{{Short description|Geological formation in Tunisia}} {{Infobox rockunit | name = Chenini Member | image = | caption = | type = Member | age = Late Aptian-Early Albian<br />~{{fossil range|115|109}} | period = Albian | prilithology = Sandstone | otherlithology = Conglomerate, mudstone | namedfor = Chenini | namedby = | location = Sahara Desert | region = Tataouine | country = Tunisia | coordinates = {{coord|33.2|N|10.3|E|display=inline,title}} | paleocoordinates = {{coord|15.9|N|10.3|E|display=inline}} | unitof = Aïn el Guettar Formation | subunits = | underlies = Oum ed Diab Member | overlies = Douiret Formation | thickness = | extent = | area = | map = {{Location map+ | Tunisia | relief = 1 | width = 250 | float = center | places = {{Location map~ | Tunisia | lat_deg = 33.2 | lon_deg = 10.3 | mark = Green pog.svg | marksize = 12 }} }} | map_caption = }} The '''Chenini Member''' is a geological member of the Ain el Guettar Formation in Tunisia, whose strata date back to the Late Aptian to Early Albian stages of the Cretaceous period.<ref>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=125935 Bateun el Hmaima] at Fossilworks.org</ref><ref>[https://paleobiodb.org/classic/displayCollResults?collection_no=67203 Bir Miteur, RH 45] at Fossilworks.org</ref> The lithology consists of coarse sandstones with occasional conglomerates and mudstones.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Benton|first1=Michael J.|last2=Bouaziz|first2=Samir|last3=Buffetaut|first3=Eric|last4=Martill|first4=David|last5=Ouaja|first5=Mohamed|last6=Soussi|first6=Mohamed|last7=Trueman|first7=Clive|date=April 2000|title=Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia|journal=Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology|volume=157|issue=3–4|pages=227–246|doi=10.1016/s0031-0182(99)00167-4|bibcode=2000PPP...157..227B |issn=0031-0182|url=http://doc.rero.ch/record/14838/files/PAL_E1974.pdf }}</ref> Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the formation.<ref name="cretaceousdistribution">Weishampel, 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. {{ISBN|0-520-24209-2}}.</ref>
== Vertebrate paleofauna == The Chenini Member during the Early Cretaceous period was a marsh-like swampy habitat. The most famous dinosaur discoveries made here include Carcharodontosaurus and Spinosaurus.
{| class="wikitable" align="center" width="75%" |- ! colspan="6" align="center" | Theropods of the Chenini member |- ! Genus !! Species !! Location !! Material !! Notes !! Images |- |''Spinosaurus<ref name="BufOua02">Buffetaut, E & Ouaja, M (2002) A new specimen of ''Spinosaurus'' (Dinosauria, Theropoda) from the Lower Cretaceous of Tunisia, with remarks on the evolutionary history of the Spinosauridae. ''Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France'' '''173''': 415–421. {{doi|10.2113/173.5.415}}</ref>'' |''S.cf. aegyptiacus'' | | |A spinosaurid theropod |thumb|Life restoration |- |''Carcharodontosaurus<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" />'' |''C. saharicus'' | | |A carcharodontosaurid theropod |thumb|Life restoration |- |Sauropoda<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" /> |Sauropoda indet. | | | | |- |Iguanodontia<ref name="cretaceousdistribution" /> |Iguanodontia indet. | | | | |- |}
{| class="wikitable" align="center" width="75%" |- ! colspan="6" align="center" | Pterosaurs of the Chenini member |- ! Genus !! Species !! Location !! Material !! Notes !! Images |- |Ornithocheiridae |Ornithocheiridae indet.<ref name=":0" /> | | | | |- |} <ref name=":0">BENTON, M. J., BOUAZIZ, S., BUFFETAUT, E., MARTILL, D. M., OUAJA, M., SOUSSI, M. & TRUEMAN, C. (2000): Dinosaurs and other fossil vertebrates from fluvial deposits in the Lower Cretaceous of southern Tunisia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology, 157: 227–246.</ref>
== See also == * List of dinosaur-bearing rock formations * Geology of Tunisia
== References == {{Reflist}}
== Further reading == * S. Bouaziz, É. Buffetaut, M. Ghanmi, J.-J. Jaeger, M. Martin, J.-M. Mazin, and H. Tong. 1988. Nouvelles découvertes de vertébrés fossiles dans l'Albien du sud tunisien [New discoveries of fossil vertebrates in the Albian of southern Tunisia]. Bulletin de la Société Géologique de France, 8e série 4(2):335-339 * J. Le Loeuff, É. Buffetaut, G. Cuny, Y. Laurent, M. Ouaja, C. Souillat, D. Srarfi and H. Tong. 2000. Mesozoic continental vertebrates of Tunisia. 5th European Workshop on Vertebrate Palaeontology, Staatliches Museum für Naturkunde, Geowissenschaften Abteilung. Program. Abstracts. Excursion Guides 45
Category:Geology of Tunisia Category:Lower Cretaceous Series of Africa Category:Albian Stage Category:Aptian Stage Category:Sandstone members Category:Fluvial deposits Category:Paludal deposits Category:Paleontology in Tunisia Formations