Two-stage development of the Late Cretaceous to Late Eocene Darende Basin: implications for closure of Neotethys in central eastern Anatolia (Turkey)

AbstractThe Piedemonte Llanero Basin is located on the eastern side of the Eastern Cordillera of the Colombian Andes. It has been the subject of numerous geological studies carried out for the oil sector, mainly. This study presents the coal-petrographical features of 15 coal seams of four geological formations from Late Cretaceous to Middle Miocene (Chipaque formation, Palmichal group, Arcillas del Limbo formation, and San Fernando formation). Analysis of 33 samples indicates enrichment in vitrinite, while liptinite and inertinite concentrations vary according to the stratigraphic position. Reflectance indicates that the coal range gradually decreases from highly volatile bituminous C (Chipaque formation) to subbituminous C (San Fernando formation). The microlithotypes with the highest concentrations are clarite and vitrinertoliptite. Maceral composition and coal facies indicate changes in the depositional conditions of the sequence. The precursor peat from Late Cretaceous to Late Paleocene accumulated under limnic conditions followed by telmatic in Late Eocene–Early Miocene. The coal facies indices show wet conditions in forest swamps with variations in the flooding surface, influxes of brackish water and good tissue preservation. The tectonic conditions along the Piedemonte Llanero basin is evident, from post-rift to foreland basin, evidenced by oxic and anoxic periods reflected in the maceral composition and its morphology. The coal environment corresponds to an estuarine system started in the Chipaque formation evolving to the lacustrine conditions in the San Fernando formation.

Download Full-text

A second peirosaurid crocodyliform from the Mid-Cretaceous Kem Kem Group of Morocco and the diversity of Gondwanan notosuchians outside South America

Royal Society Open Science ◽

10.1098/rsos.211254 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 8 (10) ◽

Author(s):

Cecily S. C. Nicholl ◽

Eloise S. E. Hunt ◽

Driss Ouarhache ◽

Philip D. Mannion

Keyword(s):

South America ◽

Late Cretaceous ◽

North Africa ◽

Lateral Surface ◽

Middle Jurassic ◽

Tooth Enamel ◽

Phylogenetic Analyses ◽

Late Eocene ◽

South American ◽

Early Late

Notosuchians are an extinct clade of terrestrial crocodyliforms with a particularly rich record in the late Early to Late Cretaceous (approx. 130–66 Ma) of Gondwana. Although much of this diversity comes from South America, Africa and Indo-Madagascar have also yielded numerous notosuchian remains. Three notosuchian species are currently recognized from the early Late Cretaceous (approx. 100 Ma) Kem Kem Group of Morocco, including the peirosaurid Hamadasuchus rebouli . Here, we describe two new specimens that demonstrate the presence of at least a fourth notosuchian species in this fauna. Antaeusuchus taouzensis n. gen. n. sp. is incorporated into one of the largest notosuchian-focused character-taxon matrices yet to be compiled, comprising 443 characters scored for 63 notosuchian species, with an increased sampling of African and peirosaurid species. Parsimony analyses run under equal and extended implied weighting consistently recover Antaeusuchus as a peirosaurid notosuchian, supported by the presence of two distinct waves on the dorsal dentary surface, a surangular which laterally overlaps the dentary above the mandibular fenestra, and a relatively broad mandibular symphysis. Within Peirosauridae, Antaeusuchus is recovered as the sister taxon of Hamadasuchus . However, it differs from Hamadasuchus with respect to several features, including the ornamentation of the lateral surface of the mandible, the angle of divergence of the mandibular rami, the texture of tooth enamel and the shape of the teeth, supporting their generic distinction. We present a critical reappraisal of the non-South American Gondwanan notosuchian record, which spans the Middle Jurassic–late Eocene. This review, as well as our phylogenetic analyses, indicate the existence of at least three approximately contemporaneous peirosaurid lineages within the Kem Kem Group, alongside other notosuchians, and support the peirosaurid affinities of the ‘trematochampsid’ Miadanasuchus oblita from the Maastrichtian of Madagascar. Furthermore, the Cretaceous record demonstrates the presence of multiple lineages of approximately contemporaneous notosuchians in several African and Madagascan faunas, and supports previous suggestions regarding an undocumented pre-Aptian radiation of Notosuchia. By contrast, the post-Cretaceous record is depauperate, comprising rare occurrences of sebecosuchians in north Africa prior to their extirpation.

