Bahariya Formation
Stratigraphic range: Early Cenomanian[1] ~100–95 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N ↓
Restoration of the environment and animals of the formation
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	El Heiz Fm., El Naqb Fm.[2]
Overlies	Basement[2]
Thickness	≈100 m (330 ft)[2]
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Mudstone, siltstone
Location
Coordinates	28°24′20″N 28°48′20″E / 28.40556°N 28.80556°E / 28.40556; 28.80556
Region	Western Desert
Country	Egypt
Type section
Named for	Bahariya Oasis
Named by	Said
Year defined	1962
Bahariya Formation (Egypt)

The Bahariya Formation (also transcribed as Baharija Formation) is a fossiliferous geologic formation dating back to the early Cenomanian, which outcrops within the Bahariya depression in Egypt, and is known from oil exploration drilling across much of the Western Desert where it forms an important oil reservoir.^[1][3][4]

Extent

The Bahariya Formation forms the base of the depression, the lower part of the enclosing escarpment and all of the small hills within.^[5] The type section for the formation is found at Gebel El-Dist, a hill at the northern end of the Bahariya depression.^[6]

Stratigraphy and sedimentology

Four depositional sequences have been recognised in the Bahariya Formation in the Bahariya depression, separated by three sub-aerial unconformities. The formation was deposited during a period of relative rise in sea level, with each unconformity representing a relative fall in sea level.^[1] Each of the individual sequences contains sediments deposited under fluvial, shoreline and shallow marine conditions.

Flora

Thirty different genera are known from Bahariya, including megaflora. Much of the material is yet to be described.^[7]

Vascular Plants
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Weichselia	W. reticulata	Dominant plant.	Xerophytic tree fern suggestive of a dry tropical climate.
Agathis / Wollemia			An Araucarian conifer, now restricted to Australasia.
Cladophlebis			A water fern.
Liriodendrites
Marsilea			Water fern.
Nelumbites

Other taxa include Sapindales, Piperaceae, Lauraceae, Platanaceae, Magnoliopsida, Nymphaeaceae, Cornaceae, Proteaceae and Vitaceae not identified at genus level; and miospore and pollen species.

Microfauna and Meiofauna

Foraminifera

Other microorganisms

Other microorganisms of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Images
Botryococcus
Coronifera	C. oceanica
Cyclonephelium	C. edwardsii C. vannophorum
Dynopterigium	D. cladoides
Exochosphaeridium
Florentinia	F. cooksoniae F. mantlii
Kallosphaeridium
Mudrongia	M. simplex
Palaeoperidinium	P. cretaceum
Pediastrum
Pseudoceratium	P. anaphrisum P. securigerum
Scenedesmus
Spiniferites
Subtilisphaera	S. perlucida S. senegalensis
Xiphophoridium	X. alatum

Invertebrates

Molluscs

Molluscs of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Notes	Images
Baculites		A heteromorph ammonite with a nearly straight shell.
Cardium		A cockle.
Exogyra		A reef-forming true oyster associated with solid substrates and warm temperatures.
Gastrochaena		A saltwater clam.
Neolobites	N. vibrayeanus	A typical rolled ammonite.
Nucula		A small saltwater clam.
Ostrea	O. flabeata	An edible oyster.

Crustaceans (Ostracoda)

Insects

Direct fossils are sparse, though plant leaves with extensive damage from folivorous insects have been documented.

Vertebrates

Cartilaginous fish

Chondrichthyes of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Aegyptobatus	A. kuehnei		A sclerorhynchiform.
Asteracanthus	A. aegyptiacus		A hybodont shark.
Baharipristis	B. bastetiae		A sclerorhynchiform.
Cretodus	C. longiplicatus		A shark.
Cretolamna	C. appendiculata		A mackerel shark.
Distobatus	D. nutiae		A sclerorhynchiform.
Gymnura	G. laterialata		A butterfly ray.
Haimirichia	H. amonensis		A shark previously classified in the genera Odontaspis, Serratolamna, and Carcharias.
Isidobatus	I. tricarinatus		A sclerorhynchiform.
Marckgrafia	M. lybica		A sclerorhynchiform.
Onchopristis	O. numida	One complete cranium and associated vertebrae.	A sclerorhynchid rajoid.
Peyeria	P. libyca		A sclerorhynchiform.
Ptychotrygon	P. henkeli		A sclerorhynchiform.
Renpetia	R. labiicarinata		A sclerorhynchiform.
Rhinoptera			A batoid ray.
Schizorhiza	S. stromeri		An unusual sclerorhynchid sawfish that retained its rostral teeth after they were replaced.
Squalicorax	S. baharijensis		A large shark.
Scapanorhynchus	S. subulatus		A mitsukurinid similar to the modern goblin shark.
Squatina			An angelshark.
Tribodus	T. aschersoni		A hybodont.

