992a). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Al’Ayn (Muqshin) Sheet NE 40-01, 1: 250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals., 1992bPlatel, J. P. & Berthiaux, A. (1992b). Explanatory Notes to the Geological Map of Hayma, Sheet NE 40-02, scale 1:250,000. Directorate General of Minerals, Oman Ministry of Petroleum and Minerals.) correlated it to the Tortonian-Zanclean but it more likely correlates only to the Tortonian-Messinian.
The Marsawdad fossils provide a biostratigraphic anchor for the late Neogene sedimentary deposits of the Rub’ Al-Khali, and indicate that the Marsawdad Formation correlates to the Baynunah Formation which is widespread in the United Arab Emirates (Beech & Hellyer, 2005Beech, M.J. & Higgs, W. (2005). A new late Miocene Fossil Site in Ruwais, Western Region of Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. In P. Hellyer & M. Ziolkowski (Eds.), Proceedings of the 1st Annual Symposium on Recent Paleontological and Archaeological Discoveries in the Emirates (pp. 6-21). Zayed Center for Heritage and History.). The outcrop pattern of the Marsawdad Formation in Oman reveals that the unit probably extends into Saudi Arabia to the north (in the vicinity of Thabhloten) and that surveys in that country may yield fossils of the same species. As such it is interesting to note that a fossil eggshell fragment from Shuqqat Al-Khalfat, Saudi Arabia, collected in 1932 (Lowe, 1933aLowe, P. R. (1933a). Report on some struthious egg-shell fragments collected by Mr Philby on his recent journey across Arabia. In H. St. J. B. Philby (Ed.), The Empty Quarter: Being a Description of the Great South Desert of Arabia known as Rub’al Khali (pp. 390-392), Constable and Co. London., 1933bLowe, P. R. (1933b). Egg-shell fragments referable to Psammornis and other Struthiones collected by Mr. St. John Philby in southern Arabia. Ibis, 75, 652-658. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1474-919X.1933.tb03357.x.) (Fig. 10) likely belongs to Diamanornis laini which is also present in the Baynunah Formation which is equivalent in age to Marsawdad.
The two ootaxa from the Baynunah Formation were reinterpreted by Mikhailov & Zelenkov (2020)Mikhailov, K. E. & Zelenkov, N. (2020). The Late Cenozoic history of the ostriches (Aves; Struthionidae) as revealed by fossil eggshell and bone remains. Earth Science Reviews, 208, 103270. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.earscirev.2020.103270. as representing Diamantornis laini and Tsondabornis psammoides. We agree with the identification of the former species, but the latter possibly requires further study because Tsondabornis has not been reported from any other deposits younger than ca 17 Ma (Pickford, 2014Pickford, M. (2014). New Ratite Eggshells from the Miocene of Namibia. Communications of the Geological Survey of Namibia, 15, 70-90.). However, the genus and species identification could be valid because the known eggshells of Tsondabornis psammoides range in thickness from 1.2 to 2.2 mm, whilst the fossil eggshells from the Baynunah Formation range in thickness from 1.65 to 2.29 mm (Bibi et al. 2006Bibi, F., Shabel, A. B., Kraatz, B. P. & Stidham, T. (2006). New fossil ratite (Aves: Palaeognathae) eggshell discoveries from the Late Miocene Baynunah Formation of the United Arab Emirates, Arabian Peninsula. Palaeontologia Electronica, 9 (1), 1-13.) implying a marked degree of overlap in the ranges of variation. Further comparisons are required but are not the focus of this paper.
An implication of the identification of eggshells of Diamantornis laini in the Marsawdad Formation implying an age of ca 8-7 Ma (Tortonian-Messinian: Turolian-Ventian) is that the underlying Montasar Formation could be of Middle Miocene age (possibly Serravallian) as it overlies the Early Miocene Dam Formation (Burdigalian). More detailed mapping and stratigraphy as well as palaeontological surveys are required to refine the stratigraphy.