# Kem Kem Group

The Kem Kem Group (commonly known as the Kem Kem beds) is a geological group in the Kem Kem region of eastern Morocco, whose strata date back to the Cenomanian stage of the Late Cretaceous. Its strata are subdivided into two geological formations, with the lower Ifezouane Formation and the upper Aoufous Formation used for the strata on the eastern side of the Atlas Mountains (Tinghir), with the Gara Sbaa Formation and Douira Formation used in the southern Tafilalt region. It is exposed on an escarpment along the Algeria–Morocco border.
The unit unconformably overlies Paleozoic marine units of Cambrian, Silurian and Devonian ages and is itself capped by limestone platform rock of Cenomanian-Turonian age. It primarily consists of freshwater and estuarine deltaic deposits. The lower Gara Sbaa Formation primarily consists of fine and medium grained sandstone, while the Douira Formation consists of fining-upward, coarse-to-fine grained sandstones intercalated with siltstones, variegated mudstones, and occasional thin gypsiferous evaporites.
Dinosaur remains are among the fossils that have been recovered from the group. Recent fossil evidence in the form of isolated large abelisaurid bones and comparisons with other similarly aged deposits elsewhere in Africa indicates that the fauna of the Kem Kem Group (specifically in regard to the numerous predatory theropod dinosaurs) may have been mixed together due to the harsh and changing geology of the region, when in reality they would likely have preferred separate habitats and likely would have been separated by millions of years.
Although preserving a freshwater habitat located near a river delta (with some estuarine influence that increased over time as the sea level rose), the Kem Kem deposits were quickly submerged by the sea during the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary event, and are thus overlaid by the marine deposits of the younger latest Cenomanian and early-mid Turonian-aged Akrabou Formation, which was formerly also considered a member of the Kem Kem Group, but has been differentiated from it in more recent studies due to their differing paleoenvironments.

## Vertebrate paleofauna
### Cartilaginous fish

Cartilaginous fish :
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
| Acrodontidae indet. | Indeterminate | | Members of Hybodontoidea | |
| Bahariyodon | B. bartheli | | A member of Hybodontoidea | |
| Cenocarcharias | C. tenuiplicatus | One tooth | A member of the family Cretoxyrhinidae | |
| Distobatus | D. nutiae | | A member of Hybodontoidea | |
| Haimirichia | H. amonensis | One tooth | A mackerel shark | |
| Marckgrafia | M. lybica | 13 teeth | A member of Batoidea | |
| Onchopristis | O. numida | | A rajiform ray | Rostrum and teeth fossils from Onchopristis |
| Peyeria | P. libyca | Three teeth | A sawfish. Might be a junior synonym of Onchopristis numida. | |
| Tribodus | T. sp. | | A member of Hybodontoidea | |

### Ray-finned fish

Ray-finned fish :
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes | Images |
| Adrianaichthys | A. pankowskii | Isolated scales and two skulls | A member of Lepisosteiformes. Originally described as a species of Lepidotes, but subsequently transferred to a separate genus. | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Afrocascudo | A. saharaensis | | A neopterygiian fish, either an ancient loricariid catfish or a juvenile obaichthyid lepisosteiform. | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Agassizilia | A. erfoudina | | Possibly a member of the family Pycnodontidae. | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Agoultichthys | A. chattertoni | | A long-bodied member of Actinopterygii of uncertain phylogenetic placement. Might be a member of the family Macrosemiidae or Ophiopsiellidae. | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Aidachar | A. pankowskii | | A member of Ichthyodectiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Bartschichthys | B. sp. | Isolated pinnulae (spines that support each dorsal finlet) | A cladistian | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Bawitius | cf. B. sp. | Isolated scales and jaw fragments | A cladistian | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Calamopleurus | C. africanus | A partial skull | A member of Amiiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Concavotectum | C. moroccensis | | A member of Tselfatiiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Dentilepisosteus | D. kemkemensis | | A member of Lepisosteiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Diplomystus | D. sp. | | A deep-bodied teleost belonging to the group Clupeomorpha | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Diplospondichthys | D. moreaui | | A member of Actinopterygii of uncertain phylogenetic placement, possibly a teleost | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Erfoudichthys | E. rosae | Isolated skull | A small-bodied teleost of unknown affinity | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Neoproscinetes | N. africanus | | A member of the family Pycnodontidae | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Obaichthys | O. africanus | Isolated scales | A member of Lepisosteiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Oniichthys | O. falipoui | Near complete skeleton including skull | A member of Lepisosteiformes | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Palaeonotopterus | P. greenwoodi | | A member of Osteoglossomorpha | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Serenoichthys | S. kemkemensis | Several articulated skeletons | A small cladistian | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Spinocaudichthys | S. oumtkoutensis | | An elongate freshwater acanthomorph | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Stromerichthys | S. aethiopicus | | | Life restoration of Aidachar |
| Sudania | S. sp. | An isolated pinnula | A cladistian | Life restoration of Aidachar |

