<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><article article-type="normal" xml:lang="en">
   <front>
      <journal-meta>
         <journal-id journal-id-type="publisher-id">PALEVO</journal-id>
         <issn>1631-0683</issn>
         <publisher>
            <publisher-name>Elsevier</publisher-name>
         </publisher>
      </journal-meta>
      <article-meta>
         <article-id pub-id-type="pii">S1631-0683(06)00037-6</article-id>
         <article-id pub-id-type="doi">10.1016/j.crpv.2006.03.004</article-id>
         <article-categories>
            <subj-group subj-group-type="type">
               <subject>Research article</subject>
            </subj-group>
            <subj-group subj-group-type="heading">
               <subject>General Palaeontology / Paléontologie générale</subject>
            </subj-group>
            <series-title>General palaeontology</series-title>
         </article-categories>
         <title-group>
            <article-title>New Late Asbian/Early Brigantian (Late Visean, Mississippian) dates in the Mouchenkour Formation (central Morocco): palaeogeographical consequences</article-title>
         </title-group>
         <contrib-group content-type="authors">
            <contrib contrib-type="author" corresp="yes">
               <name>
                  <surname>Vachard</surname>
                  <given-names>Daniel</given-names>
               </name>
               <email>Daniel.Vachard@univ-lille1.fr</email>
               <xref rid="aff1" ref-type="aff">
                  <sup>a</sup>
               </xref>
            </contrib>
            <contrib contrib-type="author">
               <name>
                  <surname>Orberger</surname>
                  <given-names>Beate</given-names>
               </name>
               <xref rid="aff2" ref-type="aff">
                  <sup>b</sup>
               </xref>
            </contrib>
            <contrib contrib-type="author">
               <name>
                  <surname>Rividi</surname>
                  <given-names>Nicolas</given-names>
               </name>
               <xref rid="aff2" ref-type="aff">
                  <sup>b</sup>
               </xref>
            </contrib>
            <contrib contrib-type="author">
               <name>
                  <surname>Pille</surname>
                  <given-names>Lucie</given-names>
               </name>
               <xref rid="aff1" ref-type="aff">
                  <sup>a</sup>
               </xref>
            </contrib>
            <contrib contrib-type="author">
               <name>
                  <surname>Berkhli</surname>
                  <given-names>Mostafa</given-names>
               </name>
               <xref rid="aff3" ref-type="aff">
                  <sup>c</sup>
               </xref>
            </contrib>
            <aff-alternatives id="aff1">
               <aff>
                  <label>a</label> Laboratoire LP3, UMR 8014, Sciences de la Terre, université Lille-1, bâtiment SN5, 59655 Villeneuve-d'Ascq cedex, France</aff>
            </aff-alternatives>
            <aff-alternatives id="aff2">
               <aff>
                  <label>b</label> Département des sciences de la Terre, UMR IDES 81 48, université Paris-11, bâtiment 504, 92405 Orsay cedex, France</aff>
            </aff-alternatives>
            <aff-alternatives id="aff3">
               <aff>
                  <label>c</label> Département de géologie, faculté des sciences, université Moulay-Ismaïl, BP 4010, 5000 Meknès, Morocco</aff>
            </aff-alternatives>
         </contrib-group>
         <pub-date-not-available/>
         <volume>5</volume>
         <issue>6</issue>
         <issue-id pub-id-type="pii">S1631-0683(06)X0030-1</issue-id>
         <fpage seq="0" content-type="normal">769</fpage>
         <lpage content-type="normal">777</lpage>
         <history>
            <date date-type="received" iso-8601-date="2005-09-08"/>
            <date date-type="accepted" iso-8601-date="2006-02-28"/>
         </history>
         <permissions>
            <copyright-statement>© 2006 Académie des sciences. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.</copyright-statement>
            <copyright-year>2006</copyright-year>
            <copyright-holder>Académie des sciences</copyright-holder>
         </permissions>
         <self-uri xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" content-type="application/pdf" xlink:href="main.pdf">
                        Full (PDF)
                    </self-uri>
         <abstract abstract-type="author">
