Recording Jurassic Microfossils from Jabal at Marib Al-Balaq Governorate, Yemen

Authors

  • Saleh A Ghareb Department of Geology, University of Saba Region, Marib- Yemen
  • Syed Ahmad Ali Department of Geology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002
  • Damir Bucković Department of Geology, Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia.
  • S Aldharab Hamdi Department of Eng. Geology, Shabwah University, Ataq - Yemen
  • Mukeem Ahmad Department of Geology, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh-202002

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.48165/

Keywords:

Jurassic Microfossils, Amran Group, Shuqra Formation, Sab'atayn Basin, Yemen

Abstract

Fossils give a view into the historical backdrop of life by demonstrating the structures and highlights of life in ancient times. Fossils disclose to us how species have changed over long stretches of the Earth's history. The fossils record is a momentous presence in the investigation of nature. The lower part of the Shuqra Formation (Amran Group) has been investigated to document the variety of microfossils present. The Middle-Upper Jurassic (Middle Bathonian, Callovian-Kimmeridgian Stages) Shuqra Formation is exposed at Jabal Al-Balaq south and southeast of Marib city, Marib Governorate, Yemen. There are three units in the study area, (1) Basement complex, (2) Shuqra Formation, and (3) Madbi Formation. Shuqra Formation is part of the Amran Group that was deposited during Middle /Upper Jurassic Pre, Syn, and Post rifts. The Shuqra Formation in the study area is divided into three parts, the upper, middle, and lower parts. The samples used for this study were collected through the study section in a systematic manner, at every 10 m interval vertically from the base to the top. All microfossils have been described in detail in regard to taxonomy, distribution, environment, and age. In this study, 60 samples were collected and 96 thin-section slides were prepared. Ten microfossils were identified within Lower Shuqra Formation: Protopeneroplissp,  Troglotella  incrustans  Wernli  &  Fookes,  Kurnubia  sp.,  Halimeda  sp.,  Nautiloculina  oolithica  Mohler,Mesoendothyra croatica Gusic, Marinella lugeoni Pfender algae,Protopeneroplis ultragranulata sp., Dasycladales algae (dasycladalean algae) and Orbitopsella praecursor (Gümbel 1872).

Downloads

Download data is not yet available.

References

Abbate, E., Ficcarelli, G., Pirini Radrizzani, C., Salvietti, A., Torre, D. &Turi, A. (1974). Jurassicsequences from the Somali coast of the Gulf of Aden.- Riv. Ital. Paleont, 80(3), 409-47.

Al Thour, K. A. A. (1992). Stratigraphy, sedimentary, and diagnosis of the Amran Group (Jurassic) of the region to the west and north-west of Sanaa, Yemen Republic.- Doctoral dissertation, Ph.D. Thesis. Birmingham University, UK.

Albaroot, M., A. H. M. Ahmad, Nabil Al- Areeq &. Sultan, M. (2016). Tectonostratigraphy of Yemen and Geological Evolution: A New Perspective.

Altiner, D. (1991): Microfossil biostratigraphy (mainly foraminifers) of the Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous carbonate successions in north-western Anatolia (Turkey). Geologica Romana, 27, 167-213.

Altiner, D. & Özkan, S. (1991). Calpionellid zonation in north-western Anatolia (Turkey) and calibration of the stratigraphic ranges of some benthic foraminifera at the Jurassic- Cretaceous boundary. Geologica Romana, 27, 215-235.

Al-Wosabi, M. A. (2009). Jurassic foraminifera from Jabal Al-Balaq, Marib,Republic of Yemen.- Egypt J Paleontol, 9, 75- 104.

Al-Wosabi, M. & Wasel, S. (2011). Lithostratigraphic subdivision of the Kuhlan Formation in Yemen. Arabian Journal of Geosciences, 4(7-8), 1323-1335.

Arkad’ev, V. V., Fedorova, A. A., Savel’eva,

Y. N. & Tesakova, E. M. (2006). Biostratigraphy of Jurassic-Cretaceous boundary sediments in Eastern Crimea.- Stratigraphy and geological correlation, 14(3), 302-330.

