The Mokattam Formation is a Middle Eocene-aged geological formation in northern Egypt. Consisting of nummulitic marine limestone outcropping across the Mokattam Hills, it has been extensively quarried from Ancient Egypt to the present day, and represents the source material for most of the famous archeological sites of Greater Cairo, most notably the Giza pyramid complex, the Great Sphinx, and much of Historic Cairo.
The age of the formation is thought to span from the late Lutetian to the Bartonian, depending on the member (Building Stone or Giushi). However, some authors treat the Giushi Member as its own geologic formation, which would restrict the Mokattam to just the Lutetian.
Numerous fossil fishes are known from this formation. Sirenian bones have been reported. This formation is the type locality of the early whales Protocetus atavus, and the sirenians Eotheroides aegyptiacus and Protosiren fraasi.
Paleobiota
Cartilaginous fish Based on Leriche (1921): GenusSpeciesMemberLocalityNotesImageGaleocerdoG. latidensGebel MokattamA relative of the tiger shark.IsurusI. desoriA mako shark.MyliobatisM. goniopleurusAn eagle ray.NebriusN. blanckenhorniA relative of the tawny nurse shark.OtodusO. obliquusA megatooth shark.PhysogaleusP. alabamensis (=Galeocerdo aegyptiacus)A ground shark.
Bony fish GenusSpeciesMemberLocalityMaterialNotesImageAriusA. fraasiA sea catfish.BlabeB. crawleyiTuraFull specimenA percomorph of uncertain affinities, possibly a serranid.CylindracanthusC. gigasSpineA ray-finned fish of uncertain affinities. Identified from the rocks of the Great Sphinx.EobuglossusE. eocenicusTuraFull specimenA sole.JoleaudichthysJ. sadekiTuraPartial specimenAn early-diverging flatfish, potentially related to spiny turbots.MylomyrusM. frangensTuraFull specimenAn eel."Perca" (Smerdis?)"P." lorentiIncomplete specimenA percomorph of uncertain affinities.PomadasysP. sadeki (=Kemticthys sadeki)TuraFull specimenA grunt.PycnodusP. mokattamensisTooth plateA pycnodont.TrigonodonT. laevisPharyngeal teethA wrasse, taxonomic assignment uncertain.TurahbuglossusT. cuvillieri TuraFull specimenA sole.
Reptiles GenusSpeciesMemberLocalityMaterialNotesImageHerugavialisH. cairensis (=Tomistoma cairense)Gebel MokattamSkull and skull fragmentsA gavialoid crocodilian.
Mammals GenusSpeciesMemberLocalityMaterialNotesImageEotheroides E. aegyptiacusA sirenian.ProtocetusP. atavusGebel MokattamA protocetid whale.ProtosirenP. fraasiGebel MokattamA sirenian.
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