The Environmental Atlas of Abu Dhabi Emirate

52°30'E

53°E

53°30'E

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54°30'E

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L ATE M IOCENE F OSSIL S ITES A NCIENT F OSSILS

Abu Dhabi Emirate has the richest exposure of Late Miocene fossil deposits in the Arabian Peninsula. These fossils are contained within geological deposits known locally as the Baynunah Formation. Scientists dated these deposits using palaeomagnetic methods and by comparing particular fauna fossils with similar fossils found elsewhere, to between

6–8 million years ago. At that time Abu Dhabi resembled modern day East Africa, with giant rivers sweeping through a savannah-like landscape providing opportunities for a wide variety of animals like elephants, hippopotami, giraffes and antelopes whose descendants no longer live in the region today.

A r a b i a n G u l f

Abu Dhabi

Dalma

24°30'N

24°30'N

Sir Bani Yas

Musaffah

Marawah

Bani Yas

Jebel Dhanna

Hamra

Shuweihat

Ruwais

Ra’s Dubayah

Tarif

24°N

24°N

Crocodile Skull Crocodile skull from Shuweihat

Elephant Tooth Elephant ( Stegotetrabelodon syrticus ) tooth, 3 rd molar, from Ra’s Dubayah

Habshan

Ghayathi

Monkey Tooth Monkey ( Cercopithecid ) canine from Jebel Dhanna

Madinat Zayed

Antelope Jaw Bone Antelope ( Pachyportax ) jaw from Hamra

Bu Hasa

23°30'N

23°30'N

Elephant Tusk Elephant ( Stegotetrabelodon syrticus ) tusk from Ruwais

Towns

Large/Medium Towns

Roads

Dual Carriageway

Late Miocene Fossil Site

Baynunah Formation

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0

20

40 Kilometres

52°30'E

53°E

53°30'E

54°E

54°30'E