Arnaud-Vanneau, A. & Masse, J. P. (1989). Les Foraminifèresbenthiques des formations carbonatées de l'Hauterivien-Barrémien pro parte du Jura Vaudois et Neuchâtelois (Suisse). Soc. neuchat. Sci. nat.

Arnaud-Vanneau, A. & Peybernes, B. (1978). Les représentantséocrétacés du genre NautiloculinaMohler, 1938 (Foraminifera, Fam. Lituolidae?) dans les chainessubalpinesseptentrionales (Vercors) et les pyrénées Franco-Espagnoles: Revision de Nautiloculinacretacea Peybernes, 1976 et description de Nautiloculinabronnimanni n. sp. Geobios, 11(1), 67-81.

Azerêdo, A. C., Wright, V. P. & Ramalho, M.

M. (2002). The Middle-Late Jurassic forced regression and disconformity in central Portugal: eustatic, tectonic and climatic effects on a carbonate ramp system.- Sedimentology, 49(6), 1339-1370.

Bandeira-Pedrosa, M. E., Pereira, S. & Oliveira, E. C. (2004). Taxonomy and distribution of the green algal genus Halimeda (Bryopsidales, Chlorophyta) in Brazil. Brazilian Journal of Botany, 27(2), 363-377.

Basha, S. H. (1983). Jurassic foraminifera and microfacies of Jordan. Rev EspMicropaleontol, 15, 185-203.

Bassoullet, J. P. (1997). The large foraminifera. Biostratigraphie du Jurassique Ouest-Européen et Mediterranëen.- Bull. CentresRech. Explor.-Prod. Elf-Aquitaine, Mem, 17, 293-304.

Beydoun, Z. R. &Beydoun, Z. R. (1964). The stratigraphy and structure of the Eastern Aden Protectorate.

Beydoun, Z. R. & Greenwood, J. E. G. W. (1968). Aden protectorate and Dhufar.- Centre national de la recherché scientifique.

Beydoun, Z.R., As-Saruri, M.A.L., El- Nakhal, H., Al-Ganad, I.N., Baraba, R.S., Nani, A.S.O. & Al- Aawah, M.H. (1998). International Lexicon of Stratigraphy. Vol. III, Republic of Yemen. IUGS Publication, 34, 245p.

Brannan, J., Sahota, G., Gerdes, K. D. & Berry, J. A. (1999). Geological evolution of the central Marib-Shabwa basin, Yemen. GeoArabia, 4(1), 9-34.

Bruni, R., Bucur, I. I. & Preat, A. (2007). Uppermost Jurassic-lower cretaceous carbonate deposits from Fara San Martino (Maiella, Italy): biostratigraphic remarks. Studia UBB Geologia, 52(2), 45-54.

Bucur, I. I. (1993). Les représentants du genre Protopeneroplis Weynschenkdans les dépôts du Crétacéinférieur de la zone de Reşiţa-Moldova Nouă

(CarpathesMéridionales, Roumanie). Revue de Micropaléontologie, 36(3), 213-223.

Bucur, I. I. (1999). Stratigraphic significance of some skeletal algae (Dasycladales, Caulerpales) of the Phanerozoic. Università" La Sapienza".

Bucur, I. I. &Săsăran, E. (2005). Relationship between algae and environment: an Early Cretaceous case study, Trascău Mountains, Romania.- Facies, 51(1-4), 275-287.

Bucur, I. I., Păcurariu, A., Săsăran, E., Filipescu, S. & Filipescu, R. (2014). First record of lowermost Cretaceous shallow- water limestones in the basement of the Transylvanian Depression (Romania).

Bucur, I. I., Săsăran, L., Săsăran, E. & Schuller, V. (2004). Micropaleontological study of the limestone olistoliths within the Upper Cretaceous wildflysh from Hăşdate (eastern border of the Gilău Mountains). Acta Palaeontol Romaniae, 4, 55-67.

