First Occurrence of Tetrapod Footprints from Westphalian Strata of the Sidi Kassem Basin,Central Morocco |
| |
Authors: | Abdelouahed Lagnaoui Sebastian Voigt Hafid Saber Jörg W Schneider |
| |
Institution: | 1. Laboratory of Geodynamic and Variscan Geosciences, Department of Geology, Choua?b Doukkali University, El Jadida, Morocco;2. Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federationabdelouahedlagnaoui@yahoo.fr;4. Urweltmuseum GEOSKOP/Burg Lichtenberg (Pfalz), Thallichtenberg, Germany;5. Kazan Federal University, Kazan, Russian Federation;6. Geological Institute, Freiberg, Germany |
| |
Abstract: | The Sidi Kassem Basin is the only limnic basin of Westphalian age in Morocco. It is built up of 1,250 m of alluvio-fluvial to lacustrine deposits that have so far yielded plant fossils and invertebrate remains only. Recent exploration for fossil tetrapod footprints in floodplain-deposits of the basin revealed a moderately diverse vertebrate ichnofauna composed of tracks assigned to cf. Batrachichnus Woodworth, 1900; cf. Hylopus Dawson, 1882; Dimetropus Romer and Price, 1940; and Notalacerta Butts, 1891. The tracks can be referred to temnospondyl, anamniote reptiliomorph, non-therapsid synapsid (pelycosaur), and captorhinomorph trackmakers. The described ichnoassemblage is important in at least three aspects: (1) It suggests an Early to mid-Pennsylvanian age for the footprint-bearing strata of the study area. (2) It is the oldest association of tetrapod footprints from Africa. (3) It is the first evidence of the relatively rare ichnogenera cf. Hylopus and Notalacerta outside of North America and Europe. Judged from the variety of tetrapod tracks and previously collected floral remains, the Sidi Kassem Basin must have represented a well-established continental ecosystem during Pennsylvanian time. Further exploration for trace and body fossils of Palaeozoic vertebrates in this basin may be important for the reconstruction of early tetrapod evolution. |
| |
Keywords: | Vertebrate ichnology Early tetrapods Biostratigraphy Palaeoecology Late Carboniferous NW Africa |
|
|