Chenini Member

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.[1][2] The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones.[3] Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.[4]

Chenini Member Stratigraphic range: Late Aptian-Early Albian ~115–109 Ma PreꞒ Ꞓ O S D C P T J K Pg N
Type	Member
Unit of	Ain el Guettar Formation
Underlies	Oum ed Diab Member
Overlies	Douiret Formation
Lithology
Primary	Sandstone
Other	Conglomerate, mudstone
Location
Location	Sahara Desert
Coordinates	33.2°N 10.3°E / 33.2; 10.3
Approximate paleocoordinates	15.9°N 10.3°E / 15.9; 10.3
Region	Tataouine
Country	Tunisia
Type section
Named for	Chenini
Chenini Member (Tunisia)

Vertebrate paleofauna

late Early Cretaceous (105 Ma)

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[4]
• Spinosaurus cf. aegyptiacus[5]
• Sauropod indet[4]
• Iguanodont indet[4]
• Ornithocheiridae indet[6]

See also

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

References

1. Bateun el Hmaima at Fossilworks.org
2. Bir Miteur, RH 45 at Fossilworks.org
3. Benton, Michael J.; Bouaziz, Samir; Buffetaut, Eric; Martill, David; Ouaja, Mohamed; Soussi, Mohamed; Trueman, Clive (April 2000). "Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 157 (3–4): 227–246. doi:10.1016/s0031-0182(99)00167-4. ISSN 0031-0182.
4. 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. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.
5. 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. doi:10.2113/173.5.415
6. BENTON, 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.

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 [New 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