Burchette, T. P. & Wright, V. P. (1992). Carbonate ramp depositional systems. Sedimentary Geology, 79(1-4), 3-57.

Cherchi, A. & Schroeder, R. (2010). Boring sponges (ichnogenus Entobia) in Mesozoic Lithocodiumcalcimicrobial crusts. Rivista Italiana di Paleontologia e Stratigrafia (Research in Paleontology and Stratigraphy), 116(3).

Cherchi, A. & Schroeder, R. (1999). Late Barremianorbitolinid foraminifera fromnorthern Somalia.- Bollettino- SocietaPaleontologicaItaliana, 38, 3-14.

Chiocchini, M. & Mancinelli, A. (1979). Protopeneroplistrochangulata Sept- fontaine, 1974 (Foraminiferida) nel Cretaceoinferioredell' Area del Gran Sassod'ltalia (Abruzzo). Studi Geologici Camerti, 5, 17-37.

Darsac, C. (1983). La plate-formeberriaso- valanginienne du Jura méridional aux massifs subalpins (Ain, Savoie).- Doctoral dissertation, Université Scientifique et Médicale de Grenoble.

De Matos, J. E. (1994). Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous stratigraphy: the Arab Hith and Rayda Formations in Abu Dhabi.- Micropalaeontology and Hydrocarbon Exploration in the Middle East. Chapman and Hall, London, 81, 111.

Di Lucia, M., Trecalli, A., Mutti, M. & Parente, M. (2012). Bio-chemostratigraphy of the Barremian-Aptian shallow-water carbonates of the southern Apennines (Italy): pinpointing the OAE1a in a Tethyan carbonate platform. Solid Earth, 3(1), 1.

Dozet, S. (2009). Lower Jurassic carbonate succession between Predole and Mlačevo, Central Slovenia

Spodnjejurskokarbonatnozaporedje med Predolami in Mlačevim, osrednjaSlovenija. RMZ–Materials and geoenvironment, 56(2), 164-193.

Dozet, S. & Šribar, L. (1997). Biostratigraphy of shallow marine Jurassic beds in southeastern Slovenia. Geologija, 40, 187- 221.

Dragastan, O. & Richter, D. K. (2003): Calcareous algae and foraminifers from Neocomianlimestones of Methana Peninsula, Asprovouni Mts. (Greece) and from south Dobrogea (Romania).- Ann UnivBucaresti Geology Spec Publ, 1, 57-128.

Dragastan, O., Gielisch, H., Richter, D. K., Grewer, T., Kaziur, T., Kube, B. & Radusch,

C. (1994). Jurassic algae of the Perachora- Peninsula: biostratigraphical and paleoecological implications. BeitrPaläont, 19, 49-81.

Dya, M. (1992). Mikropaläontologische und fazielle Untersuchungenim Oberjurazwischen Salzburg und Lofer. na.

El-Anbaawy, M. (1984). Contribution to the lithostratigraphic subdivisions of the Amran sequence in the Yemen Arab Republic. Bulletin of Faculty of Science, Sana’a University, 4, 65-84.

El-Nakhal, H. A. (1990). Surdud Group, a new lithostratigraphic unit of Jurassic age in the Yemen Arab Republic. J. King Saud Univ, 2(2), 125-143.

Fazzuoli, M., Morelli, M., Pavia, G., AL- Thour, K. A., Chiocchini, M., Reale., V. & Taddi, E. (2009). The Jurassic succession of RasSharwayn, South-eastern Yemen. VoluminaJurassica, 7(7), 135-145.

Fourcade, E. (1970): Le Jurassique et le Crétacé aux confins des chaînesbétiques et ibériques (Sud-Est de l'Espagne).- Doctoral dissertation

Fourcade, E. & Granier, B. (1989). Age des carbonates de plate-forme du Site 392A DSDP (Leg 44), marge atlantique du continent nord-américain. Marine Geology, 90(3), 197-204.

