Geology Reference
In-Depth Information
Fig. 1
Location map of the proposed geopark
genus
Nerinia
, an index fossil of the upper Jurassic
(Clarkson
1993
) (Fig.
3
). Many species of foraminifera were
described in these formations; these include
Kurnubia
plastiniensis
Henson,
Nautiloculina oolithica
Mohler and
Bramkampela arabica
Redmond, which indicate Kimme-
ridgian
dinosaur tracks are within the Madbi Formation, assigned to
the
Alveosepta jaccardi
biozone (Al-Wosabi
2001
). This
biozone is of Kimmeridgian age (Ascoli
1988
; Williams et al.
1990
; Al-Thour
1992
; Simmons and Al-Thour
1994
; Al-
Wosabi
2001
). However, the presence of
Nerinia
spp. and
B.
arabica
Redmond and the study of (Beydoun et al.
1998
)
extend the Madbi Formation to the Middle Tithonian. We
assign the age of the Serwah trackways to the Kimmeridgian-
Middle Tithonian (Schulp and Al-Wosabi
2012
). These
sections occurring at Jabal Riyam and Jabal Al-Nadef were
deposited in a shallow marine environment and the dinosaur
footprints have been preserved in the sediments of a restricted
platform (Al-Ammari
2011
) (Fig.
7
a, b).
Berriasian ages (Al-Wosabi
2001
) (Figs.
4
,
5
and
6
).
The geologic setting of the Amran Group (sedimentol-
ogy, paleontology, stratigraphy and paleoenvironment) has
been described and discussedby many researchers (Botez
1912
; Lamare
1923
; Lamare et al.
1930
; Basse et al.
1954
;
Beydoun
1964
,
1966
,
1991
,
1997
; Geukens
1966
; Beydoun
and Greenwood
1968
; El-Anbaawy
1984
; Al-Thour
1988
,
1992
,
1997
; El-Nakhal
1990
; Le Nindre Y et al.
1990a
,
b
;
Al-Ganad
1991
; Al-Ganad et al.
1993
; Simmons and Al-
Thour
1994
; Al-Sharhan and Nairn
1997
; Howarth and
Morris
1998
; Bosence
1997
; Al-Wosabi
1993
,
2001
,
2005
,
2009
; Al-Matary
2007
; Al-Matary and Ahmed
2011
).
The Amran Group is of Bathonian or Callovian
-
3
Dinosaur Tracksites
Berri-
asian age and it has been subdivided into four formations:
Shuqra (?Bathonian/Callovian
-
The
rst bipedal dinosaur trackway in the Arabian Penin-
sula was discovered in 2003 in the Serwah site (Madar
village, Arhab area). In 2007, searches for dinosaur track-
ways were expanded to include adjacent areas by a col-
laborative project between Yemen Geological Survey and
-
Oxfordian), Madbi/Sabatain
-
'
(Kimmeridgian
Middle Tithonian) and Naifa
a (Late Titho-
nian
-
Berriasian)
(Schulp and Al-Wosabi
2012
). The
