The Rudist Vautrinia syriaca (VAUTRIN) was considered so far as
characteristic of the Maastrichtian of the northern margin of the Arabian
platform, but new research shows that it is not possible to retain this
consideration. Indeed, in both types
localities (J. Abd Al Aziz and Yeyla) this
rudist is present in breccia. The biostratigraphic analysis of the environment in
the first locality can assign a Campanian age or precampanien age.
The study demonstrated also that the presence of the Rudist Vautrinia
syriaca (VAUTRIN) within breccia and conglomeratic sediments above the
ophiolitic complex in the north-west of Syria (Al Bassite - Yella hill) shows that
the ophiolite emplacement along the northern Arabian Platform has happened
in the Campanian time or in Precampanian time and not during the
Maastrichtian time.
The presence of huge blocks of ophiolite on the surface of the Turonian
limestone layers near Saarinjek village in Afrin Mountains (Kurdag) confirmed
that the ophiolitic complex emplaced on the edge of the Arabian Platform at the
end of the Turonian / early Coniacian, and not during the Maastrichtian.
The obduction of the ophiolitic complex explains the big marine
transgression on the Arabian Platform since the beginning of Senonian.
In Yemen, the outcropping Cretaceous System consists of continental and
marine clastics and carbonates which are distributed in three main lithofacies:
continental (in northern provinces), transitional (in western parts of southern
provinces), and
marine (in eastern parts of southern provinces). These are
included within the Tawilah Formation and Ahwar/Mahra Groups. The
occurrence of the Tawilah Formation (Cretaceous-Paleocene) is restricted to
the northern provinces. Its lower parts consist of continental (fluvial)
sandstones (continental lithofacies) of Cretaceous age which constitute the Zone
without diagnostic fossils. Its upper parts consist of alternations of nonmarine
and fossiliferous marine sandstones of Paleocene age which constitute the
Pulsiphonina prima Zone.