Fourcade, E. & Neumann, M. (1966). A propos des genres Labyrinthina Weynschenk, 1951 et LituoseptaCati, 1959. Revue de micropaléontologie, 8(4), 238-239.

Fürsich, F. & Thomsen, E. (2005). Jurassic biota and biofacies in erratics from the Sortland area, Vesterålen, northern Norway. Geological Survey of Norway Bulletin, 443, 37-53.

Gawlick, H., Missoni, S., Schlagintweit, F., Suzuki, H., Frisch, W., Krystyn, L., ... & Lein,

R. (2009). Jurassic Tectonostratigraphy of the Austroalpinedomain. Journal of Alpine Geology, 50, 1-152.

Gorbachik, T. N. (1971). On early Cretaceous foraminifera of the Crimea. Voprosy Mikropaleontologii, 14, 125-139.

Granier, B. & Deloffre, R. (1993). Inventaire critique des alguesdasycladalesfossiles. II partie-Les AlguesDasycladales du Jurassique et du Crétacé. Rev Paléobiol, 12(1), 19-65.

Gümbel, W. T. (1862). Die Streitberger Schwammlager und ihre Foraminiferen- Einschlüsse.

Hamad, M. M. (2009). Coralline red algae and foraminiferal biostratigraphy of the Early Miocene Sadat Formation, Sadat area,northwest Gulf of Suez, Egypt. Egyptian Journal of Paleontology, 9, 183-212.

Heinz, R. A. & IIsenschmid, C. (1988). Mikrofazielle und stratigraphische Untersuchungenim Massivkalk (Malm) der Préalpesmédianes. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 81(1), 1-62.

Hottinger, L. (1967).

Foraminifèresimperforés du Mésozoïquemarocain.- Notes et mémoires du service géologique du Maroc 209, 1–168.

Henson, F. R. S. (1948). Foraminifera of the Genus Trocholina in the Middle East. Annals and Magazine of Natural History 14(12), 445–59.

Henson, F.R.S. (1948). Larger imperforate foraminifera of south-Western Asia. British Museum of Natural History, series 12(2), 172–177.

Ivanova, D. & Koleva-Rekalova, E. (2004). Agglutinated foraminifers in the framework of Southwestern Bulgarian palaeoenvironmental evolution during the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous. In Proceedings of the Sixth International Workshop on Agglutinated Foraminifera. Grzybowski Foundation Special Publication (Vol. 8, pp. 217-227).

Ivanova, D., Kołodziej, B., Koleva-Rekalova,

E. & Roniewicz, E. (2008). Oxfordian to Valanginian palaeoenvironmental evolution on the western Moesian carbonate platform: a case study from SW Bulgaria. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 78, 2, 65-90.

Ivanova, D. & Kolodziej, B. (2010). Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous foraminifera from Štramberk-type limestones, Polish Outer Carpathians. Studia UBB Geologia, 55(2), 3- 31.

Jaffrezo, M. (1980). Les formations carbonatées des Corbières (France) du Dogger à l'Aptien: micropaléontologiestratigraphique, biozonation, paléoécologie, extension des résultats à la Mésogée.

Johnson, J. H. (1964). Miocene coralline algae from northern Iraq.- Micropaleontology, 10 (4): 477-485

Krajewski, M. (2010). Facies, Microfacies and Development of the Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous of the Crimean Carbonate Platform from the Yalta and Aj-Petri Massifs

(Crimea Mountains, Southern Ukraine).- AGH University of Science and Technology Press.

Krajewski, M. & Olszewska, B. (2007).: Foraminifera from the Late Jurassic and Early Cretaceous carbonate platform facies of the southern part of the Crimea Mountains, Southern Ukraine. Annales Societatis Geologorum Poloniae, 77, 3,291- 311.

Lamare, P. (1923). Observation geologiquessur le Yemen. C.R. Academie Sciences, 176, 956.

Lamare, P., Basse, E., Dreyfus, M. Lacroix,

A. & Tilhard De Chardin, P. (1930). Etudes geologiques en Ethipoie, Somalie et Arabie Meriodionale Soc. Geol. France, Mem. 6,1- 83.