Download Full-text

Distefanella Parona, 1901 a radiolitid rudist from Late Cretaceous platform margin in central-eastern Mediterranean Tethys

Cretaceous Research ◽

10.1016/j.cretres.2018.04.025 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 90 ◽

pp. 265-282 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Riccardo Cestari ◽

Jose Maria Pons ◽

Enric Vicens ◽

Piero Di Michele

Keyword(s):

Late Cretaceous ◽

Eastern Mediterranean ◽

Platform Margin ◽

Central Eastern

Download Full-text

Pre-Priabonian Palaeogene formations in southwestern Bulgaria and northern Greece: stratigraphy and tectonic implications

Geological Magazine ◽

10.1017/s0016756897008285 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 135 (1) ◽

pp. 101-119 ◽

Cited By ~ 24

Author(s):

IVAN S. ZAGORCHEV

Keyword(s):

Late Cretaceous ◽

Middle Eocene ◽

Regional Metamorphism ◽

Late Eocene ◽

Thin Layers ◽

The South ◽

Northern Greece ◽

The North ◽

Early Oligocene ◽

Metamorphic Core

The Paril Formation (South Pirin and Slavyanka Mountains, southwestern Bulgaria) and the Prodromos Formation (Orvilos and Menikion Mountains, northern Greece) consist of breccia and olistostrome built up predominantly of marble fragments from the Precambrian Dobrostan Marble Formation (Bulgaria) and its equivalent Bos-Dag Marble Formation (Greece). The breccia and olistostrome are interbedded with thin layers of calcarenites (with occasional marble pebbles), siltstones, sandstones and limestones. The Paril and Prodromos formations unconformably cover the Precambrian marbles, and are themselves covered unconformably by Miocene and Pliocene sediments (Nevrokop Formation). The rocks of the Paril Formation are intruded by the Palaeogene (Late Eocene–Early Oligocene) Teshovo granitoid pluton, and are deformed and preserved in the two limbs of a Palaeogene anticline cored by the Teshovo pluton (Teshovo anticline). The Palaeocene–Middle Eocene age of the formations is based on these contact relations, and on occasional finds of Tertiary pollen, as well as on correlations with similar formations of the Laki (Kroumovgrad) Group throughout the Rhodope region.The presence of Palaeogene sediments within the pre-Palaeogene Pirin–Pangaion structural zone invalidates the concept of a ‘Rhodope metamorphic core complex’ that supposedly has undergone Palaeogene amphibolite-facies regional metamorphism, and afterwards has been exhumed by rapid crustal extension in Late Oligocene–Miocene times along a regional detachment surface. Other Palaeogene formations of pre-Priabonian (Middle Eocene and/or Bartonian) or earliest Priabonian age occur at the base of the Palaeogene sections in the Mesta graben complex (Dobrinishka Formation) and the Padesh basin (Souhostrel and Komatinitsa formations). The deposition of coarse continental sediments grading into marine formations (Laki or Kroumovgrad Group) in the Rhodope region at the beginning of the Palaeogene Period marks the first intense fragmentation of the mid- to late Cretaceous orogen, in particular, of the thickened body of the Morava-Rhodope structural zone situated to the south of the Srednogorie zone. The Srednogorie zone itself was folded and uplifted in Late Cretaceous time, thus dividing Palaeocene–Middle Eocene flysch of the Louda Kamchiya trough to the north, from the newly formed East Rhodope–West Thrace depression to the south.