### Lobe-finned fish

Lobe-finned fish :
| Genus | Species | Notes | Images |
| Arganodus | A. tiguidiensis | A lungfish | Life restoration of Axelrodichthys The Queensland Lungfish, the only living member of Neoceratodus |
| Axelrodichthys | A.? lavocati | A mawsoniid coelacanth; this species was previously assigned to Mawsonia, and its generic assignment is still not certain | Life restoration of Axelrodichthys The Queensland Lungfish, the only living member of Neoceratodus |
| Neoceratodus | N. africanus | A lungfish | Life restoration of Axelrodichthys The Queensland Lungfish, the only living member of Neoceratodus |

### Amphibians

Amphibians :
| Genus | Species | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes |
| Anura indet. | Indeterminate | Douira Formation | Incomplete left ilium | |
| Cretadhefdaa | C. taouzensis | Douira Formation | Posterior portion of the skull, incomplete squamosal, incomplete maxilla, three incomplete presacral vertebrae, one incomplete sacral vertebra | A neobatrachian frog with possible hyloid affinities. |
| cf. Kababisha | Indeterminate | | | A salamander belonging to the family Sirenidae |
| ?Neobatrachia indet. | Indeterminate | Douira Formation | Incomplete humerus | A frog, possibly a member of Ranoidea. |
| Oumtkoutia | O. anae | | | A frog belonging to the family Pipidae |

### Lizards and snakes

| Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon | Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited. |
Lizards and snakes reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Material | Notes |
| Bicuspidon | B. hogreli | | A polyglyphanodontid lizard. |
| Jeddaherdan | J. aleadonta | Partial mandible with teeth. | An iguanian belonging to the group Acrodonta, possibly a relative of the uromastycine agamids. Argued by Vullo et al. (2022) to actually come from Quaternary beds, and to be based on a fossil material of a member of the genus Uromastyx. |
| Lapparentophis | L. ragei | Two isolated trunk vertebrae | An early snake. |
| Madtsoiidae indet. | Indeterminate | Vertebrae | An early snake. |
| ?Nigerophiidae indet. | Indeterminate | Dorsal vertebrae | An early snake. |
| Norisophis | N. begaa | One posterior and two mid-trunk vertebrae | A stem-snake. |
| Norisophis | Indeterminate | A mid-trunk vertebra | A stem-snake. |
| Simoliophis | cf. S. libycus | Vertebrae | An early snake. |

### Plesiosaurs

Plesiosaurs :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Leptocleididae cf. Leptocleidus | indeterminate | | | | | |

### Turtles

Turtles reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Notes |
| Dirqadim | D. schaefferi | A Euraxemydid |
| Galianemys | G. emringeri | A Cearachelyin |
| Galianemys | G. whitei | |
| Hamadachelys | H. escuilliei | |

