Contrasting Paleoproterozoic granitoids in the Kerdous, Tagragra d’Akka, Agadir-Melloul and Iguerda inliers (western Anti-Atlas, Morocco)

International audienceThe northern margin of the West African Craton is characterized by Paleoproterozoic siliciclastic sediments intruded by ca. 2.1-2.0 Ga Eburnean granitoids. New geochronological data highlight the occurrence of a Rhyacian (2.10 Ga) tonalitic to trondhjemitic magmatic suite, following a coeval Orosirian (2.040-2.035 Ga) magmatic suite composed of calc-alkaline diorites, mesocratic granites and leucogranites.Whole-rock major and trace element compositions indicate that: (i) the Rhyacian tonalites and trondhjemites suggest a subduction environment, an island-arc arc or an active continental margin; (ii) the Orosirian plutonic rocks show a geochemical heterogeneity; (iii) the chemical features of diorites correspond to calc-alkaline M-type suites; (iv) granodiorites and granites are typical calc-alkaline I-type granitoids, and (iv) leucogranites, with peraluminous composition, reflect a crustal melting.While the Rhyacian magmatic event indicates a subduction environment, the Orosirian magmatic event is more complex, and the geochemical signatures imply involvement of mantellic magmas and crustal melting. The contemporaneity of these Orosirian magmatic suites and their siliciclastic sedimentary host-rocks suggest a back-arc geodynamic context, similar to what was described in the Reguibat Rise, Mauritania

Geochronological constraints on the polycyclic magmatism in the Bou Azzer-El Graara inlier (Central Anti-Atlas Morocco)

International audienceNew U-Pb SHRIMP zircon ages from the Bou Azzer-El Graara onlier constrains the Neoproterozoic evolution of the Anti-Atlas during Pan-African orogenesis. Within the Central Anti-Atlas, the Bou Azzer-El Graara inlier exposes a dismembered ophiolite, long considered to mark a late Neoproterozoic suture between the West African Craton in the south, and Neoproterozoic arcs to the north. From north to south, this inlier includes four main geological units: a volcanic-arc, an ophiolite, a metamorphic complex and a continental platform. Several plutons intrude the volcanic-arc, the ophiolite, the metamorphic complex, and post-orogenic volcanic and sedimentary deposits unconformably cover these terranes. The age of the volcanic-arc is reported here for the first time. Analyses of zircon of two rhyolites provide ages of 761 ± 7 Ma and 767 ± 7 Ma. Zircons from two gneisses provide dates of 755 ± 9 Ma and 745 ± 5 Ma. Both dates are considered best estimates of the crystallization ages of their igneous protoliths. Analyses of zircon from two granitic bodies, which crosscut gneisses, provide younger dates of 702 ± 5 Ma and 695 ± 7 Ma. The age of an aplitic body of the ophiolite is reported here for the first time, as 658 ± 8 Ma (SHRIMP U-Pb on zircons). Theses ages suggest the existence of three distinct orogenic events during Cryogenian times: (i) 770-760 Ma Tasriwine-Tichibanine orogeny with rollback of the subducting oceanic plate, leading to the formation of back-arc basins; (ii) 755-695 Ma Iriri-n'Bougmmane orogeny; and (iii) the 660-640 Ma Bou Azzer orogeny involving the formation and the emplacement of the Bou Azer ophiolite. During Ediacaran times, the Bou Azzer-El Graara inlier is characterized with the development of a continental volcanic arc between 630 and 580 Ma (Bou Lbarod Group, 625 ± 8 Ma; Bleïda granodiorite, 586 ± 15 Ma), and strike-slip pull-apart basins (Tiddiline Group, 606 ± 4 Ma and 606 ± 5 Ma). These volcanic and sedimentary Lower Ediacaran sequences are deformed before the felsic pyroclastic deposits of the Ouarzazate Group (567 ± 5 Ma and 566 ± 4 Ma). Finally, the Ouarzazate Group is overlain by early Cambrian volcanic deposits of the Jbel Boho Formation (541 ± 6 Ma)

HLA-C Genotyping Reveals Haplotype C*07 as a Potential Biomarker of Late Psoriasis Onset in Moroccan Patients

Psoriasis still has an unknown etiology. Genetic predisposition shows the association between HLA-Cw6 allele and psoriasis. Although biotherapies have been proven effective in psoriasis treatment, methotrexate (MTX) is still used as a first-line systemic therapy due to its efficacy/affordability, but the differential response to MTX is mostly related to interindividual genetic variability and remains an issue. Our study aimed to analyze HLA-C allele frequencies in a sample of Moroccan psoriatic patients and assess the therapeutic response to MTX. Whole blood of 54 Moroccan psoriatic patients was collected and DNA was extracted. Patients’ HLA-C locus was genotyped by PCR-SSO. Results were analyzed with Luminex xMAP Technology and Match-it DNA Evolution 3.4. HLA-C typing results of 77 sex- and age-matched unrelated non-psoriatic healthy subjects were included. We observed no difference in the allelic distribution of HLA-C between patients and healthy controls, suggesting that none of the HLA-C alleles were significantly associated with psoriasis. Moreover, the HLA-C*07 allele was associated with a late age at disease onset (>30 years old) (p = 0.007). No statistically significant association was found between HLA-C allele expression and response to MTX, despite a higher frequency of HLA-C*06 in responders compared to non-responders. Thus, HLA-C*07 could be a biomarker of late psoriasis onset in the Moroccan population

Revised stratigraphic framework for the lower Anti-Atlas Supergroup based on U–Pb geochronology of magmatic and detrital zircons (Zenaga and Bou Azzer-El Graara inliers, Anti-Atlas Belt, Morocco)

International audienceU–Pb geochronology of magmatic and detrital zircons (Zenaga and Bou Azzer-El Graara inliers, Anti-Atlas Belt, Morocco) and a reassessment of the published constraints suggest a revised stratigraphic framework for the lower Anti-Atlas Supergroup. Five major unconformity-bounded lithostratigraphic packages are here distinguished: the two lower units of Paleoproterozoic age are named the Tasserda-Taghatine Group (2030–1706 Ma) and the Oumoula (Mimount) Formation (ca. 1745–1650 Ma); the third unit of Paleoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic age (ca. 1650 to >883 Ma) is the Tizi n’Taghatine Group; the fourth and fifth units of Neoproterozoic age are the ca. 883 Ma Tachdamt and the ca. 700 Ma Bleida formations. Implications of this revised stratigraphic framework include: 1) the Tasserda-Taghatine Group might be linked to the post-orogenic collapse after the Eburnean Orogeny; 2) the Tizi n’Taghatine Group might be ca. 1.1 Ga in age based on proposed correlation with the Taoudeni Basin succession in Mauritania; 3) the Bleida Formation likely reflects deposition in the foreland basin at the early stage of the Pan-African Orogeny; 4) the Oumoula (Mimount) Formation, Tizi n’Taghatine Group, and Tachdamt Formation potentially record extensional events within the Nuna/Columbia and Rodinia supercontinents; 5) the provenance of the lower Anti-Atlas Supergroup (based on our new detrital zircon dating) is mainly from the West African craton along with possible contributions from other cratons such as Amazonia and the Sahara Metacraton; 6) the flood basalt sequence of the Tachdamt Formation likely belongs to the ca. 885-883 Ma intraplate Iguerda-Taïfast Large Igneous Province (LIP) event defined by previously dated dykes in the Iguerda and Taïfast inliers; and 7) the 1650 Ma Zenaga LIP can be potentially linked with LIP magmatism in Baltica and Laurentia