What was the Fayum Depression?
The Fayum is a depression below sea level, formed by wind erosion 1.8 million years ago, covering ca 12,000 km2. It consists of two lacustrine complexes, Birket Qarun and the two artificial Wadi el-Rayan lakes. Lake Qarun is a saline remnant of the historical freshwater Lake Moeris.
Where is the Fayum Depression and how is it significant in primate evolution?
The Fayum Depression in Egypt is an important site because it is where the first recorded anthropoids were found. The fossils found at this site were the first irrefutable higher primates, and had many of the traits expected of a higher primate.
What is Faiyum known for?
The Faiyum (also given as Fayoum, Fayum, and Faiyum Oasis) was a region of ancient Egypt known for its fertility and the abundance of plant and animal life.
What is important about the Oligocene site in Egypt The Fayum Depression as it relates to primate evolution?
Ongoing paleontological work in the Fayum area is of fundamental importance for our understanding of early primate evolution because ~80% of the primate species that are known from this extensive 8-million-year-long interval in Africa and Arabia have been found only at Fayum sites; several of these species are known …
What happened to the Faiyum?
The lake was eventually abandoned due to the nearest branch of the Nile dwindling in size from 230 BC.
How was Qattara depression formed?
The Qattara Depression was created by the interplay of salt weathering and wind erosion. Some 20 kilometres (10 mi) west of the depression lie the oases of Siwa in Egypt and Jaghbub in Libya in smaller but similar depressions.
Why is the Fayum Depression in Egypt such an important site for understanding the origin and diversification of anthropoid primates?
The Fayum depression in Egypt is such an important site for understanding the origin and diversification of anthropoid primates because it helped answer long-standing questions along with producing one of the most comprehensive pictures of habitats from the past for any place and any time in the world.
What is significant about the fossil beds at Fayum?
The Fayum primate fossils provide rare glimpses into important stages in primate evolutionary history, and should be of great interest to humanity in general. The broadest impact of this work will come through detailed analysis of these fossils and subsequent dissemination of this information into the public realm.
What is an unusual fact about Faiyum?
Faiyum is the source of some famous death masks or mummy portraits painted during the Roman occupation of the area. The Egyptians continued their practice of burying their dead, despite the Roman preference for cremation.
What kinds of fossils has the Fayum Depression yielded?
The Fayum desert has yielded fossils of these three primates: Oligopithecus, Apidium, and Aegyptopithecus.
What is an oasis in Egypt?
But here in Egypt, oases are a reality. An oasis is an isolated stretch of fertile ground and vegetation surrounded by desert. The elevation of this fertile area is low enough that the water table comes close to the surface, causing a natural spring.
What did the Qattara Depression do?
During World War II, the sinkhole proved crucial in the Allied victories at El Alamein. Its shifting sands are impassable to vehicles, which prevented the Germans from outflanking the British general Montgomery. The Qattara Depression is so low that it may someday be used to power much of Egypt.