            <p>New datings of calcareous sandstone lenses and olistolites exposed in the middle part of the siliciclastic Mouchenkour Formation indicate a Late Asbian/Early Brigantian age (Cfm7/Cfm8 Moroccan biozone). The calcareous microfossil assemblages are characterized by the problematic algae <italic>Ungdarella</italic>, <italic>Fasciella</italic> and <italic>Koninckopora</italic> and foraminifers <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage), <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> and <italic>Eostaffella</italic>. An Asbian/Brigantian palaeogeography based on the depositional environments is reconstructed from northwest to southeast, from the Tizra to the Mouchenkour areas. The units, although in tectonic contacts, nearly preserve their initial location and relations. .</p>
         </abstract>
         <trans-abstract abstract-type="author" xml:lang="fr">
            <p>
               <bold>Nouvelles datations de l'Asbien supérieur/Brigantien inférieur (Viséen supérieur, Mississippien) dans la formation du Mouchenkour (Maroc central) : conséquences paléogéographiques.</bold> Des lentilles gréso-carbonatées et des olistolithes calcaires permettent d'attribuer un âge Asbien supérieur/Brigantien inférieur (biozone marocaine Cfm7) à la partie moyenne de la formation siliciclastique du Mouchenkour. Ces niveaux sont caractérisés par les algues problématiques <italic>Ungdarella</italic>, <italic>Fasciella</italic> et <italic>Koninckopora</italic> et les foraminifères <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (au stade concavus), <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> et <italic>Eostaffella</italic>. Un modèle fondé sur les relations des milieux de dépôt de l'Asbien/Brigantien local permet de reconstituer différentes unités paléogéographiques, du Tizra, au nord-ouest, au Mouchenkour, au sud-est. Le déplacement de ces unités est probablement très faible et a peu modifié leurs relations initiales. .</p>
         </trans-abstract>
         <kwd-group>
            <unstructured-kwd-group>Biostratigraphy, Algae, Foraminifers, Palaeogeography, Late Visean, Morocco</unstructured-kwd-group>
         </kwd-group>
         <kwd-group xml:lang="fr">
            <unstructured-kwd-group>Biostratigraphie, Algues, Foraminifères, Paléogéographie, Viséen supérieur, Maroc</unstructured-kwd-group>
         </kwd-group>
         <custom-meta-group>
            <custom-meta>
               <meta-name>presented</meta-name>
               <meta-value>Présenté par Jean Dercourt</meta-value>
            </custom-meta>
         </custom-meta-group>
      </article-meta>
   </front>
   <body>
      <sec xml:lang="fr">
         <title>Version française abrégée</title>
         <p>Dans le Nord-Ouest du Maroc (feuille 1:50 000 de Bou Chber), la biostratigraphie du Mississippien (Carbonifère inférieur) du secteur de l'Adarouch, au sud-ouest de Fès (Fig. 1A), est bien établie, grâce aux foraminifères et algues des séries argilo-carbonatées de plate-forme. De la formation d'Agouraï (Viséen moyen, «V2a», Cf4δ, Arundien) à celle d'Akerchi (Serpoukhovien inférieur, « E1 », Cf7, Pendléïen) [1,2], la succession s'étend sur neuf zones locales de foraminifères, Cfm1 à Cfm9 [2,19,20], équivalentes aux six ou sept biozones de référence du Viséen belge [7,12] (Fig. 2). La colline du Mouchenkour (1239 m) est moins bien connue, car ses dépôts sont essentiellement siliciclastiques et plus profonds. Ils constituent la formation Mouchenkour–Aïn Ichou de Bouabdelli [4,5], qui y a mentionné des microfaunes du « V3bγ » (dét. Vachard). Cet âge est confirmé par de nouvelles associations de l'Asbien supérieur/Brigantien inférieur. Nous en illustrons les microfossiles caractéristiques, tentons de rechercher leurs sources et/ou leurs équivalents dans les séries carbonatées voisines de Migoumess, Azarhare et Tizra. Nous discutons l'âge possible du reste de la série, et présentons un essai de paléogéographie régionale au Viséen supérieur.</p>
         <p>La colline du Mouchenkour couvre une superficie de 12 km sur 3 (Fig. 1B). Sa série est composée de bancs plurimétriques de shales noirs à intercalations gréseuses brunes, de 10–30 cm d'épaisseur, offrant des <italic>ripple-marks</italic> (Figs. 1C, 3 et 4A). Sur son flanc sud-est s'intercalent des lentilles gréso-carbonatées, chenalisées, granoclassées, longues de plusieurs mètres et d'épaisseur décimétrique (Fig. 4B et D). Un olistolithe métrique de calcaires sableux noirs a été découvert à proximité de ces chenaux (Fig. 4C). En microfaciès, trois des chenaux et l'olistolithe calcaire (Fig. 4B–D) ont révélé des <italic>rudstones</italic> très sableux, ferrugineux, ooïdiques, lithoclastiques et bioclastiques (Fig. 5.15), affectés de multiples recristallisations et figures de dissolution par pression (Fig. 5.14–15). Les bioclastes sont des fragments de crinoïdes, brachiopodes et bryozoaires, et de très rares algues incertae sedis et foraminifères. Un assemblage diversifié contient <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> Wood, 1942 (Fig. 5.11), <italic>Pseudostacheoides</italic> sp. (Fig. 5.6), <italic>Epistacheoides</italic> cf. <italic>connorensis</italic> Mamet et Rudloff, 1972 (Fig. 5.7), <italic>Fasciella