New discoveries of archosaur and other tetrapod footprints from the Timezgadiouine Formation (Irohalene Member, Upper Triassic) of the Argana Basin, western High Atlas, Morocco - Ichnotaxonomic implications

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.New discoveries of tetrapod footprints from the Irohalene Member (T5, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of the Timezgadiouine Formation near Irohalene (Argana Basin, Morocco) are assigned to Parachirotherium isp., Atreipus-Grallator isp. (Dinosauromorpha), Brachychirotherium isp. (crocodylian-stem archosaurs), Apatopus lineatus (phytosaurs) and Rhynchosauroides (lepidosauromorphs/archosauromorphs). Parachirotherium is present on the surfaces with different tetradactyl-pentadactyl extramorphological variations, similar to the preservation mode observed at the type locality of the ichnogenus in the Middle Triassic of the European Germanic Basin. Described specimens permit a re-evaluation of footprints described earlier from the Irohalene locality that are synonymized here with Parachirotherium and Atreipus-Grallator. The presence of Brachychirotherium is the second record in North Africa and Morocco. The assemblage is similar in composition to other T5 localities and to some ichnofaunas in North America and central Europe. Biostratigraphically, the occurrence of Brachychirotherium indicates the respective biochron that can be cross-correlated with the Carnian-Rhaetian interval

Late Carboniferous Tetrapod Footprints from the Souss Basin, Western High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLCThe Late Carboniferous Souss Basin of south-central Morocco exhibits an approximately 1,800 m thick succession of fluvial and lacustrine deposits that have yielded diverse fossil remains of plants, insects, conchostracans, ostracods, jellyfish, fishes, and few tetrapod footprints. Recent exploration of ichnofossils of the Souss Basin led to the discovery of several trampled surfaces including tetrapod footprints assigned to the plexus Batrachichnus (Woodworth, 1900). Limnopus (Marsh, 1894), Dimetropus (Romer and Price, 1940), and Ichniotherium (Pohlig, 1892). These footprints can be referred to temnospondyl, basal synapsid (“pelycosaurian”), and diadectomorph trackmakers. The moderately diverse tetrapod footprint assemblage from the Souss Basin is important because it is the second-oldest record of tetrapod footprints from Africa and only the second record of the well-known ichnogenus Ichniotherium from outside of North America and Europe. Based on the variety of tetrapod tracks and previously collected floral and insect remains, the Souss Basin must have represented a well-established continental ecosystem during the Late Carboniferous

First African record of micromelerpetid amphibians (Temnospondyli, Dissorophoidea)

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Recent fieldwork in late Carboniferous (Kasimovian) continental sediments of the Souss Basin, south-central Morocco, yielded two skeletons of small branchiosaur-like micromelerpetids. It is the first record of this European dissorophoid temnospondyl family in Africa and the stratigraphically oldest record of tetrapods in the Maghreb. The Moroccan micromelerpetid skeletons are assigned to the new species Branchierpeton saberi which is specifically unique by five cranial characters combined with a distinct shape of humerus and interclavicle. The new African micromelerpetid suggests that long-distance migration in the late Paleozoic Variscan mountain belt was possible even for small, mainly aquatic temnospondyls. The new Branchierpeton species might be of biostratigraphic value as a Kasimovian index fossil

Phyloblattidae and Compsoblattidae (Insecta, Blattodea) from the late Carboniferous Souss basin, Morocco