Loeblich JR. A.R. & Tappan, H. (1985). Some new and redefined genera and families of agglutinated Foraminifera 1. Journal of Foraminiferal Research, 15, 91–104.

Luka, G. A. L. E. (2014). Lower Jurassic foraminiferal biostratigraphy of Podpe~ Limestone (External Dinarides, Slovenia).

Luperto Sinni, E. & Masse, J. P. (1994). Precisazionimicropaleontologichesulleforma zioni di piattaformacarbonatica del Giurasicosuperiore e del Cretacicobasale del massicio del Gargano (Italia Meridionale) e implicazionistratigrafiche. Palaeopelagos, 4, 243-266.

Maury, C. J. (1937). O Cretaceo de Sergipe. Servico Geologico e Mineralogico do Brasil. Monographia 11, 1–283.

Menzies, M., Baker, J., Chazot, G. &AL'Kadasi, M. (1997). Evolution of the Red Sea volcanic margin, western Yemen. Geophysical Monograph-American Geophysical, 100, 29-44.

Minissale, A., Mattash, M. A., Vaselli, O., Tassi, F., AL-Ganad, I. N., Sselmo, E., ... &Hazzae, M. K. (2007). Thermal springs, fumaroles and gas vents of continental Yemen: their relation with active tectonics, regional hydrology and the country’s geothermal potential. Applied Geochemistry, 22(4), 799-820.

Moshrif, M. A. (1984). Sequential Development of Hanifa Formation (Upper Jurassic) Paleoenvironment andPaleogeography, Central Saudi Arabia. Journal of Petroleum Geology, 7(4), 451-460.

Olszewska, B. (2005). Microfossils of the Cieszyn Beds (Silesian Unit, Polish Outer Carpathians)-a thin sections study. Polish Geological Institute Special Papers, 19, 1-58.

Omaña, L. & Arreola, C. G. (2008). Late Jurassic (Kimmeridgian) larger benthic Foraminifera from Santiago Coatepec, SE Puebla, Mexico. Geobios, 41(6), 799-817.

Omaña, L., Alencaster, G. & Buttron, B. E. (2016). Mid-early late Albianforaminiferal assemblage from the El Abra Formation in the El Madroño locality, eastern Valles-San Luis Potosí Platform, Mexico: Paleoenvironmental and paleobiogeographical significance. Boletín de la SociedadGeológica Mexicana, 68(3), 477-496.

Omaña, L., Torres, J. R., LopezDoncel, R., Alencaster, G. & Lopez Caballero, I. (2014). A pithonellid bloom in the Cenomanian- Turonian boundary interval from Cerritos in the western Valles–San Luis Potosí platform, Mexico: Paleoenvironmental significance. Revista Mexicana de CienciasGeológicas, 31(1).

Pélissié, T. & Peybernès, B. (1982). Étudemicropaléontologique du Jurassiquemoyen/supérieur du Causse de Limogne (Quercy). Revue de micropaléontologie, 25(2), 111-132.

Peybernès, (1976). et description de Nautiloculinabron - nimanni n. sp. Geobios, 11/1, 67-81.

Pfender, J. &Pfender, J. (1939). Sur un calcairephytogène du Liasinférieurd' Espagne et l'extension de cefaciès en quelquesautresrégions. Imprimerie Commerciale.

Pop, G. &Bucur, I. I. (2001). Upper Jurassic and Lower Cretaceous sedimentary formations from the Vâlcan mountains (south Carpathians). Studia UBB Geologia, 46(2), 77-94.

Redfern, P. & Jones, J. A. (1995).The interior rifts of the Yemen-analysis of basin structure and stratigraphy in a regional plate tectonic context. Basin Research, 7(4), 337-356.

Romanes, M. F. (1917). XVI. Note on an Algal Limestone from Angola.- Earth and

Environmental Science Transactions of The Royal Society of Edinburgh, 51(3), 581-584.