### Crocodylomorphs

A tooth enamel identified as cf. Sarcosuchus was discovered from the Ifezouane Formation.
Crocodylomorphs reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Aegisuchus | A. witmeri | | | "Partial braincase of a large individual with skull roof, temporal, and occipital regions." | An aegyptosuchid that may be a synonym of Laganosuchus. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Antaeusuchus | A. taouzensis | | | Paired mandibles and a partial right mandible | A peirosaurid. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Araripesuchus | A. rattoides | | Douira Formation | | | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Elosuchus | E. cherifiensis | | Gara Sbaa Formation Douira Formation | | An elosuchid. The material may represent two different species. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Hamadasuchus | H. rebouli | | Gara Sbaa Formation Douira Formation? | | A peirosaurid. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Kemkemia | K. auditorei | Errachidia Province, Morocco | | Known from an isolated caudal vertebra. | Initially thought to be a neotheropod, but subsequently discovered to be an indeterminate crocodyliform. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Laganosuchus | L. thaumastos | | | | A stomatosuchid. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |
| Lavocatchampsa | L. sigogneaurusselae | | | Anterior portion of a rostrum with mandible, with an almost complete dentition | A candidodontid notosuchian. | Aegisuchus Araripesuchus Elosuchus cherifiensis Laganosuchus |

### Dinosaurs

Indeterminate lithostrotian remains once misattributed to the Titanosauridae are present in the province of Ksar-es-Souk, Morocco.
| Color key Taxon Reclassified taxon Taxon falsely reported as present Dubious taxon or junior synonym Ichnotaxon Ootaxon Morphotaxon | Notes Uncertain or tentative taxa are in small text; crossed out taxa are discredited. |

#### Ornithischians

Ornithischians reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Ankylosauria | Indeterminate | | Douira Formation | An isolated tooth. | A probable ankylosaur |
| Ornithopoda | Indeterminate | | Douira Formation | A large, clover-shaped, three-toed footprint. | Comparable in size and shape to tracks typically attributed to Iguanodon. |

#### Sauropods

Sauropods reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes |
| Rebbachisaurus | R. garasbae | Ksar-es-Souk province, Morocco. | Gara Sbaa Formation | | A rebbachisaurid. |
| Somphospondyli | Indeterminate | | | Anterior dorsal vertebra, partial right ischium | The vertebra might belong to a basal titanosaurian, possibly distinct from Aegyptosaurus and Paralititan. The ischium is not identifiable beyond Somphospondyli; it preserves numerous grooves and pits which might be feeding traces left by a very large non-avian theropod. |
| Titanosauria | Indeterminate | | Ifezouane Formation Douira Formation | Isolated teeth, caudal vertebrae, a partial humerus, a tarsal bone and the proximal end of an ulna. | Fossil material of one or more titanosaurian sauropods. Some fossils are indicative of large body size comparable to Paralititan stromeri. |

#### Theropods

Theropods reported from the Continental Red Beds :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Material | Notes | Images |
| Abelisauridae | Indeterminate | | | Isolated teeth. Partial right femur. Partial right maxilla. A cervical vertebra. Left maxilla. | Abelisaurid material belonging to one or two distinct taxa. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Carcharodontosaurus | C. saharicus | Ksar-es-Souk province, Morocco. | Douira Formation | Partial skull, including braincase, nasals, postorbitals, jugals, left lacrimal and right maxilla with most teeth. | A carcharodontosaurid theropod. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Carcharodontosauridae | Indeterminate | Southeast of Taouz, Errachidia Province | Ifezouane Formation | partial maxilla and partial jugal | A carcharodontosaurid theropod different from C. saharicus | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Deltadromeus | D. agilis | | Gara Sbaa Formation | "Partial skeleton, isolated limb elements." | A noasaurid ceratosaurian or possible neovenatorid carnosaur. May be synonymous with Bahariasaurus. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Dromaeosauridae | Indeterminate | | | Isolated teeth. | Originally described as teeth of indeterminate dromaeosaurids. Hendrickx et al. (2024) reinterpreted this fossil material as teeth of abelisauroid theropods, including noasaurids and juvenile abelisaurids. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| cf. Elaphrosaurus | Indeterminate | Ksar-es-Souk province, Morocco. | | | Fossils previously referred to cf. Elaphrosaurus are actually indeterminate theropod remains. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Noasauridae | Indeterminate | | | An anterior cervical vertebra Isolated teeth | | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| "Osteoporosia" | "O. gigantea" | | | A tooth and a possible neural arch from another specimen. | A theropod, possibly synonymous with Sauroniops. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Saurischia | Indeterminate | | | An isolated cervical vertebra. | An indeterminate saurischian. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Sauroniops | S. pachytholus | | Ifezouane Formation | "An isolated and almost complete left frontal, and a possible tooth and neural arch from two other specimens." | A carcharodontosaurid once thought to be distinct from Carcharodontosaurus. However a 2025 study has considered it a nomem dubium as the they consider it inappropriate to name a taxon based on a single bone. | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |
| Spinosaurus | S. aegyptiacus | Ksar-es-Souk province, Morocco. | Douira Formation | Partial skeleton, including parts of the skull, neck, torso, and most of the tail and hind limbs. Numerous isolated bones. | | Carcharodontosaurus saharicus Deltadromeus agilis Rebbachisaurus garasbae Rugops primus Spinosaurus aegyptiacus reconstruction |

