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First occurrence of a phacopid trilobite faunule from the Upper Devonian of Saoura Valley, Algeria and biodiversity fluctuations

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  16 May 2013

CATHERINE CRÔNIER ,
FATIMA ZOHARA MALTI ,
ANGELA FRANÇOIS ,
MADANI BENYOUCEF  and
DENISE BRICE
CATHERINE CRÔNIER*
Affiliation:
UMR8217, Géosystèmes, Université Lille 1, Sciences de la Terre, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
FATIMA ZOHARA MALTI
Affiliation:
Department of Industrial Chemistry, Béchar University, BP 417, Béchar 08000, Algeria
ANGELA FRANÇOIS
Affiliation:
UMR8217, Géosystèmes, Université Lille 1, Sciences de la Terre, 59655 Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex, France
MADANI BENYOUCEF
Affiliation:
Department of Earth Sciences, Mascara University Center, BP 305, Mascara 29000, Algeria
DENISE BRICE
Affiliation:
Université Catholique, Faculté Libre des Sciences et Technologies, 41 rue du Port, 59046 Lille cedex, France
*
†Author for correspondence: catherine.cronier@univ-lille1.fr
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Abstract

Phacopid trilobites are relatively widespread in Devonian deposits of north Gondwana and some have been collected from several sections of the Saoura Valley in SW Algeria. New occurrences of phacopids assigned to Trimerocephalus, Dianops and Phacops sensu lato are described from this area and comparisons are made with closely allied species from Morocco and Europe. The trilobite assemblages of the ‘Argiles de Marhouma’ Formation are considered to be Frasnian–Famennian in age. These new occurrences have been integrated into an analysis of Upper Devonian phacopid biodiversity. Diversity fluctuations reflect environmental changes, bioevents and stratigraphic turnovers throughout the Upper Devonian. Peak diversity was attained after the post-Kellwasser event.

Keywords

trilobitesPhacopidaeUpper DevonianAlgeriacurves

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Type
Original Articles
Information
Geological Magazine , Volume 150 , Issue 6 , November 2013 , pp. 1002 - 1021
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Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2013 

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