Chenini Formation

The Chenini Member is a geological member of the Ain el Guettar Formation in Tunisia, whose strata date back to the Late Aptian to Early Albian stages of the Cretaceous period. The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones. Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. .

Vertebrate paleofauna

The Chenini Member during the Early Cretaceous period was a marsh-like habitat with swamps and plenty of water. The most famous dinosaur discoveries made here include Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.

* '' Carcharodontosaurus saharicus''
* '' Spinosaurus'' cf. ''aegyptiacus''Buffetaut, E & Ouaja, M (2002) A new specimen of ''Spinosaurus'' (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Tunisia, with remarks on the evolutionary history of the Spinosauridae. ''Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France'' 173: 415–421.
* Sauropod indet
* Iguanodont indet
* Ornithocheiridae indetBENTON, M. J., BOUAZIZ, S., BUFFETAUT, E., MARTILL, D. M., OUAJA, M., SOUSSI, M. & TRUEMAN, C. (2000): Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 157: 227–246.

See also

* List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
* Geology of Tunisia

References

{{Reflist

Further reading

* S. Bouaziz, É. Buffetaut, M. Ghanmi, J.-J. Jaeger, M. Martin, J.-M. Mazin, and H. Tong. 1988. Nouvelles découvertes de vertébrés fossiles dans l'Albien du sud tunisien ew discoveries of fossil vertebrates in the Albian of southern Tunisia Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 8e série 4(2):335-339
* J. Le Loeuff, É. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, Y. Laurent, M. Ouaja, C. Souillat, D. Srarfi and H. Tong. 2000. Mesozoic continental vertebrates of Tunisia. 5th European Workshop on Vertebrate Palaeontology, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Geowissenschaften Abteilung. Program. Abstracts. Excursion Guides 45

Geologic formations of Tunisia
Lower Cretaceous Series of Africa
Albian Stage
Aptian Stage
Sandstone formations
Fluvial deposits
Paludal deposits
Paleontology in Tunisia
Formations
Geological members