Formation · Cretaceous
Oulad Abdoun Basin phosphates
Late Cretaceous unit, Khouribga · Béni Mellal-Khénifra
The Oulad Abdoun Basin around Khouribga and Oued Zem is the world's largest source of mosasaur teeth and jaws, Otodus obliquus and Squalicorax shark teeth, Enchodus fangs, elasmosaur and turtle bone, spanning the latest Cretaceous into the Eocene. The trade in mosasaur jaws is notorious for composites: teeth from several animals set into a sculpted matrix, sometimes with hand-carved 'bone'. A fair listing gives an honest restoration percentage, notes whether the teeth are original to the jaw, and describes any resin, paint or added matrix; single teeth and prepared Prognathodon or Globidens crowns are usually genuine but often have repaired roots.
| Country | Morocco |
|---|---|
| Region | Khouribga, Béni Mellal-Khénifra |
| Age | Maastrichtian, Late Cretaceous |
| Age range | ~72–48 Ma |
Collecting and legality
The phosphate mines belong to the state company OCP; fossils reach the market through local diggers and Khouribga dealers with export paperwork. Morocco tolerates this trade for common material, but complete skulls and articulated skeletons are the specimens most often challenged by museums and customs. Record the couche (bed) if the seller knows it: Couche III is Maastrichtian, the upper beds Paleocene–Eocene.
Lithology and setting
Phosphatic sands and marls with bone beds, deposited on a shallow shelf from the Maastrichtian into the Ypresian; the phosphate stains bone chocolate brown.
Elsewhere
Cite this article
Stratum Study. "Oulad Abdoun Basin phosphates" (Formation). Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19. https://stratum.black/study/formations/oulad-abdoun-basin-phosphates. Accessed 2026-09-20.
@misc{stratum-oulad-abdoun-basin-phosphates,
title = {Oulad Abdoun Basin phosphates},
author = {{Stratum Study}},
howpublished = {\url{https://stratum.black/study/formations/oulad-abdoun-basin-phosphates}},
year = {2026},
note = {Formation article, Stratum Study pack 2026.09, as of 2026-09-19; sources: stratum, commons. Accessed 2026-09-20.}
} Citations carry the pack version and the article's as-of date so they resolve to the same text later. The facts themselves belong to the sources listed below; cite those for the science.