Copyright © 2019, The Paleontological SocietyÂ. The Late Pennsylvanian (Kasimovian, early Stephanian) sub-to perimontaneous Souss basin, situated in the present-day southwestern High Atlas mountains of Morocco, contains the hitherto only known late Paleozoic entomofauna from North Africa, which is simultaneously also the southernmost Euramerican entomofauna. The present study provides descriptions, identifications, and revisions of several species belonging to the genera Phyloblatta and Anthracoblattina (family Phyloblattidae) and of the genus Compsoblatta (family Compsoblattidae). A relatively large number of well-preserved Phyloblatta forewings, compared with congeneric species from several insect localities in Europe and North America, permits insights into the individual, intraspecific, and interspecific variability of the venation pattern as indispensable base for the description of the new specimens and the revision of several older species. The Souss insect beds cover a wide range of potential habitats. They are situated in different paleogeographical positions within the Souss basin and scattered across a 900 m thick succession of sediments. The single insect beds represent different sedimentary and biotic subenvironments from swamps and mires to shallow and deep lakes within a fluvial-dominated megaenvironment

Phyloblattidae and Compsoblattidae (Insecta, Blattodea) from the late Carboniferous Souss basin, Morocco

Copyright © 2019, The Paleontological SocietyÂ. The Late Pennsylvanian (Kasimovian, early Stephanian) sub-to perimontaneous Souss basin, situated in the present-day southwestern High Atlas mountains of Morocco, contains the hitherto only known late Paleozoic entomofauna from North Africa, which is simultaneously also the southernmost Euramerican entomofauna. The present study provides descriptions, identifications, and revisions of several species belonging to the genera Phyloblatta and Anthracoblattina (family Phyloblattidae) and of the genus Compsoblatta (family Compsoblattidae). A relatively large number of well-preserved Phyloblatta forewings, compared with congeneric species from several insect localities in Europe and North America, permits insights into the individual, intraspecific, and interspecific variability of the venation pattern as indispensable base for the description of the new specimens and the revision of several older species. The Souss insect beds cover a wide range of potential habitats. They are situated in different paleogeographical positions within the Souss basin and scattered across a 900 m thick succession of sediments. The single insect beds represent different sedimentary and biotic subenvironments from swamps and mires to shallow and deep lakes within a fluvial-dominated megaenvironment

First African record of micromelerpetid amphibians (Temnospondyli, Dissorophoidea)

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Recent fieldwork in late Carboniferous (Kasimovian) continental sediments of the Souss Basin, south-central Morocco, yielded two skeletons of small branchiosaur-like micromelerpetids. It is the first record of this European dissorophoid temnospondyl family in Africa and the stratigraphically oldest record of tetrapods in the Maghreb. The Moroccan micromelerpetid skeletons are assigned to the new species Branchierpeton saberi which is specifically unique by five cranial characters combined with a distinct shape of humerus and interclavicle. The new African micromelerpetid suggests that long-distance migration in the late Paleozoic Variscan mountain belt was possible even for small, mainly aquatic temnospondyls. The new Branchierpeton species might be of biostratigraphic value as a Kasimovian index fossil

New discoveries of archosaur and other tetrapod footprints from the Timezgadiouine Formation (Irohalene Member, Upper Triassic) of the Argana Basin, western High Atlas, Morocco - Ichnotaxonomic implications

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.New discoveries of tetrapod footprints from the Irohalene Member (T5, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of the Timezgadiouine Formation near Irohalene (Argana Basin, Morocco) are assigned to Parachirotherium isp., Atreipus-Grallator isp. (Dinosauromorpha), Brachychirotherium isp. (crocodylian-stem archosaurs), Apatopus lineatus (phytosaurs) and Rhynchosauroides (lepidosauromorphs/archosauromorphs). Parachirotherium is present on the surfaces with different tetradactyl-pentadactyl extramorphological variations, similar to the preservation mode observed at the type locality of the ichnogenus in the Middle Triassic of the European Germanic Basin. Described specimens permit a re-evaluation of footprints described earlier from the Irohalene locality that are synonymized here with Parachirotherium and Atreipus-Grallator. The presence of Brachychirotherium is the second record in North Africa and Morocco. The assemblage is similar in composition to other T5 localities and to some ichnofaunas in North America and central Europe. Biostratigraphically, the occurrence of Brachychirotherium indicates the respective biochron that can be cross-correlated with the Carnian-Rhaetian interval

