Akrabou Formation

The Akrabou Formation is a Late Cretaceous -aged geological formation and Konservat-Lagerstätte in Morocco. It overlies the slightly older freshwater deposits of the Kem Kem Group, which it was once thought to be a part of. It was deposited over following the Kem Kem ecosystem's submergence by the Tethys Ocean during a marine transgression from the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event, as part of a wider deposition of carbonate platforms across the region from the event.''''''

Localities

The Akrabou Formation has outcrops across the Anti-Atlas, but it has two especially prominent localities: Agoult and Goulmima. The Agoult locality is also commonly referred to as Gara Sbaa due to it outcropping at the hill of the same name, but this name is also used for the underlying freshwater-based deposit of the Kem Kem Group at the same locality, which may lead to nomenclatural confusion. Both localities are considered lagerstätten due to their excellently preserved fossils, but they differ in time period, paleoenvironment, and preservation of fossils.
The Agoult locality is the older of the two and appears to have been deposited around the time of the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event, dating it to latest Cenomanian or earliest Turonian. It is a plattenkalk that contains excellently preserved two-dimensional fossils of fish, land plants, marine and terrestrial invertebrates, and some terrestrial reptiles. The presence of a significant terrestrial component indicates it was deposited in a shallow marine environment close to shore, although the deposits record the gradual deepening of the habitat as the sea level rose.
In contrast, the Goulmima locality is younger, dating to the early or mid Turonian, and appears to have been deposited in an offshore environment on the continental shelf. Fossils from this locality, which include fish and marine reptiles, are found in concretions and have a unique three-dimensional preservation akin to that of the older Santana Formation in Brazil.
In addition, several other localities are also known, some of which cross the border into Algeria, which have a rich fauna of ammonites and nautiloids.

Paleoenvironment

In the basal Agoult horizons of the formation, a number of plant remains are known, which are similar to those found in southern Europe at the same time, suggesting floristic exchanges between northern Africa and southern Europe. Based on these, the paleoclimate of the ecosystem, at least earlier during its deposition, is suggested to have been a mildly dry subtropical climate akin to that of the modern western Canary Islands.

Paleobiota

Most fish are documented in a species list from Amalfitano et al & Cooper et al :

Mollusks

Based on Kennedy et al & Meister et al :

Genus	Species	Locality	Material	Notes	Image
Angulithes	A. mermeti	Douira, Goulmima & Tazzougert	Shells	A hercoglossid nautiloid.
Choffaticeras	C. segne	Goulmima	Shells	A pseudotissotid ammonite.
Choffaticeras	C. sinaiticum	Goulmima	Shells	A pseudotissotid ammonite.
Eutrephoceras	E. sp.	Douira & Taouz	Shells	A nautilid nautiloid.
Fagesia	F. peroni	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Fagesia	F. cf. tevesthensis	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Hoplitoides	H. mirabilis	Goulmima	Shells	A hoplitid ammonite.
Hoplitoides	H. gr. wortmanni	Goulmima	Shells	A hoplitid ammonite.
Mammites	M. nodosoides	Goulmima	Shells	An acanthoceratid ammonite.
Nannovascoceras	N. intermedium	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Neolobites	N. vibrayeanus	Agoult, Tazzougert, Taouz, Tizi Momrad	Shells	An engonoceratid ammonite.
Neoptychites	N. cephalotus	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Neoptychites	N. aff. hottingeri	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Romaniceras	R. ''reymenti	Goulmima	Shells	An acanthoceratid ammonite.
Thomasites	T. rollandi	Goulmima	Shells	A vasoceratid ammonite.
Wrightoceras	W. munieri''	Goulmima	Shells	A pseudotissotid ammonite.

Arthropods

Partially based on Garassino, Angeli & Pasini :

Genus	Species	Locality	Material	Notes
Afroapseudes	A. cretacicus	Agoult		A tanaidacean crustacean.
Amazighopsis	A. cretacea	Agoult		An astacidean crustacean.
Corazzatocarcinus	C. cf. hadjoulae	Agoult		A necrocarcinid crab.
Cretagalathea	C. exigua	Agoult		A munidid squat lobster.
Cretapenaeus	C. berberus	Agoult		A penaeid prawn.
Galathea	G. sahariana	Agoult		A galatheid squat lobster.
?Glyphea	G. garaasbaensis	Agoult		A glypheid crustacean.
Mesolimulus	M. tafraoutensis	Agoult	Two complete specimens	A horseshoe crab.
?Isoptera indet.		Agoult	Complete specimen	A potential termite.
Marocarcinus	M. pasinii	Agoult		A marocarcinid crab.
Muelleristhes	M. africanus	Agoult	Complete specimen	A porcelain crab.
Palinuridae indet.		Agoult	Complete specimen	A spiny lobster.
Phagophytichnus	P. ekowskii	Agoult	Trace fossil	Feeding traces on a leaf.
Polyphaga indet.		Agoult	Complete specimen	A polyphagan beetle.
Telamonocarcinus	T. cf. gambalatus	Agoult		A dorippid crab.
Troponoma	T. constricta	Agoult	Trace fossil	Trail made by a leafminer.
Unusuropode	U. castroi	Agoult	Complete specimen	A sphaeromatid isopod, first record of this species outside Brazil.

Plants

Based primarily on Krassilov & Bacchia :

Genus	Species	Locality	Material	Notes	Image
Abietites	A. cf. linkii	Agoult	Needles	A conifer.
Barykovia	B. cf. tschuckotika	Agoult	Leaf	A potentially fagalean angiosperm.
Cocculophyllum	C. cf. fucinerve	Agoult	Leaf	A climbing angiosperm.
Coniopteris	C. cf. Dicksonia mamiyai	Agoult	Leaflet.	A fern.
Dryophyllum	D. cf. subcretaceum	Agoult	Leaf	A potentially fagalean angiosperm.
Frenelopsis	F. cf. teixeirae	Agoult	Shoot	A cheirolepidiacean conifer.
Garasbahia	G. flexuosa	Agoult	Branching shoot with leaves.	A cabombacean angiosperm.
Pseudotorellia	P. cf. ensiformis	Agoult	Leaf	A ginkgoalean.
Sulcatocladus	S. cf. robustus	Agoult	Shoot	A conifer.
Welwitschiophyllum	W. sp.	Agoult	Leaf	A possible welsitschialean.