Schlagintweit, F. (2015). Taxonomic Review of Some Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous Benthic Foraminifera Established by Geollestaneh (1965) From the Zagros Fold and Thrust Belt of Iran. Acta Palaenologica Romaniae, 9(2), 27-31.

Schlagintweit, F., Gawlick, H. J. & Lein, R. I.

C. H. A. R. D. (2005). Mikropaläontologie und Biostratigraphie der Plassen- Karbonatplattform der Typlokalität (Ober- Jura bisUnter-Kreide, Salzkammergut, Österreich). J Alpine Geol (Mitt Ges Geol Bergbaustud Österr), 47, 11-102.

Schlagintweit, F. & Enos, P. (2013). Uppermost Jurassic?-Neocomian shallow- water carbonates of the Blake Nose, USA: DsDp site 392a revisite D. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, 9, 39-56.

Schlagintweit, F. & Wilmsen, M. (2014). Calcareous algae (dasycladales, udoteaceae) from the Cenomanian Altamira Formation of northern Cantabria, Spain. Acta Palaeontologica Romaniae, 10(1-2), 15-24.

Seaborne, T. R. (1996). The influence of the Sabatayn E vaporites on the hydrocarbon prospectivity of the Eastern Shabwa Basin, Onshore Yemen. Marine and Petroleum Geology, 13(8), 963-972.

Septfontainehad, M. (1974). Presence de Protopeneroplistrochangulata sp. nov.(Foraminifere) dans le Cretaceinferieur du Jura meridional et revision de Protopeneroplis Weynschenk, 1950. Eclogae Geologicae Helvetiae, 67(3), 605-28.

Smewing, J. D. (1997). A high-resolution sequence stratigraphic study of the Shuqra Formation in the Aden–Ahwar area of coastal south Yemen. Earth Resources Institute, Swansea, Wales, unpublished proprietary consultant study to Nexen.

Smewing, J. D., Saeed, A. R. & Ahmed, A.

M. (1998). A high-resolution sequence stratigraphic study of the Callovian to Early Kimmeridgian Shuqra formation in the Aden–Ahwar area of coastal South Yemen (abs.): Geo’98 Conference Program with Abstracts. Manama, Bahrain, April, 20, 154.

Sotak, J. (1987). Protopeneroplidae foraminifers from the lowermost Cretaceous of the Stramberk carbonate platform (OuterWestern Carpathians). Geologica Carpathica, 38(6), 651-669.

Stephenson, M. H. & AL-Mashaikie, S. A. Z.

A. (2011). Stratigraphic note: Update on the palynology of the Akbarah and Kuhlan formations, northwest Yemen. Geo Arabia- Middle East Petroleum Geosciences, 16(4), 17-24.

Strohmenger, C., Deville, Q. & Fookes, E. (1991). Kimmeridgian/Tithonianeustacy and its imprints on carbonate rocks from the Dinaric and the Jura carbonate platforms. Bulletin de la Societégéologique de France, 8, 661-671.

Tasli, K. (2001). Benthic Foraminifera of the Upper Jurassic Platform Carbonate Sequence in the Aydincik (Içel) Area, Central Taurides, S Turkey. Geologia Croatica, 54(1), 1-13.

Watt, A. D. & Blazer, A. M. (1982). Index of generic names of fossil plants, 1974-1978.

Wernli, R. & Fookes, E. (1992). Troglotellaincrustans n. gen., n. sp., un étrange et nouveau foraminifèrecalcicavicole du complexerécifal Kimméridgien de Saint- Germain-de-Joux (Ain, France). Bollettinodella Società

paleontologicaitaliana, 31(1), 95-103.

Published

2022-12-15

How to Cite

Ghareb, S.A., Ahmad Ali, S., Bucković, D., Hamdi , S.A., & Ahmad, M. (2022). Recording Jurassic Microfossils from Jabal at Marib Al-Balaq Governorate, Yemen. Bulletin of Pure and Applied Sciences-Geology , 41(2), 228–250. https://doi.org/10.48165/