Mugher Mudstone Formation
Encyclopedia
The Mugher Mudstone Formation is a Mesozoic
geologic formation located in Ethiopia
. It dates to the Tithonian
stage of the Late Jurassic
time period. Dinosaur
remains diagnostic to the genus
level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
An unnamed dromaeosaurine
dromaeosaurid
has been recovered from this formation. The discoverers proved it to be a dromaeosaurine, and not a velociraptorine
, based on its low DSDI ratio.
Mesozoic
The Mesozoic era is an interval of geological time from about 250 million years ago to about 65 million years ago. It is often referred to as the age of reptiles because reptiles, namely dinosaurs, were the dominant terrestrial and marine vertebrates of the time...
geologic formation located in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
. It dates to the Tithonian
Tithonian
In the geologic timescale the Tithonian is the latest age of the Late Jurassic epoch or the uppermost stage of the Upper Jurassic series. It spans the time between 150.8 ± 4 Ma and 145.5 ± 4 Ma...
stage of the Late Jurassic
Jurassic
The Jurassic is a geologic period and system that extends from about Mya to Mya, that is, from the end of the Triassic to the beginning of the Cretaceous. The Jurassic constitutes the middle period of the Mesozoic era, also known as the age of reptiles. The start of the period is marked by...
time period. Dinosaur
Dinosaur
Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period until the end of the Cretaceous , when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of...
remains diagnostic to the genus
Genus
In biology, a genus is a low-level taxonomic rank used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms, which is an example of definition by genus and differentia...
level are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.
An unnamed dromaeosaurine
Dromaeosaurinae
Dromaeosaurinae is a subfamily of Dromaeosauridae. Most dromaeosaurines lived in what is now the USA and Canada, , as well as Mongolia, , and possibly Denmark, , as well. Isolated teeth that may belong to African dromaeosaurines have also been discovered in Ethiopia...
dromaeosaurid
Dromaeosauridae
Dromaeosauridae is a family of bird-like theropod dinosaurs. They were small- to medium-sized feathered carnivores that flourished in the Cretaceous Period. The name Dromaeosauridae means 'running lizards', from Greek dromeus meaning 'runner' and sauros meaning 'lizard'...
has been recovered from this formation. The discoverers proved it to be a dromaeosaurine, and not a velociraptorine
Velociraptorinae
Velociraptorinae is a subfamily of the theropod group Dromaeosauridae. Velociraptorine remains are found mostly in northern hemisphere. In Late Cretaceous, they are mostly present in Mongolia, Romania and China,and in early, in USA. The earliest velociraptorines are probably Nuthetes from the...
, based on its low DSDI ratio.