The Continental intercalaire, sometimes referred to as the Continental intercalaire Formation, is a term applied to Cretaceous strata in NorthernAfrica.[1] It is the largest single stratum found in Africa to date, being between 30 and 800 metres (100 and 2,600ft) thick in some places. Fossils, including dinosaurs, have been recovered from this formation.[2] The Continental intercalaire stretches from Algeria, Tunisia and Niger in the west to Egypt and Sudan in the east.[3][4]
Fernand Foureau was the first to excavate fossils from the Continental intercalaire in Djoua, Algeria in 1893,[1] and Léon Pervinquière studied the Continental intercalaire in Tataouine, Tunisia in 1912.[5][6]
The Continental intercalaire was later identified during the course of several expeditions to the Sahara from 1946 to 1959 which were led by the French paleontologist Albert-Félix de Lapparent.[1][7]
Description
The Continental intercalaire is most often likened to the Kem Kem Group in Morocco.[8] It likely represents fluviatile facies, suggesting an environment with many rivers and streams.[9]
Previously believed to be discovered from the Late Jurassic-age Taouratine Series. Likely does not belong as a species of Brachiosaurus and may represent multiple sauropod species.
16 vertebrae, left humerus, right ulna, left pubis, femur, right tibia (In Abangarit material); 3 damaged vertebrae, sacrum, 3 hand claws, right tibia, isolated tibia, metatarsal, 4 phalanges (In Tedreft material)
Previously known as Elaphrosaurus gautieri and is a collection of multiple specimens.
Two dorso-lumbar vertebrae, two smaller vertebrae, two fused sacral vertebrae, five middle or posterior caudal vertebrae, seven caudal vertebra fragments, left proximal tibia.
Two humeri and two femora, and a second specimen composed of four isolated teeth, a dentary fragment with three teeth, over 100 vertebrae, six chevrons, 12 ribs, 5 scapulae, an ilium, two ischia, and numerous limb elements
Used to help date the age of the Continental intercalaire; 94% of theropod teeth in the Continental intercalaire belong to Spinosaurus. Relatively rare in Algerian strata.[9]
123456789101112A. F. de Lapparent, (1960), "Les Dinosauriens du "Continental intercalaire" du Sahara central", Mémoires de la Société géologique de France, nouvelle série39(88A): 1-57
12Weishampel, David B; et al. (2004). "Dinosaur distribution (Early Cretaceous, Africa)." In: Weishampel, David B.; Dodson, Peter; and Osmólska, Halszka (eds.): The Dinosauria, 2nd, Berkeley: University of California Press. Pp. 571-573. ISBN0-520-24209-2.
↑Paul E. Anderson, Michael J. Benton,⁎ Clive N. Trueman, Bruce A. Paterson, Gilles Cuny (2007). "Palaeoenvironments of vertebrates on the southern shore of Tethys: The nonmarine Early Cretaceous of Tunisia". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 243 (1–2). Elsevier: 118–131. Bibcode:2007PPP...243..118A. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2006.07.015.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[dead link]
↑Federico Fanti, Michela Contessi, Fulvio Franchi (2012). "The Continental Intercalaire of southern Tunisia: Stratigraphy, paleontology, and paleoecology". Journal of African Earth Sciences. 73 (73–74). Elsevier: 1–23. Bibcode:2012JAfES..73....1F. doi:10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2012.07.006.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)[dead link]
↑Rapport sur une mission scientifique dans l'extrême-sud tunisien (frontière tuniso tripolitaine), (1912) - Discussion on the scientific mission to extreme southern Tunisia (Frontier Tunisia-Tripolitania).
↑Études de paléontologie tunisienne 2, Gastropodes et lamellibranches des terrains crétacés, (1912) - Studies of Tunisian paleontology II, Cretaceous gastropods and lamellibranchs.
12De Broin, France; Taquet, Philippe (1966). "Découverte d'un Crocodilien nouveau dans le Crétacé inférieur du Sahara". C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris (in French). 262 (D).
1234567891011121314"Continental intercalaire." Weishampel, et al. (2004). Pg. 571-572.
12W., R. DeC., Foureau, F. (1904) Documents scientifiques de la Mission Saharienne. Mission Foureau-Lamy d'Alger au Congo par le Tchad. Bulletin of the American Geographical Society, 36 (9). 566pp. doi:10.2307/198160
↑Bourcart, J. (1932). Le Sahara algérien, in La Géologie, et les Mines de la France d'outre-mer, p. 181-204.
↑A. F. d. Lapparent. (1953). Gisements de Dinosauriens dans le "Continental intercalaire" d'In Abangarit (Sahara méridional) [Dinosaur localities in the "Continental Intercalaire" of In Abangarit (southern Sahara)]. Comptes Rendus de l'Académie des Sciences à Paris 236:1905-1906
↑A. F. de Lapparent, (1960), "Les Dinosauriens du "Continental intercalaire" du Sahara central", Mémoires de la Société géologique de France, nouvelle série39(88A): 1-57
↑Depéret, C. & Savornin, J. (1925). Sur la découverte d'une faune de vertébrés albiens a Timimoun (Sahara occidental), Comptes Rendus, Académie des Sciences, Paris, volume 181, pp. 1108–1111.
↑Depéret, C. & Savornin, J. (1927). La Faune de reptiles et de poissons albiens de Timimoun (Sahara algérien), Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, volume 27, pp. 257–265.
↑Pérébaskine, V. (1933). Contribution à l'étude géologique du Soudan oriental. Bull. Agence gén. des Col., n° 286, p. 19-54; n° 287, p. 246-281; n° 288, p. 448-483; 11 fig., 9 pl., 1 carte h. t. (Tirage à part: 1 volume in-8, 125 p., 11 fig. 9 pl., 1 carte h. t.) (Thèse).
↑Wilberg, E.; Hill, R. V.; Pascucci, T. R.; Roberts, E. M.; Bouaré, M. L.; O'Leary, M. A. (2025). "A new itasuchid (Crocodyliformes, Notosuchia) from the Early Cretaceous of Mali and the ancient Paleo-Tegama river system of Gondwana". Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology. e2505473. doi:10.1080/02724634.2025.2505473.
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