kizilia</italic> Ivanova, 1973 (Fig. 5.5, 10 et 12), <italic>Endothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>prisca</italic> Rauzer-Chernousova et Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova et al., 1936, et <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (au stade concavus) ex gr. <italic>stilus</italic> Grozdilova et Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953 (Fig. 5.9). Un autre comporte <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> et <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic> Maslov, 1956 (Fig. 5.4 et 13), importantes pour la datation. Un troisième livre <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic> (von Möller, 1879) (Fig. 5.14), tandis que le dernier rassemble <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> Vissarionova, 1948 (Fig. 5.1), <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (au stade concavus) ex gr. <italic>convexus</italic> Grozdilova et Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953 (Fig. 5.2), <italic>Exvotarisella index</italic> (Ehrenberg, 1854 emend. von Möller, 1879) emend. Mamet et Roux, 1974 (Fig. 5.8), <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic>, et une section de conodonte bien conservée (Fig. 5.3) permettant d'envisager de fructueuses recherches sur ce groupe. Malgré leur transport, les associations des chenaux et de l'olistolithe s'avèrent taphonomiquement et biostratigraphiquement homogènes. La présence d'<italic>Ungdarella</italic> indique un âge minimal Asbien supérieur (biozone marocaine Cfm7 [2,19,20]) ; celle de <italic>Koninckopora</italic> porte l'âge maximal au Brigantien supérieur (Cfm8). <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic>, <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> et les <italic>Archaediscus</italic> au stade concavus confirment l'âge Asbien–Brigantien. De plus, <italic>Ungdarella</italic>, après une première acmé à l'Asbien supérieur–Brigantien inférieur, connaît une crise au Brigantien moyen–supérieur et au Serpoukhovien [8–11,16], et <italic>Koninckopora</italic> se raréfie au Brigantien moyen–supérieur [8–11,16]. Aucun marqueur exclusivement Brigantien moyen–supérieur [9] ne figure dans ces associations. La partie fossilifère de la formation du Mouchenkour date donc de l'Asbien supérieur et/ou du Brigantien inférieur. La formation de Tizra, redatée récemment [17], est exactement de cet âge. Sa précédente attribution au V3bγ [2] n'était toutefois pas inexacte, car le V3bγ de Belgique, par exemple à Royseux I, peut inclure de l'Asbien supérieur et du Brigantien inférieur (E. Poty, comm. pers., novembre 2005). L'âge du reste de la formation du Mouchenkour demeure inconnu. Les sédiments y semblent plus distaux et plus pélagiques, car Bouabdelli [4,5] les a qualifiés de « flyschs ». Le milieu de dépôt de la partie étudiée, avec ses <italic>ripple-marks</italic> (Fig. 4A), est moins profond, et se situe plutôt sur un prodelta, où les passées carbonatées semblent correspondre à des tempestites distales ou des <italic>lag-deposits</italic> de cortèges transgressifs (TST). L'Asbien supérieur–Brigantien figure, sous diverses lithologies, dans de nombreuses localités du Maroc central [1–5,13,15] (Fig. 6). Les différents milieux de dépôt, faisant alterner plates-formes et bassins, semblent s'organiser en un ensemble de horsts et de grabens (Fig. 7), et non en une série de nappes tectoniques groupées de manière aléatoire. Il en résulte que la paléogéographie régionale de l'Asbien–Brigantien pourrait s'être conservée, avec, du nord-ouest au sud-est : (1) un horst nord-occidental, la ride d'Oulmès, dont le substratum émergé fournissait des galets (phtanites siluriennes, shales et calcaires à styliolines dévoniens, etc.) à nombre de conglomérats locaux ; (2) le graben d'Agouraï, où s'accumulent des turbidites à olistolithes calcaires [1] ; (3) le compartiment de Tizra, avec la formation éponyme [2], déposée sur une plate-forme qui s'étendait jusqu'à Tirhela et Idmarrach, dont les dépôts sont pratiquement équivalents et contemporains [3,15] ; (4) le graben du Migoumess [3–6], plus siliciclastique, avec des remaniements de calcaires datés Cfm7 et Cfm8 [3,15] ; (5) le compartiment d'Azarhare, avec une autre petite plate-forme carbonatée [13] ; (6) le compartiment du Mouchenkour, siliciclastique, avec ses quelques remaniements de Cfm7 provenant probablement de la région d'Azarhare, à cause des microfaciès similaires de leurs grès carbonatés [13]. Dans ce compartiment (6), si les lentilles carbonatées datent du Viséen supérieur Cfm7, les parties inférieures (flysch gréseux et shales noirs [5], Fig. 3) pourraient correspondre au reste du Viséen (Cfm1 à Cfm6) et même au Tournaisien supérieur, âge attribué à des brachiopodes du Bou Khadra [12]. Quant aux spores tournaisiennes décrites dans la formation de Migoumess [6], elles pourraient aussi provenir de dépôts tournaisiens ayant disparu par érosion de la plate-forme d'Azarhare, où ils s'étaient déposés en limite d'une transgression tournaisienne venue du Mouchenkour, réduit à cette époque à un étroit sillon. De semblables fossés, ouverts au Tournaisien supérieur, pourraient être le point de départ des grandes transgressions du Cfm1 (« V2a ») et du Cfm6 (« V3bβ ») [1] sur tout le Maroc central.</p>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec1">
