Lebanese Lagerstätte Fossils

While far less famous than other fossil sites exhibiting exquisite preservation, the sublithographic limestone deposits near Sahel Alma, Hajoula and Haqel, Lebanon have emerged to be recognized as truly world class. The strata date to the Cenomanian Stage of the Middle Cretaceous, some 93-97 million years ago. While best known for magnificant fish fossils, the site yield a wide diversity of other marine life, particularly invertebrates such as shrimp and lobsters. The deposits were made when the region was made up of warm and shallow seas with small basins. These deposits now rest some 270 meters below the current surface. Geologists now believe these basins had their origins at the intersection of block fault systems. The Baensch Fossil Atlas lists over 70 genera of fish found within these deposits, most all of which are known from unparalleled-quality specimens preserved in remarkable detail. While younger than Solhnofen, the Lebanese sublithographic limestone yield fossils of roughly equivalent details of preservation, though the better Solnhofen fossils are largely played out, and now only found in old collections.

Octopus fossils are found in the Lebanese Lagerstätte, and are greatly prized because these soft bodied animals (except for beak and vestigal shells in some species), are rarely preserved in any fossil site. Some plants are are found as fossils, though they are rare. Among the three distinct fossil localities, there is some overlap of fish genera, but many genera are locally unique. The sites were first noted in the scientific literature. In 2001, a pterosaur was described from the Hâqel site.