Gen. indet.

Zouhri, Samir, Gingerich, Philip D., Khalloufi, Bouziane, Bourdon, Estelle, Adnet, Sylvain, Jouve, Stéphane, Elboudali, Najia, Amane, Ayoub, Rage, Jean-Claude & Tabuce, Rodolphe, 2021, Middle Eocene vertebrate fauna from the Aridal Formation, Sabkha of Gueran, southwestern Morocco, Geodiversitas 43 (5), pp. 121-150 : 131

Gen. et sp. indet .

EXAMINED MATERIAL. — FSAC Bouj-370, ( Fig. 5D ), incomplete basioccipital.

DESCRIPTION

The bone is ornamented by thin ridges. The insertions for the Baudelot’s ligament are ovoid and lateroventrally located.

REMARKS

The basioccipital supporting the Baudelot’s ligament insertions is a feature encountered in many beryciforms and percomorphs ( Johnson & Patterson 1993; Patterson & Johnson 1995). The bone shows superficial resemblances in the ornamentation with those of serranids and latids. The insertions for the Baudelot’s ligament are located more laterally in latids, and lateroventrally in serranids or Semlikiichthys Otero & Gayet, 1999 ( Otero et al. 2008), like in Bouj-370. The size, vermiculated ornamentation and circular articulation for the first vertebrae suggest that the basioccipital and the isolated centra described above belong to the same taxon.

Figures

FIG. 5. — Actinopterygii and Testudines from the Sabkha of Gueran: A-G, Actinopterygii: Cylindracanthus sp., FSAC Bouj-356, rostrum in (A1) lateral and (A2) transversal views; B-E, Percomorpha indet.: B, FSAC Bouj-369,vertebra in (B1) lateral and (B2) transversal views; C, FSAC Bouj-363, vertebra in (C1) lateral and (C2) transversal views; D, FSAC Bouj-370, basioccipital in left lateral view; E, FSAC Bouj-371, fin spine in anterior view; F, Scombridae indet., FSAC Bouj-358, incomplete jawbone in labial view; G, Siluriformes indet., FSAC Bouj-372, right pectoral spine in anterior view; H-P, Testudines: H-L, Cheloniidae indet., FSAC Bouj-109,fragmentary costal in (H1) lateral transection, (H2) ventral, (H3) dorsal and (H4) medial transection views; I, FSAC Bouj-352,fragmentary lateral process of right hyoplastron in (I1) ventral and (I2) dorsal views; J, FSAC Bouj-351, subcomplete right hypoplastron in (J1) ventral and (J2) dorsal views; K, FSAC Bouj- 353, fragment of dermal plate, unlocated on the carapace, in dorsal view; L, FSAC Bouj-354, fragment of dermal plate, unlocated on the shell in (L1, L2) both faces; M, Dermochelyidae indet., FSAC Bouj-350, lateral pubic process of right pubis in (M1) ventral and (M2) dorsal views; N,? Podocnemidoidea indet., FSAC Bouj-196, fragment of right hypoplastron in (N1) dorsal and (N2) ventral views; O, Indeterminata (? Podocnemidoidea indet.), FSAC Bouj-95, fragment of dermal plate of carapace in (O1) dorsal and (O2) ventral views; P, Gueran turtles, pieces of the four fragments of Figure 5I, J, L and M, as preserved in view of conjunction in situ. Scale bars: 20 mm.