         <label>1</label>
         <title>Introduction</title>
         <sec>
            <p>In the northwestern Meseta (Morocco), the biostratigraphy of the Adarouch area <xref rid="bib1" ref-type="bibr">[1]</xref> and <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref>, southwest of Fes (<xref rid="fig1" ref-type="fig">Fig. 1</xref>A), is relatively well known. The limestone beds, alternating with shales were dated based on foraminifers and algae, and are of Middle Visean (Moroccan Cfm1 biozone in the Agourai Formation) to Early Serpukhovian age (Moroccan Cfm9 biozone in the Akerchi Formation), corresponding to nine Moroccan biozones <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref>, <xref rid="bib19" ref-type="bibr">[19]</xref> and <xref rid="bib20" ref-type="bibr">[20]</xref>, equivalent to six or seven reference biozones in the Visean stratotypic areas of Belgium <xref rid="bib7" ref-type="bibr">[7]</xref> and <xref rid="bib12" ref-type="bibr">[12]</xref> (<xref rid="fig2" ref-type="fig">Fig. 2</xref>). However, much debate is concerned with the siliciclastic sediments of the sector, such as the Migoumess and Mouchenkour formations <xref rid="bib3" ref-type="bibr">[3]</xref>, <xref rid="bib6" ref-type="bibr">[6]</xref> and <xref rid="bib14" ref-type="bibr">[14]</xref> (<xref rid="fig1" ref-type="fig">Fig. 1</xref>B–C). The siliciclastic Mouchenkour–Ain Ichou Formation was first described and dated by Bouabdelli, using some biostratigraphical data of Vachard <xref rid="bib4" ref-type="bibr">[4]</xref> and <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref> (<xref rid="fig3" ref-type="fig">Fig. 3</xref>). In this paper, we present new biostratigraphic data for the Mouchenkour Formation and we reconstruct its palaeogeography and that of the surrounding areas during the Late Visean (Asbian–Brigantian).</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec2">
         <label>2</label>
         <title>Lithostratigraphy and environments of the Mouchenkour Formation</title>
         <sec>
            <p>The NE–SW-oriented siliciclastic Mouchenkour Fm crops out over a length of 12 km and a width of 2 to 3 km (<xref rid="fig1" ref-type="fig">Fig. 1</xref>B). The sequence is composed of alternating 10–30-cm-thick sandstone layers within shales several metres thick (<xref rid="fig3" ref-type="fig">Fig. 3</xref>A). Ripple-marks, rather common at the sandstone surfaces, in particular at the top of the Mouchenkour hill (1239 m), are well preserved, although having been deformed by the first regional schistosity s 1 (<xref rid="fig4" ref-type="fig">Fig. 4</xref>A).</p>
         </sec>
         <sec>
            <p>The primary carbonate cement in the sandstones has been replaced during burial by a silica and Fe-oxihydroxide cement. Calcite traces are still present in diagenetic microfissures that are now filled by quartz and Fe-oxihydroxides. On the southeastern flank of the Mouchenkour hill, several metric long and decametric thick calcareous sandstone lenses are intercalated in the shales (<xref rid="fig4" ref-type="fig">Fig. 4</xref>B). They show graded bedding with millimetric coarse laminae rich in bioclasts. The major cement is calcite which is replaced partially by later quartz. A metric olistolith composed of black sandy limestone was also found (<xref rid="fig4" ref-type="fig">Fig. 4</xref>C). Syndeformational vein systems develop along thrust planes, replacing partly massive sandstone beds. Post-compressional east–west-trending vein systems cross-cut the shales and are filled with syntectonic quartz.</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec3">
         <label>3</label>
         <title>Biostratigraphy of the calcareous lenses and olistolites</title>
         <sec>
