Mugher Mudstone

{{Short description|Late Jurassic geological formation in Ethiopia}}

{{Infobox rockunit

| name = Mugher Mudstone

| image =

| caption =

| type = Geological formation

| period = Tithonian

| age = {{fossilrange|Tithonian|Tithonian|Tithonian}}

| prilithology = Mudstone, sandstone

| otherlithology = Gypsum, dolomite, shale (base)

| namedfor =

| namedby =

| region = Shewa

| country = {{ETH}}

| coordinates = {{coord|9.5|N|38.6|E|display=inline,title}}

| paleocoordinates = {{coord|12.3|S|24.8|E|display=inline}}

| unitof =

| subunits =

| underlies = Debre Libanos Sandstone, Amba Aradam Formation

| overlies = Antalo Limestone

| thickness = {{convert|320|m|ft|abbr=on}}

| extent = Ethiopian Highlands

| area =

| map = {{Location map+ | Ethiopia

| relief = 1

| width = 250

| float = center

| places =

{{Location map~ | Ethiopia

| lat_deg = 9.5

| lon_deg = 38.6

| mark = Cyan pog.svg

| marksize = 12

}}

}}

| map_caption =

}}

The Mugher Mudstone is a geologic formation located in Ethiopia. It dates to the Tithonian stage of the Late Jurassic. The lithology consists of gypsum, dolomite and shale alternations at the base, overlain by mudstone intercalated with fine to medium grained sandstone.{{Cite journal|last=Assefa|first=Getaneh|date=1991-08-10|title=Lithostratigraphy and environment of deposition of the Late Jurassic - Early Cretaceous sequence of the central part of Northwestern Plateau, Ethiopia|journal=Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie - Abhandlungen|volume=182|issue=3|pages=255–284|doi=10.1127/njgpa/182/1991/255|issn=0077-7749}}

Indeterminate dromaeosaurid teeth are known from the formation.{{cite web|last=Mortimer|first=Mickey|title=List of Dromaeosaurids|url=http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Dromaeosaurs.htm#Dromaeosauridae|accessdate=March 27, 2014|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140728080203/http://archosaur.us/theropoddatabase/Dromaeosaurs.htm#Dromaeosauridae|archivedate=July 28, 2014}} Many other remains have been uncovered also, including indeterminate ornithopods and allosauroids.{{Cite journal|last1=Goodwin|first1=Mark B.|last2=Clemens|first2=William A.|last3=Hutchison|first3=J. Howard|last4=Wood|first4=Craig B.|last5=Zavada|first5=Michael S.|last6=Kemp|first6=Anne|last7=Duffin|first7=Christopher J.|last8=Schaff|first8=Charles R.|date=1999-12-13|title=Mesozoic continental vertebrates with associated palynostratigraphic dates from the northwestern Ethiopian plateau|journal=Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology|volume=19|issue=4|pages=728–741|doi=10.1080/02724634.1999.10011185|bibcode=1999JVPal..19..728G |issn=0272-4634}} The tooth of a macronarian sauropod is known from the formation{{Cite journal|last1=Goodwin|first1=Mark B.|last2=Irmis|first2=Randall B.|last3=Wilson|first3=Gregory P.|last4=DeMar|first4=David G.|last5=Melstrom|first5=Keegan|last6=Rasmussen|first6=Cornelia|last7=Atnafu|first7=Balemwal|last8=Alemu|first8=Tadesse|last9=Alemayehu|first9=Million|date=November 2019|title=The first confirmed sauropod dinosaur from Ethiopia discovered in the Upper Jurassic Mugher Mudstone|journal=Journal of African Earth Sciences|volume=159|pages=103571|doi=10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2019.103571|doi-access=free|bibcode=2019JAfES.15903571G }}