Bahariya Formation

The Bahariya Formation (also transcribed as Baharija Formation) is a fossiliferous geologic formation dating back to the early Cenomanian, which outcrops within the Bahariya depression in Egypt, and is known from oil exploration drilling across much of the Western Desert where it forms an important oil reservoir.

Extent
The Bahariya Formation forms the base of the depression, the lower part of the enclosing escarpment and all of the small hills within. The type section for the formation is found at Gebel El-Dist, a hill at the northern end of the Bahariya depression.

Stratigraphy and sedimentology
Four depositional sequences have been recognised in the Bahariya Formation in the Bahariya depression, separated by three sub-aerial unconformities. The formation was deposited during a period of relative rise in sea level, with each unconformity representing a relative fall in sea level. Each of the individual sequences contains sediments deposited under fluvial, shoreline and shallow marine conditions.

Insects
Direct fossils are sparse, though plant leaves with extensive damage from folivorous insects have been documented.

Theropods
In addition, there are isolated theropod teeth disputedly assigned to dromaeosaurids, or to abelisaurids.

Flora
Thirty different genera are known from Bahariya, including megaflora. Much of the material is yet to be described. Other taxa include Sapindales, Piperaceae, Lauraceae, Platanaceae, Magnoliopsida, Nymphaeaceae, Cornaceae, Proteaceae and Vitaceae not identified at genus level; and miospore and pollen species.