### Pterosaurs

Pterosaurs of the Kem Kem Beds :
| Genus | Species | Location | Stratigraphic position | Abundance | Notes | Images |
| Afrotapejara | A. zouhri | Takmout | Ifezouane Formation | A fragment of bone interpreted as a fragment of anterior mandibular symphysis, and additional jaw fragments that pertain to the rostrum as well as indeterminate jaw fragments. | A tapejarid pterosaur. Originally believed to belong to either the family Thalassodromidae or an additional specimen of Alanqa saharica. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Akharhynchus | A. martilli | Tafilalt | Ifezouane Formation | A fragment of the anterior part of the premaxillae | A tropeognathine anhanguerian. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Alanqa | A. saharica | | Ifezouane Formation | The holotype is a mandibular symphysis, of different parts of the jaw | A pterosaur of uncertain phylogenetic placement, probably an azhdarchid. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Anhanguera | A. cf. piscator | | upper Ifezouane Formation | Partial mandibular symphysis | | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Apatorhamphus | A. gyrostega | | Ifezouane Formation | Partial rostrum and mandible, with additional referred jaw fragments | A possible chaoyangopterid azhdarchoid pterosaur. Originally believed to be a possible pteranodontid, a possible dsungaripterid, a possible non-azhdarchid azhdarchoid or nyctosaurid, or a specimen of Alanqa saharica. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Azhdarchidae indet. | Indeterminate | | | Numerous middle cervical vertebrae and a femur. | Indicative of multiple taxa. Some of these vertebrae may pertain to Alanqa saharica. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Azhdarchoidea indet. | "Jaw morphotype A" | | | Two jaw fragments | Different from all named Kem Kem pterosaur taxa | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Azhdarchoidea indet. | "Jaw morphotype B" | | | Partial mandible fragment | Probably had a similarly long jaw to Leptostomia | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Azhdarchoidea indet. | "Jaw morphotype C" | | | Partial jaw fragments | May belong to Apatorhamphus or Xericeps | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Azhdarchoidea indet. | Indeterminate | | | Five cervical vertebrae, a scapulocoracoid, two humeri, two ulnae, a metacarpal IV, and a tibiotarsus | | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Coloborhynchus | C. sp. A. | Hassi El Begaa | | Premaxillae fragment | Possibly a specimen of Nicorhynchus fluviferox. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Leptostomia | L. begaaensis | Aferdou N’ Chaft | upper Ifezouane Formation | Partial rostrum and partial mandibular synthesis | A small, long-beaked pterosaur, likely a member of Azhdarchoidea. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Nicorhynchus | N. fluviferox | Possibly Aferdou N’Chaft, Hassi El Begaa | Ifezouane Formation | An anterior portion of the rostrum. | Originally described as a species of Coloborhynchus but subsequently transferred to the genus Nicorhynchus. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Ornithocheirus | O. cf. simus. | | upper Ifezouane Formation | Premaxillae fragment | | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Siroccopteryx | S. moroccensis | | | Anterior part of a rostrum | Classified by some authors as a species belonging to the genus Coloborhynchus. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |
| Xericeps | X. curvirostra | Aferdou N'Chaft | Ifezouane Formation | Mandibular symphysis and partial mandible | An indeterminate azhdarchoid, possibly a chaoyangopterid. | Afrotapejara zouhri Akharhynchus martilli Alanqa saharica Anhanguera ColoborhynchusLeptostomiaOrnithocheirus |