Fossils & Stratigraphy

The Dababiya Section, near Luxor in Upper Egypt, preserves one of the most complete and continuous records of the Paleocene–Eocene boundary, dating back about 55 million years. It was designated by the International Commission on Stratigraphy as the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point (GSSP) for the base of the Eocene, serving as the international reference for this critical interval in Earth’s history.
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The exposed strata consist of alternating marls, clays, and limestones, containing abundant microfossils such as foraminifera and calcareous nannoplankton. These fossils record rapid biological turnovers and environmental shifts linked to the Paleocene–Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) — a global warming event that reshaped marine ecosystems.

At Dababiya, scientists integrate biostratigraphy, lithostratigraphy, and isotopic analyses to correlate global rock sequences and reconstruct ancient climate dynamics. The section’s well-preserved fossils and clear stratigraphic markers make it a world-class natural archive, essential for understanding the links between climate change, ocean chemistry, and biodiversity through geological time.