A new Palaeocene Megalopidae (Teleostei, Elopomorpha) from the phosphate basins of Morocco

Abstract

A new Megalopidae (Teleostei, Elopomorpha, Elopiformes), Protarpon boualii sp. nov., is described on the basis of two neurocrania gathered from the Lower Palaeocene (Danian) beds of the Oulad Abdoun basin, in Morocco. Its inclusion in the family Megalopidae and the genus Protarpon is supported by the L-shaped pterotics, the flat skull roof, the well developed epiotic processes and the roofed dilatator fossae. It differs from Protarpon priscus and P. oblongus from the Ypresian of the London Clay Formation (England) mainly by the proportions of the subtemporal and the post-temporal fossa openings, the proportions of skull roof bones and its larger size. Protarpon boualii sp. nov. represents the first fossil occurrence of a megalopid in North Africa. Its close phylogenetic relationships with forms from the London Clay Formation highlight the strong biogeographical affinities between the faunas of these two localities during the Palaeocene-Eocene period.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:D5FEE8B3-B220-461F-B635-31DD7F2CF921

Keywords:

• Phosphate basins
• Morocco
• Palaeocene
• Actinopterygii
• Megalopidae

Acknowledgements

This work was partially conducted in the framework of DESA dissertation (equivalent Master) of K.EHD at the Cadi Ayyad University (Marrakesh, Morocco) and of ‘Phosphapale’ convention between the MNHN, the OCP, the Cadi Ayyad University and the Ministère de l’Energie, des Mines, de l’Eau et de l’Environnement (Rabat, Morocco). Authors are grateful to Baâdi Bouya (OCP, Khouribga, Morocco) for the acquisition and the loan of the specimens, to Lionel Cavin (Muséum d’Histoire Naturelle, Genève, Switzerland) and Louis Taverne (Université Libre de Bruxelles, Belgium) for comments on K.EHD DESA manuscript, to Emma Bernard (NHMUK) and Gaël Clément (UMR 7207, MNHN) for access to collections, to Philippe Béarez (UMR 7209, MNHN) for access to collections and fruitful discussions, to Renaud Vacant (UMR 7207, MNHN) for his help during the preparation of the material, and to Diogo Mayrinck (Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) and an anonymous reviewer for their useful comments and corrections. Photographs of the Moroccan material were taken by Christian Lemzaouda (UMR7207, MNHN). BK was supported by a Synthesis grant (GB-TAF-5190).