A reappraisal of the vegetation from the dinosaur-bearing Bahariya Formation (lower Cenomanian; Cretaceous), Egypt

Abstract

The Bahariya Formation of the northern Western Desert, Egypt, is well-known for its plentiful and diverse vertebrate fossil assemblages, especially dinosaurs, and also eminent for its rich fossil macroflora. Unraveling the taxonomic and climatic inferences of this macroflora will undoubtedly provide essential insights into reconstructing this significant ecosystem and understanding plant life in the region during the early Cenomanian period. In this study, a taxonomic revision of the recovered fossil leaves, a crucial aspect of our research, enables the identification of fourteen morphotypes closely resembling those recently recovered from adjacent profiles of the Bahariya Formation. This taxonomic revision significantly contributes to our understanding of the Cenomanian floras from Egypt and their Neo-Tethys counterparts. The results from the current macrofloral record largely confirm previous data regarding the same ancient vegetation preserved in the palynological record. Moreover, sedimentological investigations, including petrography and X-ray diffraction of rock samples from the type section of the Bahariya Formation in the Gebel El Dist profile, a section closely similar to the location where the leaf fossils were recovered—play a crucial role in supporting climatic models, thereby providing reassurance and confidence in the research findings.