Paleontology in Lebanon

Examples of outcrop and a selection of representative fossils from the Upper Cretaceous Lagerstätten of Lebanon

The paleontological sites of Lebanon contain deposits of well preserved fossils and include some species found nowhere else. Notable among these is the Lebanese lagerstätten of the Late Cretaceous age, which contain a well-preserved variety of different fossils. Some fossils date back to the Jurassic period, and younger fossils of mammals from a different site belong to the Miocene through the Pleistocene.

## Contents

* 1 History
* 2 Locations and fossils
* 3 Fossil taxa discovered in Lebanon
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 External links

## History

A rock containing Notahomarus sp. (lobster, left), Diplomystus birdii (fish, right), and a partial Dercetis triqueter, Cretaceous Hakel, Lebanon

The earliest known account of Lebanese fossils is attributed to Herodotus.[1][2] The existence of fossil fishes in the Lebanon is referred to by Jean de Joinville. In his Histoire de Saint Louis he wrote that during the sojourn of King Louis IX of France at Sidon in 1253, just before his return home from the Seventh Crusade, a stone was brought him,

“  | which was the most marvellous in the world, for when a layer of it was lifted, there was found between the two pieces the form of a fish. The fish was of stone, but lacked nothing in form, eyes, bones, colour, or anything necessary to a living fish.[3] | ”

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European scientists became interested in Lebanese fossils in the 19th century.[1]

## Locations and fossils

File:Upper Cretaceous Lebanon Lagerstätten Environments.pngDiagram of the depositional environments of the four main Upper Cretaceous Lagerstätten of Lebanon with a selection of iconic flora and fauna

There are three major fossil locations in Lebanon: Sahel Alma, Hajula and Hakel (the latter two being part of the Sannine Formation). Hajula and Hakel are each about twelve miles north-east of the coastal town of Byblos. Hajula is situated six miles south of Hakel; and between the two villages there are two westward-projecting spurs of Mount Lebanon and an intervening valley. Both villages are approximately 2500–3000 feet above sea level. In both places there is clear evidence of faulting by which the fish-bearing strata have been lowered into the midst of older strata. Those at Hakel have been lowered to the level of the hippurite limestone of Lebanon, being above the trigonia sandstone. The Hajula beds are thought to be an extension of those at Hakel. The study of fish fossils appears to show that the horizon of the beds at Hajula is somewhat higher than that of the beds at Hakel.[4]

The fishes found at Sahel Alma mostly belong to the same genera as those at Hakel and Hajula, but of around sixty species, probably not one is found elsewhere. Twenty-one species found at Hajula also occur at Hakel. These data make it quite certain that the beds at Sahel Alma are on a different level from those at Hakel and Hajula; while those at the latter places are on the same, or nearly the same, horizon. Opinions differ as to which are older, the fish-beds at Sahel Alma or those at Hakel, but the view of modern authorities is that those at Hakel are more ancient. This opinion appears to be supported by the character of the fishes in each. From a study of the fishes taken at Hajula, the beds containing them may belong to a slightly more recent time than that of the beds at Hakel.[5]

The landscape of Lebanon has been subject to volcanic eruptions, tectonic plate movement, and the rising and dropping of sea levels. The Late Cretaceous was characterized by very high sea levels. During that time fossil-bearing limestone was formed.[6]

One of the discoveries reported in 1989 was the description of Hipparion fossils from the Bekaa Valley by M. Malez and A. Forsten.[7]

Another find was a snake with two legs. This provided a valuable example of evolution at work, illustrating how ancient lizards became modern snakes. [8]

Octopuses are some of the rarest marine fossils, since most species have no hard structures apart from a beak. An octopus's corpse cannot usually survive long enough to become fossilized, which is why the discovery of well-preserved octopuses in Lebanon in 2009 was remarkable. Dirk Fuchs of the Freie University Berlin said about these 95-million-year-old fossil octopuses found in Lebanon:

“  | This provides important evolutionary information. The more primitive relatives of octopuses had fleshy fins along their bodies. The new fossils are so well preserved that they show, like living octopus, that they didn't have these structures.[9] | ”

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Some of the fossils of Keuppia levante are preserved so well that their ink is still visible.[9]

## Fossil taxa discovered in Lebanon

For a comprehensive, taxonomically-ordered list, see the tables on Sannine Formation and Sahel Alma:

Name  | Authority  | Age  | locality  | Family  | Notes  | Fossils

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|

Aeger libanensis

Roger, 1946

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Aegeridae

A shrimp

|  Aeger libanensis

Aphanizocnemus libanensis

Dal Sasso and Pinna, 1997

Cenomanian

Nammoûra

Varanoidea

a lizard

|  Aphanizocnemus libanensis

Aipichthys minor

(Pictet, 1850)

