Research Background

Since 1979 an international team of palaeontologists and geologists have taken part in a research project, supported by the Abu Dhabi Company for Onshore Oil Operations (ADCO) and the UAE Ministry for Higher Education and Scientific Research, led by The Natural History Museum, London. Their work embraces three themes:

• 1. The geology and palaeontology of the Miocene (23 million to 5 million years ago) rocks found in the Western Region of Abu Dhabi.
• 2. The Eocene to Oligocene (30 to 50 million years ago) environment and fossils found at Jebel Hafit
• 3. The geology and palaeontology of the Cretaceous rocks (about 70 million years old) found in the Eastern Region of the UAE, bordering the foothills of the Hajar Mountains.

In addition, preliminary studies have been carried out on the 150 million year old fossils found in the Musandam region of the United Arab Emirates.