In Beceten Formation

The In Beceten Formation, also Beceten or Ibecten is a Coniacian to Santonian geologic formation in the Iullemmeden Basin of Niger. It has yielded a diverse fauna and some angiosperms.^[1] Among others, it has yielded polypterifoms,^[2] urodeles,^[3] anurans,^[4][5] and turtles.^[6] Dinosaur remains are among the other fossils that have been recovered from the formation, although none have yet been referred to a specific genus.^[7] The lithology primarily consists of clays, fine limestones and sandy clays.^[8][9]

In Beceten Formation
Stratigraphic range: Coniacian-Santonian
Type	Geological formation
Underlies	Igdaman Group
Overlies	White Limestone Formation
Lithology
Primary	Limestone, sandstone
Other	Shale
Location
Coordinates	15.1°N 6.0°E / 15.1; 6.0
Approximate paleocoordinates	1.7°N 0.9°E / 1.7; 0.9
Region	Tahoua
Country	Niger
Extent	Iullemmeden Basin
In Beceten Formation (Niger)

Fossil content

The following fossils have been reported from the formation:^[10]

Fish

• Amia sp.
• Stromerichthys sp.
• Lepisosteidae indet.

Reptiles

• Erymnochelys madagascariensis
• Madtsoia aff. madagascariensis
• Trematochampsa taqueti
• Libycosuchus sp.
• Carnosauria indet.
• Goniopholididae indet.
• Lacertilia indet.
• Pelomedusidae indet.
• Serpentes indet.
• Titanosaurinae indet.

Amphibians

• Pachycentrata taqueti
• Ceratodus sp.
• Protopterus sp.
• Ranidae indet.
• Urodela indet.

Flora

• Dicotyledonae

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
  • List of stratigraphic units with indeterminate dinosaur fossils
• Lists of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Africa
  • List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Niger
• Geology of Niger

References

1. DE, BROIN; E, BUFFETAUT; JC, KOENIGUER; JC, RAGE; D, RUSSELL; P, TAQUET; C, VERGNAUD GRAZZINI; C, WENZ (1974). "LA FAUNE DE VERTEBRES CONTINENTAUX DU GISEMENT D'IN BECETEN (SENONIEN DU NIGER)". La Faune de Vertebres Continentaux du Gisement d'In Beceten (Senonien du Niger). 279: 469–472.
2. GAYET, M; MEUNIER, F. J. (1996). "Nouveaux Polypteriformes du gisement coniacien-sénonien d'In Becetem (Niger)". Nouveaux Polypteriformes du gisement coniacien-sénonien d'In Becetem (Niger). 322 (8): 701–707. ISSN 1251-8050.
3. Gardner, James D.; Rage, Jean-Claude (1 March 2016). "The fossil record of lissamphibians from Africa, Madagascar, and the Arabian Plate". Palaeobiodiversity and Palaeoenvironments. 96 (1): 169–220. Bibcode:2016PdPe...96..169G. doi:10.1007/s12549-015-0221-0. ISSN 1867-1608.
4. Báez, A. M.; Rage, J.-C. (1998). "Pipid frogs from the upper cretaceous of in beceten, niger". Palaeontology. 41 (4): 669–691.
5. Lemierre, Alfred; Bailon, Salvador; Folie, Annelise; Laurin, Michel (January 2023). "A new pipid from the Cretaceous of Africa (In Becetèn, Niger) and early evolution of the Pipidae". Journal of Systematic Palaeontology. 21 (1). Bibcode:2023JSPal..2166428L. doi:10.1080/14772019.2023.2266428. ISSN 1477-2019.
6. De Lapparent De Broin, France; Broin, France De Lapparent De (2000). "African chelonians from the Jurassic to the present: phases of development and preliminary catalogue of the fossil record". Palaeontologia Africana. 36: 43–82. ISSN 0078-8554.
7. Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
8. Moody, R.T.J.; Sutcliffe, P.J.C. (April 1991). "The Cretaceous deposits of the Iullemmeden Basin of Niger, central West Africa". Cretaceous Research. 12 (2): 137–157. Bibcode:1991CrRes..12..137M. doi:10.1016/s0195-6671(05)80021-7. ISSN 0195-6671.
9. Meunier, Louise M V; Larsson, Hans C E (2017-10-26). "Trematochampsa taqueti as a nomen dubium and the crocodyliform diversity of the Upper Cretaceous In Beceten Formation of Niger". Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society. 182 (3): 659–680. doi:10.1093/zoolinnean/zlx061. ISSN 0024-4082.
10. In Beceten at Fossilworks.org

Bibliography

• Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; Osmólska, Halszka (2004), The Dinosauria, 2nd edition, Berkeley: University of California Press, pp. 1–880, ISBN 0-520-24209-2, retrieved 2019-02-21

Further reading

• F. de Broin, E. Buffetaut, J.-C. Koeniguer, J.-C. Rage, D. E. Russell, P. Taquet, C. Vergnaud-Grazzini and S. Wenz. 1974. La fauna de Vertébrés continentaux du gisement d'In Beceten (Sénonien du Niger) [The continental vertebrate fauna from the In Beceten locality (Senonian of Niger)]. Comptes Rendus Hebdomadaires des Seances de l'Academie des Sciences à Paris, série D 279:469-472