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Aipichthyidae

A stem Lampridacea ray-finned fish

|  Aipichthys minor

Aipichthys oblongus

Gayet, 1980

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Aipichthyidae

A stem Lampridacea ray-finned fish

Aipichthys velifer

Woodward, 1901

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Aipichthyidae

A stem Lampridacea ray-finned fish

|  Aipichthys velifer

Carpopenaeus callirostris

Glaessner, 1946

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Carpopenaeidae

A Carpopenaeidae shrimp

|  Carpopenaeus callirostris

Charbelicaris maronites

Haug et al., 2016

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Cancrinidae

a slipper lobster relative

Cheirothrix lewisii

Davis, 1887

Santonian

Sahel Alma

|  |

an Alepisauriformes fish

|  Cheirothrix lewisii

Corusichthys megacephalus

Taverne & Capasso, 2014

Cenomanian

|  |

Coccodontidae

A pycnodontid fish

Cyclobatis

Egerton, 1844

|  |  |

Cyclobatidae

A ray genus

|  Cyclobatis major

Dorateuthis syrica

(Woodward, 1883)

Santonian

Sahel Alma

Plesioteuthididae

A squid

Enantiophoenix electrophyla

Cau & Arduini, 2008

Cenomanian

Nammoûra

Avisauridae

An enantiornithine bird

Eupodophis descouensi

Rage & Escuillié, 2000

Cenomanian

Nammoûra

Simoliophiidae

A simoliophiid snake

|  Eupodophis

Hakelocaris vavassorii

Garassino, 1994

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Penaeidae

A penaeid shrimp

|  Hakelocaris vavassorii

Hensodon spinosus

Kriwet, 2004

Cenomanian

Haqel, Mount Lebanon

Coccodontidae

A pycnodontiform fish

Homarus hakelensis

(Fraas, 1878)

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Nephropidae

A lobster

|  Homarus hakelensis

Ichthyotringa damoni

Davis, 1887

Santonian

Sahel Alma

|  |

An Alepisauriformes fish

|  Ichthyotringa damoni

Ichthyotringa delicata

Hay, 1903

Santonian

|  |  |

An Alepisauriformes fish

Ichthyotringa ferox

Davis, 1887

Santonian

Sahel Alma

|  |

An Alepisauriformes fish

|  Ichthyotringa ferox

Ichthyotringa furcata

Agassiz, 1844

Santonian

|  |  |

An Alepisauriformes fish

Keuppia levante

Fuchs, Bracchi & Weis, 2009

Cenomanian

Hjoula

Palaeoctopodidae

A stem-group octopus

Keuppia hyperbolaris

Fuchs, Bracchi & Weis, 2009

Cenomanian

Hjoula

Palaeoctopodidae

A stem-group octopus

Lebanoraphidia nana

Bechly & Wolf-Schwenninger, 2011

Barremian–Aptian

Lebanese amber

Mesoraphidiidae

A stem group Snakefly

Libanopristis hiram

(Hay, 1903)

Cenomanian

Hjoula

Sclerorhynchidae

A sawfish

|  Libanopristis hiram

Libanopsis

Kirejtshuk, 2015

Barremian

Lebanese amber

Sphindidae

A beetle genus with five species

Micropristis solominis

(Hay, 1903)

Cenomanian

Hjoula

Sclerorhynchidae

a sclerorhynchid sawfish

|  Micropristis solominis

Microtuban altivolans

Elgin & Frey 2011

Cenomanian

Sannine Formation

Neoazhdarchia

An Azhdarchoid pterosaur

Mimodactylus libanensis

Kellner et al., 2019

Cenomanian

Sannine Formation

Mimodactylidae

A Mimodactylid pterosaur

|  Mimodactylus libanensis

Nematonotus longispinus

(Davis, 1887)

Cenomanian

Haqel, Mount Lebanon

Aulopidae

An aulopid fish

|  Nematonotus longispinus

Palaeobalistum goedeli

Heckel, 1856

Cenomanian

Hjoula and Mayfouq

Pycnodontidae

A pycnodont fish

|  Palaeobalistum goedeli

Palaeobenthesicymus libanensis

(Brocchi, 1875)

Santonian

Sahel Alma

Benthesicymidae

A benthesicymid shrimp

Palaeoctopus newboldi

(Woodward, 1896)

Santonian

Sahel Alma

Palaeoctopodidae

A stem-group octopus

Paracancrinos libanensis

(Garassino & Schweigert, 2006)

upper Cretaceous

|  |

Cancrinidae

A cancrinid lobster

Parasabatinca aftimacrai

Whalley, 1978

Barremian

Lebanese amber

Micropterigidae?