            <p>We examined the microfacies and the carbonate micropalaeontological assemblages of three calcareous sandstone channels and the olistolith (<xref rid="fig3" ref-type="fig">Fig. 3</xref>B and <xref rid="fig4" ref-type="fig">Fig. 4</xref>B–D). All the microfacies are sandy, ferruginous, lithoclastic, ooidic and bioclastic rudstones affected by numerous recrystallizations and pressure-solution features, mainly small stylolites (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.14 and 15). The bioclasts are principally composed of the remains of crinoids, brachiopods and bryozoans, and very rare fragments or small skeletons of foraminifers, algae and problematical algae. The most diversified assemblage is composed of <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> Wood, 1942 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.11), <italic>Pseudostacheoides</italic> sp. (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.6), <italic>Epistacheoides</italic> cf. <italic>connorensis</italic> Mamet and Rudloff, 1972 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.7), <italic>Fasciella kizilia</italic> Ivanova, 1973 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.5, 10 and 12), <italic>Endothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>prisca</italic> Rauzer-Chernousova and Reitlinger in Rauzer-Chernousova et al., 1936, and <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage) ex gr. <italic>stilus</italic> Grozdilova and Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.9). A second one contains <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> and <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic> Maslov, 1956 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.4 and 13). The third one reveals <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic> (von Möller, 1879) (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.14), whereas the fourth assemblage is characterized by <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> Vissarionova, 1948 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.1), <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage) ex gr. <italic>convexus</italic> Grozdilova and Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.2), <italic>Exvotarisella index</italic> (Ehrenberg, 1854 emend. von Möller, 1879) emend. Mamet and Roux, 1974 (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.8), <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic>, and a section of a conodont (<xref rid="fig5" ref-type="fig">Fig. 5</xref>.3) indicative of further biostratigraphical results.</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec4">
         <label>4</label>
         <title>Biostratigraphical discussion</title>
         <sec>
            <p>Although reworked, the fillings of the channels are homogeneous in age, and coeval to the microfacies and assemblage of the olistolith. Because of the presence of <italic>Ungdarella,</italic> the age is likely to be at least Late Asbian (= Moroccan biozone Cfm7 <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref>, <xref rid="bib19" ref-type="bibr">[19]</xref> and <xref rid="bib20" ref-type="bibr">[20]</xref>); because of <italic>Koninckopora</italic>, it is Late Brigantian at the latest, although this alga is rare after the Earliest Brigantian <xref rid="bib8" ref-type="bibr">[8]</xref>, <xref rid="bib9" ref-type="bibr">[9]</xref>, <xref rid="bib10" ref-type="bibr">[10]</xref>, <xref rid="bib11" ref-type="bibr">[11]</xref> and <xref rid="bib16" ref-type="bibr">[16]</xref>. No microfossil of the listed associations is unquestionably younger. <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic> is of Late Visean to Serpukhovian in age (we consider its Pennsylvanian representatives as <italic>Reitlingerina</italic>), but this group of species is most common in Morocco in Asbian and Brigantian beds. <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> occurred from Late Visean to Bashkirian, but here it is associated with <italic>Ungdarella</italic>. This problematic alga tends to be very rare in the Serpukhovian, or after the Earliest Brigantian <xref rid="bib8" ref-type="bibr">[8]</xref>, <xref rid="bib9" ref-type="bibr">[9]</xref>, <xref rid="bib10" ref-type="bibr">[10]</xref>, <xref rid="bib11" ref-type="bibr">[11]</xref> and <xref rid="bib16" ref-type="bibr">[16]</xref>. However, this phenomenon is only of regional importance since <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic> persists up to the Middle Permian <xref rid="bib18" ref-type="bibr">[18]</xref>. Finally, the assemblages of the Mouchenkour Fm. indicate a Late Asbian and/or Early Brigantian age, i.e., coeval with the Tizra Fm. This latter formation was dated as V3bγ <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref> and recently revised as Late Asbian to Early Brigantian <xref rid="bib17" ref-type="bibr">[17]</xref>. The precise correlation between these three subdivisions is not completely elucidated, since some V3bγ outcrops in Belgium (for example Royseux I) exhibit Late Asbian and Early Brigantian deposits (E. Poty, pers. comm., November 2005). The ages of the other parts of the Mouchenkour Fm. (<xref rid="fig3" ref-type="fig">Fig. 3</xref> and <xref rid="fig6" ref-type="fig">Fig. 6</xref>) remain unknown.</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec5">
         <label>5</label>
         <title>Palaeoenvironments and Asbian/Brigantian palaeogeography</title>
         <sec>
