A Middle Triassic Vertebrate Fauna from the Jilh Formation, Saudi Arabia

Abstract

A Middle Triassic vertebrate fauna from the Jilh formation in Saudi Arabia is described. Although the material is very fragmentary, the occurrence of a wide taxonomic variety of taxa can be documented, including hybodontiform sharks, actinopterygians, and sauropterygian reptiles such as a pachypleurosaur, Simosaurus, nothosaurs and cyamodontoid placodonts. The fauna compares well with other Middle Triassic faunas from the Germanic and Alpine Triassic, and from the northern Gondwanan shelf, in particular with the fauna from Makhtesh Ramon, Negev, Israel.