Bony fish

Osteichthyes of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Bawitius	B. bartheli		A giant bichir.
Concavotectum	C. moroccensis		Possibly synonymous with Paranogmius doederleini.
Ceratodus			A lungfish.
Coelodus			A pycnodontid.
Enchodus		One tooth.	A predatory fish.
Lepidotes		Isolated scales.	Possibly misidentified from Bawitius bartheli.
Mawsonia	M. lybica	Considered a "signature taxon" of the formation.	A giant freshwater coelacanth. Species assignation deemed provisional due to the lack of neotype.
Neoceratodus	N. africanus		A lungfish related to the living Australian species.
Palaeonotopterus	P. greenwoodi		Nomen conservandum of the two Plethodus species previously described.
Paranogmius	Paranogmius doederleini	One vertebra.	Holotype lost in World War II. Could be synonymous with Concavotectum moroccensis.
Plethodus	P. libycus P. tibniensis		Holotypes destroyed in World War II, but now believed to have been misidentified Palaeonotopterus greenwoodi.
Retodus	R. tuberculatus		A lungfish species identified from remains previously assigned to Neoceratodus.
Saurodon			Identified by Stromer in 1936, but now rejected due to this genus appearing only in post-Cenomanian Europe and North America. Now listed as Ichthyodectidae incertae sedis.
Stromerichthys	S. aethiopicus		A predatory bowfin relative.

Testudines

Squamates

Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Leptocleidus	L. capensis		A small plesiosaur that visited brackish or fresh water systems. Though known from both South Africa and England, the Egyptian material lacks diagnostic traits of the genus and is now referred as Polycotylidae incertae sedis.

Crocodyliformes

Crocodyliformes of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Aegyptosuchus	A. peyeri		A poorly known, possibly stomatosuchid crocodile.
Hamadasuchus	H. rebouli		A terrestrial, dog-like peirosaurid. It is possible that some material previously attributed to Libycosuchus actually belongs to this species.
Libycosuchus	L. brevirostris		A terrestrial crocodile of uncertain affinities, possibly related to Notosuchus.
Stomatosuchus	S. inermis	A complete cranium	A large, flat-headed stomatosuchid with multiple small conical teeth, and possibly a pelican-like throat pouch. The only remains were destroyed in World War II.
Stromerosuchus	S. aegyptiacus	Fragmentary remains	Nomen dubium assigned to material found in 1911, that were badly damaged in 1922 while being shipped to Germany for study. Some material may belong to Aegyptosuchus and other to Stomatosuchus.

Pterosaurs

Sauropods

Sauropods of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Material	Notes	Images
Aegyptosaurus[3]	A. baharijensis[3]	Partial postcranial skeleton[9]	A titanosaur of about 15 meters. All remains were destroyed in World War II.
Dicraeosaurus	D. hansemanni	Isolated scapula and vertebra	Identified by Stromer in 1932. Subsequently considered a rebbachisaurid, or a third, unnamed titanosaur.
Paralititan[3]	P. stromeri[3]	Partial postcranial skeleton[10]	One of the largest titanosaurs of the Cretaceous, with a 1.69 meters long humerus and an estimated total length of 26 meters.

Theropods

Theropods of the Bahariya Formation
Genus	Species	Abundance	Notes	Images
Abelisauridae indet.[11]	Indeterminate	"MUVP 477, an isolated caudal (tenth) cervical vertebra"	A medium-sized abelisaurid, estimated around 5.77 meters (~18.9 feet) long. The first unambiguous abelisaurid known from the Bahariya Formation.
Bahariasaurus	B. ingens[3]		A medium-sized theropod of uncertain affinities. Possibly a megaraptoran, a relative of Deltadromeus, or both.
Carcharodontosaurus[3]	C. saharicus[3]		A large carcharodontosaurid allosauroid.
Elaphrosaurus	E. bambergi		Material now considered to be indeterminate theropod remains.[3]
Sigilmassasaurus[3]	S. brevicollis		Previously considered a species of Spinosaurus, or a synonym of S. aegyptiacus.
Spinosaurus	S. aegyptiacus	Most common dinosaur of the formation.	A large spinosaurid.

In addition, there are isolated theropod teeth disputedly assigned to dromaeosaurids, or to abelisaurids.