            <p>Although deep and distal, the depositional environment of the Mouchenkour Fm., at least in the Late Asbian–Early Brigantian period, is probably less deep than suggested by Bouabdelli <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref>, who used the term « flysch », indicating turbiditic deposits of deep-sea fans. Indeed, no Bouma sequences were observed, whereas the sandstone beds show some well-developed surfaces with ripple marks and ichnites (<xref rid="fig4" ref-type="fig">Fig. 4</xref>A). Consequently, the sequences of the Mouchenkour Fm. may correspond to prodeltaic accumulations; and the calcareous deposits can be related to distal tempestites during highstand systems' tract (HST) and/or to lag deposits during transgressive systems' tract (TST).</p>
         </sec>
         <sec>
            <p>In central Morocco, the Asbian/Brigantian is dated in many localities with different lithologies <xref rid="bib1" ref-type="bibr">[1]</xref>, <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref>, <xref rid="bib3" ref-type="bibr">[3]</xref>, <xref rid="bib4" ref-type="bibr">[4]</xref>, <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref>, <xref rid="bib13" ref-type="bibr">[13]</xref> and <xref rid="bib15" ref-type="bibr">[15]</xref> (<xref rid="fig6" ref-type="fig">Fig. 6</xref>). Hercynian units are arranged in NE–SW longitudinal tectonic slices (e.g., <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref> and <xref rid="bib17" ref-type="bibr">[17]</xref>), but they represent, at the same time, depositional environments easily connected in a model of horsts and grabens (<xref rid="fig7" ref-type="fig">Fig. 7</xref>), and, in this case, they constitute palaeogeographic units preserved nearly in situ. The compartments, reconstructed in this model, are, from northwest to southeast (<xref rid="fig7" ref-type="fig">Fig. 7</xref>): (1) the Oulmes Ridge, with the outcropping pre-Carboniferous basement (e.g., Devonian shales, Devonian styliolina limestones, Silurian cherts); (2) a graben in the Agourai area filled with turbidites and carbonate olistolites <xref rid="bib1" ref-type="bibr">[1]</xref>; (3) the compartment of Tizra, with the eponymous Asbian/Brigantian platform formations <xref rid="bib2" ref-type="bibr">[2]</xref>; the series remains identical until the Tirhela–Idmarrach area <xref rid="bib3" ref-type="bibr">[3]</xref> and <xref rid="bib17" ref-type="bibr">[17]</xref>; (4) the compartment of Migoumess <xref rid="bib3" ref-type="bibr">[3]</xref>, <xref rid="bib4" ref-type="bibr">[4]</xref>, <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref> and <xref rid="bib6" ref-type="bibr">[6]</xref>, with more siliciclastic sediments containing Cfm7 and Cfm8 assemblage reworkings <xref rid="bib3" ref-type="bibr">[3]</xref>; (5) the compartment of Azarhare, with another small carbonate platform <xref rid="bib13" ref-type="bibr">[13]</xref>; (6) the Mouchenkour compartment, siliciclastic, with very rare reworkings of Cfm7 microfossils probably originated from the Azarhare area, during the deposition of the Late Visean calcareous sandstones upon this region <xref rid="bib13" ref-type="bibr">[13]</xref> because of the similarity of microfacies and assemblages.</p>
         </sec>
         <sec>
            <p>In this easternmost compartment, if the calcareous lenses can be dated as Late Visean (Late Asbian/Early Brigantian), the other lower parts (sandy flysch, black shales <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref>) can hypothetically correspond to the rest of the Visean (Cfm1 to Cfm6) and even to the Late Tournaisian, since this age has been attributed to the Bou Khadra hill <xref rid="bib14" ref-type="bibr">[14]</xref> (<xref rid="fig1" ref-type="fig">Fig. 1</xref>, <xref rid="fig6" ref-type="fig">Fig. 6</xref> and <xref rid="fig7" ref-type="fig">Fig. 7</xref>). The Tournaisian spores described in the Migoumess Fm. <xref rid="bib6" ref-type="bibr">[6]</xref> might indicate an easternmost extension of these Late Tournaisian shaly deposits, subsequently destroyed by erosion and only preserved as reworkings into the Cfm8 deposits. More likely, the Late Tournaisian seems to be limited in narrow troughs in Morocco, whereas the transgressions starting from these troughs covered larger areas during the Cfm1 (= ‘V2a’) and Cfm6 (‘V3bβ’) biozones <xref rid="bib1" ref-type="bibr">[1]</xref>.</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
      <sec id="sec6">
         <label>6</label>
         <title>Conclusions</title>
         <sec>