New discoveries of archosaur and other tetrapod footprints from the Timezgadiouine Formation (Irohalene Member, Upper Triassic) of the Argana Basin, western High Atlas, Morocco - Ichnotaxonomic implications

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.New discoveries of tetrapod footprints from the Irohalene Member (T5, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of the Timezgadiouine Formation near Irohalene (Argana Basin, Morocco) are assigned to Parachirotherium isp., Atreipus-Grallator isp. (Dinosauromorpha), Brachychirotherium isp. (crocodylian-stem archosaurs), Apatopus lineatus (phytosaurs) and Rhynchosauroides (lepidosauromorphs/archosauromorphs). Parachirotherium is present on the surfaces with different tetradactyl-pentadactyl extramorphological variations, similar to the preservation mode observed at the type locality of the ichnogenus in the Middle Triassic of the European Germanic Basin. Described specimens permit a re-evaluation of footprints described earlier from the Irohalene locality that are synonymized here with Parachirotherium and Atreipus-Grallator. The presence of Brachychirotherium is the second record in North Africa and Morocco. The assemblage is similar in composition to other T5 localities and to some ichnofaunas in North America and central Europe. Biostratigraphically, the occurrence of Brachychirotherium indicates the respective biochron that can be cross-correlated with the Carnian-Rhaetian interval

New discoveries of archosaur and other tetrapod footprints from the Timezgadiouine Formation (Irohalene Member, Upper Triassic) of the Argana Basin, western High Atlas, Morocco - Ichnotaxonomic implications

© 2016 Elsevier B.V.New discoveries of tetrapod footprints from the Irohalene Member (T5, Upper Triassic, Carnian) of the Timezgadiouine Formation near Irohalene (Argana Basin, Morocco) are assigned to Parachirotherium isp., Atreipus-Grallator isp. (Dinosauromorpha), Brachychirotherium isp. (crocodylian-stem archosaurs), Apatopus lineatus (phytosaurs) and Rhynchosauroides (lepidosauromorphs/archosauromorphs). Parachirotherium is present on the surfaces with different tetradactyl-pentadactyl extramorphological variations, similar to the preservation mode observed at the type locality of the ichnogenus in the Middle Triassic of the European Germanic Basin. Described specimens permit a re-evaluation of footprints described earlier from the Irohalene locality that are synonymized here with Parachirotherium and Atreipus-Grallator. The presence of Brachychirotherium is the second record in North Africa and Morocco. The assemblage is similar in composition to other T5 localities and to some ichnofaunas in North America and central Europe. Biostratigraphically, the occurrence of Brachychirotherium indicates the respective biochron that can be cross-correlated with the Carnian-Rhaetian interval

Late Carboniferous Tetrapod Footprints from the Souss Basin, Western High Atlas Mountains, Morocco

© 2017 Taylor & Francis Group, LLCThe Late Carboniferous Souss Basin of south-central Morocco exhibits an approximately 1,800 m thick succession of fluvial and lacustrine deposits that have yielded diverse fossil remains of plants, insects, conchostracans, ostracods, jellyfish, fishes, and few tetrapod footprints. Recent exploration of ichnofossils of the Souss Basin led to the discovery of several trampled surfaces including tetrapod footprints assigned to the plexus Batrachichnus (Woodworth, 1900). Limnopus (Marsh, 1894), Dimetropus (Romer and Price, 1940), and Ichniotherium (Pohlig, 1892). These footprints can be referred to temnospondyl, basal synapsid (“pelycosaurian”), and diadectomorph trackmakers. The moderately diverse tetrapod footprint assemblage from the Souss Basin is important because it is the second-oldest record of tetrapod footprints from Africa and only the second record of the well-known ichnogenus Ichniotherium from outside of North America and Europe. Based on the variety of tetrapod tracks and previously collected floral and insect remains, the Souss Basin must have represented a well-established continental ecosystem during the Late Carboniferous