Irhazer Shale

The Irhazer Shale (French: Argiles de l'Irhazer) or Irhazer II Formation is a Middle Jurassic geologic formation of the Irhazer Group in the Agadez Region of Niger. Fossil ornithopod tracks have been reported from the formation.[1] The dinosaur Spinophorosaurus is known from the formation.[2]

Irhazer Shale Irhazer II Formation Stratigraphic range: Middle Jurassic
Type	Geological formation
Unit of	Irhazer Group
Underlies	Tiouraren Formation
Overlies	Assaouas Formation
Lithology
Primary	Shale, claystone
Other	Siltstone, sandstone
Location
Coordinates	16.7°N 7.9°E
Approximate paleocoordinates	8.3°N 2.6°E
Region	Agadez Region
Country	Niger
Extent	Iullemmeden Basin
Type section
Named for	Irhazer Izane
Irhazer Shale (Niger)

Description

As the overlying Tiouarèn Formation of the Irhazer Group, the formation previously had been assigned an Early Cretaceous age.[2][3][4]

Fossil content

The following fossils were reported from the formation:[2][3][4]

• Elaphrosaurus iguidiensis
• Sauropoda indet (originally known as the obsolete species Rebbachisaurus tamesnensis)
• Spinophorosaurus nigerensis
• Theropoda indet (once referred to Inosaurus tedreftensis)

See also

• List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations
  • List of stratigraphic units with ornithischian tracks
    • Ornithopod tracks
• Lists of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Africa
  • List of fossiliferous stratigraphic units in Niger
• Geology of Niger

References

1. Weishampel, et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution." Pp. 517-607.
2. North of Aderbissinat at Fossilworks.org
3. Ifayen Ignère at Fossilworks.org
4. In Gall at Fossilworks.org

Bibliography

• Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. 861 pp. ISBN 0-520-24209-2.

Further reading

• A. F. d. Lapparent. 1960. Les Dinosauriens du "Continental intercalaire" du Saharal central [The dinosaurs of the "Continental Intercalaire" of the central Sahara]. Mémoires de la Société géologique de France, nouvelle série 39(88A):1-57
• K. Remes, F. Ortega, I. Fierro, U. Joger, R. Kosma, J. M. M. Ferrer, Project, Niger Project, O. A. Ide and A. Maga. 2009. A new basal sauropod dinosaur from the Middle Jurassic of Niger and the early evolution of Sauropoda. PLoS One 4(9):e6924:1-13