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

Late Triassic ichnoassemblage from a playa-lake system of the Coastal Meseta, Morocco: Palaeoenvironmental and palaeoecological implications

© 2020 Elsevier Ltd Here we present the first comprehensive ichnotaxonomic analysis of a Late Triassic playa system from the Sidi Saïd Maachou Basin, Coastal Meseta (Western Meseta, Morocco). The Late Triassic deposits consist of sediments deposited in various nonmarine environments dominated by dry red-bed facies. These deposits yielded, so far, an ichnoassemblage consisting of the invertebrate ichnogenera Cochlichnus, Cruziana, Diplichnites, Rusophycus, Palaeophycus, and Taenidium associated with the tetrapod tracks Brachychirotherium and Rhynchosauroides. These invertebrate and vertebrate trace fossils are preserved in concave epirelief and convex hyporelief on upper and lower surfaces of laminated mudstones and fine-grained sandstones. The invertebrate ichnofossils were probably made subaqueously and indicate different behaviours of the tracemakers: walking (cursichnium, Acripes), resting (cubichnium, Rusophycus) and combined locomotion-feeding or plowing (pascichnium, Cruziana). Additionally, many other fossils are collected from the same formation, including plant impressions, rhizoliths and fish scales. The invertebrate ichnoassemblage described herein is referred to the Scoyenia ichnofacies, which indicates opportunistic behaviours in temporarily or periodically inundated nonmarine environments, such as playa systems, floodplains and lake margins. The invertebrate ichnoassemblage reported here is the first well documented from the Sidi Saïd Maachou Basin and the Late Triassic of Morocco in general. The strata have a high potential to yield other ichnoassemblages, therefore further exploration is needed

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

The Late Triassic archosaur ichnogenus Brachychirotherium: first complete step cycles from Morocco, North Africa, with implications for trackmaker identification and ichnotaxonomy

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Complete trackways of the Late Triassic archosaur ichnogenus Brachychirotherium are extremely rare and thus far mostly known from North America, though isolated imprints are abundant. Complete step cycles have been found on the upper and lower bedding surfaces in laminated mudstones and fine-grained sandstones of the lowermost part of the Machraa Abbass Member of the Oued Oum Er Rbiaa Formation (Late Triassic). This is the first complete trackway of the ichnogenus in North Africa. The tetrapod footprints are assigned to B. parvum and B. thuringiacum, based on the presence of diagnostic features of these ichnospecies, such as the orientation of pedal digit V. Supposed trackmakers are archosaurs of the crocodile stem-group (Crurotarsi) that were widely spread over the Triassic Pangea. Associated tetrapod ichnofauna from the unit consists of small-sized Rhynchosauroides (archosauromorph/lepidosauromorph) tracks

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

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

The Late Triassic archosaur ichnogenus Brachychirotherium: first complete step cycles from Morocco, North Africa, with implications for trackmaker identification and ichnotaxonomy

© 2019, © 2019 Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group. Complete trackways of the Late Triassic archosaur ichnogenus Brachychirotherium are extremely rare and thus far mostly known from North America, though isolated imprints are abundant. Complete step cycles have been found on the upper and lower bedding surfaces in laminated mudstones and fine-grained sandstones of the lowermost part of the Machraa Abbass Member of the Oued Oum Er Rbiaa Formation (Late Triassic). This is the first complete trackway of the ichnogenus in North Africa. The tetrapod footprints are assigned to B. parvum and B. thuringiacum, based on the presence of diagnostic features of these ichnospecies, such as the orientation of pedal digit V. Supposed trackmakers are archosaurs of the crocodile stem-group (Crurotarsi) that were widely spread over the Triassic Pangea. Associated tetrapod ichnofauna from the unit consists of small-sized Rhynchosauroides (archosauromorph/lepidosauromorph) tracks

First record of permian continental trace fossils in the jebilet massif, Morocco

The south-central Moroccan Jebilet Massif comprises several occurrences of late Paleozoic continental red-beds. These deposits have been interpreted to be of Pennsylvanian-Permian age based on lithofacies. Any other reliable age constraint for these rocks was hitherto lacking. Recent fieldwork in late Paleozoic red-beds of the Koudiat El Hamra - Haiane Basin, near the center of the Jebilet Massif, yielded a remarkable association of continental trace fossils. The assemblage includes invertebrate traces (Helminthoidichnites tenuis, Scoyenia gracilis, Sphaerapus larvalis and cf. Spongeliomorpha isp.) as well as tetrapod footprints (cf. Batrachichnus isp, Dromopus lacertoides, Hyloidichnus bifurcatus and cf. Tambachichnium isp.). The tetrapod footprints suggest a late early Permian (Artinskian) to middle Permian (Capitanian) age of the fossil-bearing strata. The Koudiat El Hamra - Haiane fossil ichnofauna is similar to the one from the north-central Moroccan Tiddas Basin, leading to the possibility that both basins developed contemporaneously

First record of permian continental trace fossils in the jebilet massif, Morocco

The south-central Moroccan Jebilet Massif comprises several occurrences of late Paleozoic continental red-beds. These deposits have been interpreted to be of Pennsylvanian-Permian age based on lithofacies. Any other reliable age constraint for these rocks was hitherto lacking. Recent fieldwork in late Paleozoic red-beds of the Koudiat El Hamra - Haiane Basin, near the center of the Jebilet Massif, yielded a remarkable association of continental trace fossils. The assemblage includes invertebrate traces (Helminthoidichnites tenuis, Scoyenia gracilis, Sphaerapus larvalis and cf. Spongeliomorpha isp.) as well as tetrapod footprints (cf. Batrachichnus isp, Dromopus lacertoides, Hyloidichnus bifurcatus and cf. Tambachichnium isp.). The tetrapod footprints suggest a late early Permian (Artinskian) to middle Permian (Capitanian) age of the fossil-bearing strata. The Koudiat El Hamra - Haiane fossil ichnofauna is similar to the one from the north-central Moroccan Tiddas Basin, leading to the possibility that both basins developed contemporaneously

Polyonyx-like tracks from Middle-?Upper Jurassic red beds of Morocco: Implications for sauropod communities on southern margins of tethys

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. A new dinosaur tracksite is reported from continental red beds of the Jurassic (Late Bathonian-?Callovian) Isli Formation along the northern flank of the Aït Ali ou Ikkou Syncline of the Imilchil area, Central High Atlas, Morocco. The succession was deposited in a fluvio-lacustrine environment, and contains at least fourteen track-bearing levels. The diverse dinosaur-dominated ichnofauna includes the footprints of crocodylomorphs, pterosaurs, theropods, sauropods and ornithischians, together with numerous invertebrate traces. Here, we focus on a long sauropod trackway, which comprises nine consecutive manus-pes sets preserved as concave epireliefs. The low heteropody and asymmetry of manus prints with a large digit I (pollex) impression oriented medially, and a large triangular claw trace, which is posteriorly oriented, are characteristic of the ichnogenus Polyonyx. Different from typical Polyonyx is the narrow gauge pattern compared to the wide gauge observed in the type trackway from Portugal. Additional material from Morocco, similar to Polyonyx, comprises the trackway of a very small (?juvenile) individual found close to the main trackway, as well as a short trackway from a different locality in the Isli Formation. Our data from the Moroccan High Atlas indicates the presence of basal eusauropods in the Middle Jurassic-Early Cretaceous interval in the northwestern part of Gondwana for the first time, and suggests they inhabited a lacustrine paleoenvironment