Table 1.
Maastrichtian marine reptile diversity in the Phosphates of Morocco.
Figure 1.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., geographical and stratigraphical occurrence.
Ocepechelon has been found in the Upper Level III (Upper Maastrichtian) phosphatic deposits of the Sidi Chennane area, SE part of the Oulad Abdoun Basin, central Morocco. A, general geographical map of Morocco showing the main phosphatic basins (Ganntour and Oulad Abdoun basins); B, details of the Oulad Abdoun Basin with the northeastern main exploited areas (Daoui, Meraa El Arach, Sidi Chennane); C, synthetical stratigraphical column of the Maastrichtian phosphatic series in the northeastern part of the Oulad Abdoun Basin. Abbreviations : LLIII, Lower Level III; ULIII, Upper Level III; Ph, phosphates; Ma, marls; Li, limestones. The black star indicates the stratigraphical occurrence of Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov.
Figure 2.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., dorsal (left) and ventral (right) views of the skull.
OCP DEK/GE 516, Holotype, Phosphates (Upper Level III, Upper Maastrichtian, uppermost Cretaceous), Sidi Chennane area (Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco). Photographs and interpretative drawings. Abbreviations: Boc, basioccipital; Bsph, basisphenoid; Cho, choanae; En, external nare; Fpci, foramen posterior canalis carotici interni; Fr, frontal; Ica, incisura columellae auris; Ju, jugal; Mx, maxilla; Na, nasal; Op, opisthotic; Pa, parietal; Pal, palatine; Pfr, prefrontal; Pmx, premaxilla; Po, postorbital; pr tro ot, processus trochlearis oticus; Pt, pterygoid; Ptw, pterygoid wing; Q, quadrate; Qj, quadratojugal; Ra, marks of the rhamphotheca; Sq, squamosal; Vo, vomer. Scale = 20 cm.
Figure 3.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., right lateral view of the skull.
OCP DEK/GE 516, Holotype, Phosphates (Upper Level III, Upper Maastrichtian, uppermost Cretaceous), Sidi Chennane area (Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco). Photograph and interpretative drawing. Abbreviations: En, external nare; Fr, frontal; Ica, incisura columellae auris; Ju, jugal; Mx, maxilla; Na, nasal; Pa, parietal; Pal, palatine; Pfr, prefrontal; Pmx, premaxilla; Po, postorbital; Pt, pterygoid; Q, quadrate; Qj, quadratojugal; Ra, marks of the rhamphotheca; Sq, squamosal. Scale = 20 cm.
Figure 4.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., anterior (left) and posterior (right) views of the skull.
OCP DEK/GE 516, Holotype, Phosphates (Upper Level III, Upper Maastrichtian, uppermost Cretaceous), Sidi Chennane area (Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco). Photographs. Abbreviation: pr tro ot, processus trochlearis oticus. Scale = 20 cm.
Figure 5.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., details of the skull.
OCP DEK/GE 516, Holotype, Phosphates (Upper Level III, Upper Maastrichtian, uppermost Cretaceous), Sidi Chennane area (Oulad Abdoun Basin, Morocco). A, lateroventral view of the skull (left side), showing the processus trochlearis oticus above the processus articularis quadrati. B, posteroventral view of the skull (left side) showing the widely opened fenestra postotica. Abbreviations: c occ, condylus occipitalis; fj, foramen jugulare posterior; fm, foramen magnum; fpci, foramen posterior canalis carotici interni; fpost, fenestra postotica; pr art q, processus articularis quadrati; pr tro ot, processus trochelearis oticus; pt fl, pterygoid flanges; Q, processus articularis quadrati. Scale = 5 cm.
Figure 6.
Ocepechelon bouyai gen. et sp. nov., life reconstruction.
(Published with the permission of C. Letenneur/MNHN under a CC-BY license).
Figure 7.
Chelonioidea time-calibrated consensus phylogenetic tree showing the phylogenetic relationships of Ocepechelon gen. et sp. nov.
Ocepechelon is a remote relative of the extant leatherback turtle Dermochelys coriacea and of fossil protostegids.