A micropterigid moth

Palibacus praecursor

(Dames, 1886)

Cenomanian

Hakel

Scyllaridae

A slipper lobster

Pontosaurus kornhuberi

Caldwell, 2006

Upper Cretaceous

|  |

Dolichosauridae

A dolichosaurid lizard

|  Pontosaurus kornhuberi

Pronotacanthus sahelalmae

(Davis, 1887)

Santonian

|  |

Notacanthidae

a spiny eel

Rhinochelys nammourensis

Tong, Hirayama, Makhoul and Escuillie, 2006

Cenomanian

Nammoûra

Protostegidae

A protostegid sea turtle

|  Rhinochelys nammourensis

Scapanorhynchus lewisii

(Davis, 1887)

Santonian

Sahel Alma

Mitsukurinidae

A goblin shark

|  Scapanorhynchus lewisii

Sorbinichthys elusivo

Bannikov & Bacchia, 2000

Cenomanian

Nammoûra

Sorbinichthyidae

A clupeiform fish

|  Sorbinichthys elusivo

Styletoctopus annae

Fuchs, Bracchi & Weis, 2009

Cenomanian

Hjoula

Palaeoctopodidae

A stem-group octopus

Tragichrysa ovoruptora

Pérez-de la Fuente et al., 2018

Barremian

Lebanese amber

Chrysopoidea

chrysopoid lacewing neonates of uncertain placement

|  Tragichrysa ovoruptora

Trewavasia carinata

(Davis, 1887)

Cenomanian

Hekel

Coccodontidae

A pycnodontiform fish

|  Trewavasia carinata

Tyruschrysa melqart

Pérez-de la Fuente et al., 2018

Barremian

Lebanese amber

Chrysopoidea

chrysopoid lacewing larva of uncertain placement

|  Tyruschrysa melqart

## See also

* Byblos Fossil Museum
* Dany Azar on Wikispecies
* Mim Museum

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Fabio M. Dalla Vecchia1, Paolo Arduini and Alexander W. A. Kellner (2001). "The first pterosaur from the Cenomanian (Late Cretaceous) Lagerstatten of Lebanon". http://doc.rero.ch/lm.php?url=1000,43,39,20091210003025-ZZ/PAL_E2341.pdf.
2. ↑ Lockyer, Sir Norman (June 9, 1887). Nature, Volume 36 By Nature Publishing Group, UM-MEDSEARCH Gateway. p. 230. https://books.google.com/books?id=on8CAAAAIAAJ&q=The+earliest+account+of+the+fossils+in+Lebanon+is+attributed+to+Herodotus&pg=PA132.
3. ↑ Geological Society of London (1896). The Quarterly journal of the Geological Society of London, Volume 52. Harvard University. p. 230. https://books.google.com/books?id=-b4KAAAAYAAJ&q=sidon.
4. ↑ Joel Asaph Allen, American Museum of Natural History (1903). Bulletin of the American Museum of Natural History, Volume 19. Order of the Trustees. pp. 395–396. https://books.google.com/books?id=1S9KAAAAYAAJ&q=hakel&pg=PA396-IA3.
5. ↑ American Society of Naturalists (1903). The American naturalist, Volume 37. p. 687. https://books.google.com/books?id=9mTyAAAAMAAJ&q=hakel+lebanon+fossils&pg=PA687.
6. ↑ Chris Walley. "Geology of Lebanon". American University of Beirut. http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/geology/geology-of-lebanon/.
7. ↑ "M Malez and A Forsten 1989". The Paleobiology Database. 1989. http://paleodb.geology.wisc.edu/cgi-bin/bridge.pl?action=displayReference&reference_no=9049.
8. ↑ Jonathan Amos (10 April 2008). "Ancient serpent shows its leg". BBC. https://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7339508.stm.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Cretaceous Octopus With Ink And Suckers -- The World's Least Likely Fossils?". www.sciencedaily.com. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/03/090317111902.htm.

## External links

* "Fossils from the amber of Lebanon". American University in Beirut. 1998. http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/amber/index.html.
* Walley, C.D. (1998). "1.3 Fossils of Lebanon". The Geology of Lebanon - a summary. American University of Beirut. http://ddc.aub.edu.lb/projects/geology/geology-of-lebanon/.
* Expo Hakel, a fossil museum in Hakel

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