Download Full-text

Late cretaceous to late eocene palaeogeographic evolution of southwest Europe

Palaeogeography Palaeoclimatology Palaeoecology ◽

10.1016/0031-0182(81)90110-3 ◽

1981 ◽

Vol 36 (3-4) ◽

pp. 263-320 ◽

Cited By ~ 114

Author(s):

Jean-Claude Plaziat

Keyword(s):

Late Cretaceous ◽

Late Eocene

Download Full-text

Hydrocarbon Reservoir Potential of the Taranaki Basin, Western New Zealand

Energy Exploration & Exploitation ◽

10.1177/014459878800600306 ◽

1988 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 248-262 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

P.H. Robinson ◽

P.R. King

Keyword(s):

New Zealand ◽

Late Cretaceous ◽

Late Eocene ◽

Hydrocarbon Reservoir ◽

Future Activity ◽

Terrestrial Sediments ◽

Potential Reservoir ◽

Sandstone Reservoir ◽

Reservoir Potential ◽

Sand Bodies

Taranaki Basin is a proven petroleum producing region, with commercial quantities of hydrocarbons from late Eocene paralic and terrestrial sands, and Miocene-latest Pliocene shelf sands. Other sediments with sub-commercial hydrocarbon accumulations, shows or potential reservoir features have also been encountered. The paralic and terrestrial sediments were deposited during periodic shoreline fluctuations in the Paleogene and were capped by transgressive terrigenous and carbonate muds. Other sand bodies, generally of bathyal and shelf setting and representing increasing regional tectonism, are found throughout the late Eocene to Pliocene sequence. Paleogeographic reconstructions depicting the maximum sand development during the Paelocene to Pliocene provide potential sandstone reservoir maps. These highlight onshore Taranaki and the Eocene paleoshoreline trend as areas of greatest prospectivity. Future activity should also consider the potential of the relatively unexplored late Cretaceous-Paleocene and Pliocene sandstone sequences.

Download Full-text

Late Cenomanian–Turonian (Cretaceous) ammonites from Wadi Qena, central Eastern Desert, Egypt: taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeographic implications

Acta Geologica Polonica ◽

10.2478/v10263-012-0003-1 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 62 (1) ◽

pp. 63-89 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

Emad Nagm ◽

Markus Wilmsen

Keyword(s):

West Africa ◽

Late Cretaceous ◽

Upper Cretaceous ◽

Eastern Desert ◽

Lower Upper ◽

Central Eastern Desert ◽

Wadi Qena ◽

Central Eastern ◽

First Time

ABSTRACT Nagm, E. and Wilmsen, M. 2012. Late Cenomanian-Turonian (Cretaceous) ammonites from Wadi Qena, central Eastern Desert, Egypt: taxonomy, biostratigraphy and palaeobiogeographic implications. Acta Geologica Polonica, 62 (1), 63-89. Warszawa. In Egypt, marine Upper Cenomanian-Turonian strata are well exposed in the Eastern Desert. The southernmost outcrops are located in the central part of Wadi Qena, where the lower Upper Cretaceous is represented by the fossiliferous Galala and Umm Omeiyid formations. From these strata, numerous ammonites have been collected bed-by-bed and 13 taxa have been identified, which are systematically described herein. Four of them (Euomphalocerascostatum, Vascoceras globosum globosum, Thomasites gongilensis and Pseudotissotia nigeriensis) are recorded from Egypt for the first time. The ammonite ranges are used for a biostratigraphic zonation of the lower Upper Cretaceous succession in the northern and central part of Wadi Qena: the Upper Cenomanian-Lower Turonian has been subdivided into five biozones (including a new upper Lower Turonian biozone based on the occurrence of Pseudotissotia nigeriensis), and one biozone has been recognized in the Upper Turonian. Palaeobiogeographically, the ammonite assemblage has a Tethyan character. During the Early Turonian, influences of the Vascoceratid Province were predominant with strong affinities to typical Nigerian faunas. This shows the significance of faunal exchange between Egypt and Central and West Africa via the Trans-Saharan Seaway. Compared to contemporaneous ammonoid faunas from the northern part of the Eastern Desert, Boreal influences are much less obvious in Wadi Qena. Thus, the present study greatly enhances the knowledge of the Late Cretaceous palaeobiogeography and biostratigraphy of Egypt and adjacent areas.

Download Full-text