by Norbert Brügge, Germany
A new fossil plant remain of "Lepidodendron" Djebel Uweinat 
During a trekking - tour in the Djebel Uweinat and the Gilf Kebir (Egypt) the author found in 2003, November 09, in the Djebel Uweinat a fossil stem of Lepidodendron sp. (Lycophyta). The original is now preserved in the collections of the Museum for Natural Science of the Humboldt - University in Berlin (Germany).
Location of discovery
The place of discovery is in the Egyptian part the Djebel Uweinat (NE), above the Wadi Karkur Talh, with approximately following geographical coordinates: Longitude 25° 03' 40" E Latitude 22° 01' 57" N
Age of the find The petrified stem remain was found between debris of sandstones and Basalt nearby of a clearly visible plug (Diapir) of Tertiary age. The find has approximately a measurement of 14 x 10 cm, is oval and covers all around with typical leaf - marks of "Lepidodendron". The material is composed of hardened red sandstone. It is a remarkable chance, that the fossil was exposed by high temperatures. A complete destruction of the sandstone was prevented by the hardening. 
Place of discovery
Age of the find  
The original of Lepidodendron Rubbing-image The exact age of all red sandstones in the Djebel Uweinat is finally not clarified. All deposits of red sandstone on plateaus in the Centrally Sahara (Tassili, Akacus, Djado, Ennedi, Gilf Kebir and Djebel Uweinat etc.) are continental, fluvial, deltaic to shallow marine deposits. They are classified generally as Paleozoic deposits (Cambro-Ordovician to Carboniferous). These unmistakable red sandstones are often clearly fluvio-continental of origin, proved by occurrence of cross-beddings. The most intense analysis up to now to the geological structure of Djebel Uweinat - Gilf Kebir region is described by KLITZSCH et al. in "Geology of Egypt" (1990).
In a profile at the northeastern part of the Djebel Uweinat (Wadi Karkur Talh) the author could ascertain, that the red sandstones were bedded directly "discordant" on the craton-basement (picture below). These sandstones were imbued by basaltic magma on the plateau. They are to be seen also in the landscape between Djebel Uweinat and Gilf Kebir in form of plugs (Clayton Craters) and dykes. In the Libyan part of the Djebel Uweinat granitic rocks replace the sandstones and Basement extensive.
The place of discovery the "Lepidodendron" is found approximately 60 m above the named profile in the Wadi Karkur Talh on the plateau with Devonian sandstones. This fossil stem-print of "Lepidodendron" is the first discovery in the region, which is of Devonian age. Lepidodendron (Lycophyta) is a tree - plant, which lived in the Upper Devonian and Carboniferous period.  
Djebel Uweinat, northern part of Karkur Talh: Discordance between Craton and Paleozoic Lepidodendron (artist's impression)
| 
Place of discovery in the strutural-geological context
| Addition |
| On left picture is to be seen a root of
Lepidodendron (Stigmaria). This root
was found in Carboniferous (?) layers
in the Djebel Uweinat
by Michael E. Brookfield, Canada.
An exact place of discovery was not
called.
New ample plant-prints were found
now (2007) by Andras Zboray, Hungary. The place of discovery is the interior
of a large Clayton Crater. This crater is
located in the area between Gilf Kebir
and Djebel Uweinat. The geographic
location of the layers is 25° 29' 25" E
and 22° 20' 15" N. He has found a
monotonous flora of aff. Pecopteris
from the Carboniferous age.
|
| | The most inclusive results up to now of found plant remains from field works 1977 - 1984 in the region of Djebel Uweinat and Gilf Kebir were published by KLITZSCH and LEJAL-NICOL in two articles. KLITZSCH, E. & LEJAL-NICOL, A. (1984) : Flora and fauna from strata in southern Egypt and northern Sudan (Nubia and surrounding areas).
Berliner geowiss. Abh., (A) 50, p. 47-79.
LEJAL-NICOL, A. (1987) : Flores nouvelles du Paleozoique et du Mesozoique D’Egypte et du Soudan septentrional.
Berliner geowiss. Abh., (A) 75.1, p. 151-248. The plant remains are described, determineted and photos were published.