            <p>The central part of the Mouchenkour Fm. belongs to the Late Visean (Late Asbian/Early Brigantian), characterized by <italic>Ungdarella</italic>, <italic>Koninckopora</italic>, <italic>Fasciella</italic>, <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage), <italic>Eostaffella</italic> and <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> in sandy, ooidic, lithoclastic and bioclastic rudstone channels and olistolites, affected by later diageneses. These calcareous deposits may correspond to distal tempestites during a HST and/or to lag deposits during a TST. The carbonate micro-organisms, the ooids and the quartz grains originated probably from the Azarhare platform during the deposition of its calcareous sandstones. This connection between two modern geographic units seems to indicate that the Asbian–Brigantian (and Mississippian in general) palaeogeography is preserved, even when the constituent areas are classically interpreted as thrust sheets. Six horsts and grabens can be reconstructed, from northwest to southeast: (1) the Oulmes Ridge, (2) the Agourai graben, (3) the platform of Tizra–Tirhela–Idmarrach–Akerchi, (4) the graben of Migoumess, (5) the small platform of Azarhare, (6) the Mouchenkour basinal depression. This latter feature was probably open since the Late Tournaisian, and corresponds to the rare narrow troughs of this age in central Morocco, which are at the origin of the large transgressions occurring during the Cfm1 (= ‘V2a’) and Cfm6 (‘V3bβ’) biozones.</p>
         </sec>
      </sec>
   </body>
   <back>
      <ack>
         <title>Acknowledgements</title>
         <p>This paper is dedicated to Prof. Anne Faure Muret. This project benefited from financial support from the ‘Département des relations internationales de l'université Paris-Sud’ (Epicure), a French-Moroccan program (‘Action intégrée MAO3/72’), and the UMR IDES 8148. The ‘Ministère de l'Énergie et des Mines’ and the ‘Université Moulay-Ismaïl de Meknès’ (Morocco) are thanked for financial and logistical support during fieldwork with Anne Faure Muret, Fatima Rais, Said Meslouh and Prof. Dr Mostafa Berkhli. Luce Delabesse kindly prepared photomicrographs and Geneviève Roche drew the geological map.</p>
      </ack>
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   <floats-group>
      <fig id="fig1">
         <label>Fig. 1</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Location maps of Mouchenkour: (<bold>A</bold>) in Morocco, (<bold>B</bold>) geological map (courtesy of A. Faure Muret), (<bold>C</bold>) schematic cross-section AA' (see location in Fig. 1B, after <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref>).</p>
            <p>Fig. 1. Cartes de localisation du Mouchenkour : (<bold>A</bold>) au Maroc, (<bold>B</bold>) carte géologique (A. Faure Muret, comm. pers.), (<bold>C</bold>) coupe schématique AA', d'après <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref> (voir sa localisation sur la Fig. 1B).</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr1.jpg"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig2">
         <label>Fig. 2</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Composite table of different Mississippian (Early Carboniferous) stratigraphic units.</p>
            <p>Fig. 2. Récapitulation et corrélation de différentes échelles stratigraphiques du Mississippien (Carbonifère inférieur).</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr2.jpg"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig3">
         <label>Fig. 3</label>
         <caption>
            <p>The sequences of Mouchenkour Formation according to Bouabdelli <xref rid="bib4" ref-type="bibr">[4]</xref> and <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref>: (<bold>A</bold>) of the entire Formation, (<bold>B</bold>) of the fossiliferous median part.</p>
            <p>Fig. 3. Série du Mouchenkour selon Bouabdelli <xref rid="bib4" ref-type="bibr">[4]</xref> and <xref rid="bib5" ref-type="bibr">[5]</xref> : (<bold>A</bold>) Ensemble de la série, (<bold>B</bold>) détail de la partie médiane fossilifère.</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr3.jpg"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig4">
         <label>Fig. 4</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Field photographs of different outcrops: (<bold>A</bold>) ripple marks on sandstones surfaces intercalated in shales – ripple marks are deformed by the s 1 –, (<bold>B</bold>) a sandy carbonate lens in the shales, (<bold>C</bold>) the discovered calcareous olistolith, (<bold>D</bold>) another sandy carbonate lens.</p>
            <p>Fig. 4. Vues de terrain des différents niveaux : (<bold>A</bold>) rides de type <italic>ripple marks</italic> sur la surface de grès intercalés dans les shales – ces <italic>ripple-marks</italic> ont été déformés par la s 1 –, (<bold>B</bold>) une lentille gréso-carbonatée dans les shales, (<bold>C</bold>) l'olistolithe calcaire découvert, (<bold>D</bold>) une autre lentille gréso-carbonatée.</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr4.jc3"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig5">
         <label>Fig. 5</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Characteristic microfossils (algae, problematic algae and foraminifers) and microfacies. <bold>1.</bold>
               <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> Vissarionova, 1948, subaxial section, × 76. <bold>2.</bold>