The predominant quantity of the finds are Lycophyta (Lepidodendron etc.) of Lower Carboniferous age and they were found in the Wadi Abdel Malik (northern part of the Gilf Kebir = Abu Ras Plateau) and in the Karkur Murr (Djebel Uweinat). They were all found in a younger overlay of Carboniferous strata, which came transgressive from the Kufra Basin.
Some plant remains are evidently younger as the Carboniferous age. They were found also at the southern Gilf Kebir plateau (Aqaba passage). These deposits are classified as Upper Jurassic to Lower Cretaceous age consequently. KLITZSCH, E. & WYCISK, P. (1987) : Geology of the sedimentary basins of northern Sudan and bordering areas.
Berliner geowiss. Abh., (A) 75.1, p. 97-136. presented sedimentological and structural - geological developments for this area are described inclusively. The works are very deservingly.
Unfortunately statements to positions of the plant remains in the terrain and in the profiles are inaccurate or missing completely. The determination, that the deposits of the whole southern Gilf Kebir plateau are Upper Jurassic strata or Lower Cretaceous strata, is not proved (see).
It is for everybody not easy to organize the publications, therefore the plant remains are reproduced here, in the anticipated agreement with the authors Dr. Annie Lejal-Nicol, France, and Prof. Dr. Eberhard Klitzsch, Germany. |
Wadi Abdel Malik (Abu Ras Plateau =northern Gilf Kebir): | |
cf. Amadokia bureaui LEJAL-NICOL
|
Caenodendron primaevum ZALESSKY
|
Archaeosigillaria minuta LEJAL-NICOL
|
Lepidodendron volkmannianum STERNBERG
| |
cf. Heleniella costulata LEJAL
|
Cordaites sp.
|
Lepidosigillaria intermedia LEJAL
|
Lepidosigillaria intermedia LEJAL
| |
Prelepidodendron lepidodendropsis LEJAL
|
Prelepidodendron rhomboidale CORSIN
|
Prelepidodendron rhomboidale CORSIN
|
Lepidodendropsis hirmeri LUTZ
| |
Lepidodendropsis sinaica JONGMANS
|
Lepidodendropsis lissoni JONGMANS
|
Lepidodendropsis vandergrachti JONGMANS
| 
Triphyllopteris gothani DABER
| |
Eremopteris whitei BERRY; Um Ras Passage
|
Triphyllopteris gothani DABER
| |
Rhodea sp.
|
 
Eskdalia malikense LEJAL-NOCOL Eskdalia malikense LEJAL-NOCOL
| |
Pterophyllum obovatum FAKHR
Aqaba passage
| 
Cladophlebis aff. patagonica FRENGUELLI
Abu Ras Plateau
|
Cladophlebis oblonga HALLE
Abu Ras Plateau
|
Phlebopteris indica SAHNI
Aqaba passage
| | 
Phlebopteris polypodioides BRONGNIART
Aqaba passage
| 
Phlebopteris elegans PRESL
Aqaba passage
|
Weichselia reticulata STOCKS & WEBB
Aqaba passage
| | 
cf. Sagenopteris sp.
Abu Ras Plateau
|
Frenelopsis sp.
Abu Ras Plateau
| 
Pagiophyllum aff. peregrinum
Abu Ras Plateau
| 
cf. Podozamites sp.
Aqaba passage
| |
Podozamites sp.
Wadi Wassa
|
Podozamites sp.
Wadi Wassa
|
Phlebopteris muensteri HIRMER
Wadi Wassa
| | | The red marked pictures represent plant remains of late Jurassic or early Cretaceous age, which were found at Aqaba passage and south of Gilf Kebir (Wadi Wassa) as well as in the uppermost layers on top of northern part of Abu Ras Plateau. |
Djebel Uweinat and eastern foreland: | |
Eskdalia africana LEJAL-NICOL
|
Eskdalia malikense LEJAL-NICOL
|
Cyclostigma sp
|
Precyclostigma tadrartense LEJAL-NICOL
| |
Cyclostigma ungeri JONGMANS
|
Ursodendron aegyptiacum LEJAL-NICOL
|
Ursodendron aegyptiacum LEJAL-NICOL
| |
Archaeocalamites sp.
|
Eremopteris elegans E.L.
|
Lepidodendron veltheimi STERNBERG
|
 |
Articles 
Subscribe to this comment's feed