               <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage) ex gr. <italic>convexus</italic> Grozdilova and Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953, axial section, × 76. <bold>3.</bold> A conodont, longitudinal section, × 76. <bold>4, 13.</bold>
               <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic> Maslov, 1956, × 76. <bold>5, 10, 12.</bold>
               <italic>Fasciella kizilia</italic> Ivanova, 1973, × 76. <bold>6.</bold>
               <italic>Pseudostacheoides</italic> sp., oblique section, × 38. <bold>7.</bold>
               <italic>Epistacheoides</italic> cf. <italic>connorensis</italic> Mamet and Rudloff, 1972, transverse section, × 76. <bold>8.</bold>
               <italic>Exvotarisella index</italic> (Ehrenberg, 1854 emend. von Möller, 1879) emend. Mamet and Roux, 1974, longitudinal section, × 76. <bold>9.</bold>
               <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (concavus stage) ex gr. <italic>stilus</italic> Grozdilova and Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953, axial section, × 76. <bold>11.</bold>
               <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> Wood, 1942, oblique section, × 76. <bold>14.</bold>
               <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic> (von Möller, 1879), silicified subaxial section as a nucleus of an ooid, × 76. <bold>15.</bold> Microfacies of bioclastic rudstone with crinoids, quartz grains and some sandstone lithoclasts, × 10.</p>
            <p>Fig. 5. Microfossiles (algues, algues problématiques et foraminifères) et microfaciès caractéristiques. <bold>1.</bold>
               <italic>Eostaffella</italic> ex gr. <italic>mosquensis</italic> Vissarionova, 1948, section subaxiale, × 76. <bold>2.</bold>
               <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (au stade concavus) ex gr. <italic>convexus</italic> Grozdilova et Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953, section axiale, × 76. <bold>3.</bold> Un conodonte en section longitudinale, × 76. <bold>4, 13.</bold>
               <italic>Ungdarella uralica</italic> Maslov, 1956, × 76. <bold>5, 10, 12.</bold>
               <italic>Fasciella kizilia</italic> Ivanova, 1973, × 76. <bold>6.</bold>
               <italic>Pseudostacheoides</italic> sp., section oblique, × 38. <bold>7.</bold>
               <italic>Epistacheoides</italic> cf. <italic>connorensis</italic> Mamet and Rudloff, 1972, section transverse, × 76. <bold>8.</bold>
               <italic>Exvotarisella index</italic> (Ehrenberg, 1854 emend. von Möller, 1879) emend. Mamet &amp; Roux, 1974, section longitudinale, × 76. <bold>9.</bold>
               <italic>Archaediscus</italic> (au stade concavus) ex gr. <italic>stilus</italic> Grozdilova et Lebedeva in Grozdilova, 1953, section axiale, × 76. <bold>11.</bold>
               <italic>Koninckopora tenuiramosa</italic> Wood, 1942, section oblique, × 76. <bold>14.</bold>
               <italic>Pseudoendothyra</italic> ex gr. <italic>struvei</italic> (von Möller, 1879), section subaxiale silicifiée servant de nucléus à un ooïde, × 76. <bold>15.</bold> Microfaciès de <italic>rudstone</italic> bioclastique à crinoïdes, grains de quartz et lithoclastes de grès, × 10.</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr5.jc3"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig6">
         <label>Fig. 6</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Possible correlations of different Formations (in capital letters) and informal members (in lower case letters) of Mississippian units in Central Morocco.</p>
            <p>Fig. 6. Tentative de corrélation de différentes formations (en majuscules) et membres informels (en minuscules) du Mississippien du Maroc central.</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr6.jpg"/>
      </fig>
      <fig id="fig7">
         <label>Fig. 7</label>
         <caption>
            <p>Possible palaeogeography of Moroccan Central Meseta during the Asbian/Brigantian (equivalent to Cfm7/8 biozones): (<bold>1</bold>) the Oulmes ridge, (<bold>2</bold>) the Agourai graben, (<bold>3</bold>) the platform of Tizra–Tirhela–Idmarrach–Akerchi, (<bold>4</bold>) the graben of Migoumess, (5) the small platform of Azarhare, and (6) the Mouchenkour basinal depression.</p>
            <p>Fig. 7. Modèle de paléogéographie de la Meseta centrale marocaine pendant l'Asbien/Brigantien (c'est-à-dire durant les biozones Cfm7/8) : (<bold>1</bold>) ride d'Oulmès, (<bold>2</bold>) graben d'Agouraï, (<bold>3</bold>) plate-forme de Tizra–Tirhela–Idmarrach–Akerchi, (<bold>4</bold>) graben de Migoumess, (<bold>5</bold>) plate-forme d'Azarhare, (<bold>6</bold>) dépression bassinale du Mouchenkour.</p>
         </caption>
         <graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="main.assets/gr7.jc3"/>
      </fig>
   </floats-group>
</article>