Global InformationTimezgadiouine Formation information
| Timezgadiouine Formation | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Triassic, | |
| Type | Geological formation |
| Unit of | Argana Group |
| Sub-units | Tanamert Member (T3), Aglegal Member (T4), Irohalene Member (T5) |
| Underlies | Bigoudine Formation |
| Overlies | Ikakern Formation |
| Thickness | 1,000–2,000 metres (3,300–6,600 ft) |
| Lithology | |
| Primary | mudstone, siltstone, sandstone |
| Other | claystone, conglomerate, oolitic limestone |
| Location | |
| Region | Marrakesh-Safi, Souss-Massa |
| Country |  Morocco |
| Extent | Argana Basin |
| Type section | |
| Named for | Timezgadiouine, Morocco |
  Timezgadiouine Formation (Morocco) | |
The Timezgadiouine Formation, sometimes spelled as the Timesgadiouine Formation, is a Triassic geological formation in the Argana Basin of Morocco. It is a succession of red bed sediments spanning from the Olenekian to at least the Carnian, encompassing members T3 to T5 of the Argana Group. It is preceded by the Permian Ikakern Formation and succeeded by the Late Triassic Bigoudine Formation.[1]
The formation is split into three members. The Early Triassic Tanamert Member (T3) is a relatively thin band of volcaniclastic conglomerate, likely emplaced by braided rivers. The Middle Triassic Aglegal Member (T4) is a thick sequence of muddy and silty cyclical deposits interspersed with wide sandstone lenses. It would have been deposited within a semi-arid playa, mudflat, and ephemeral lake system cut by meandering streams or sheet floods. The late Carnian (or possibly early Norian)[2] Irohalene Member (T5) comprises bioturbated mudstone complemented by an increasing abundance of sandstone beds. This final member is likely equivalent to a more humid period with large permanent lakes or wide meandering rivers.[3][4] The formation as a whole was deposited in a wide and tectonically stable basin, in contrast to the narrow rift basins which developed elsewhere along the present-day Central Atlantic margin during the Triassic.[1]
The Timezgadiouine Formation is quite fossiliferous; footprints and other trace fossils are found throughout the entire strata,[5][6][7][8] while skeletal material is common in the Irohalene Member. The fossil content of the Irohalene Member includes phytosaurs, aetosaurs, metoposauroid amphibians, stahleckeriid dicynodonts, early dinosauromorphs, and other typical Carnian to early Norian animals.[9][10][2] Several animals are distinctive, such as the large herbivorous archosauromorph Azendohsaurus laaroussii,[11][12][13] and massive three-toed footprints (Eubrontes sp.) emplaced by a Tyrannosaurus-sized archosaur.[8]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
:8was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b Kammerer, Christian F.; Nesbitt, Sterling J.; Shubin, Neil H. (2012). "The First Silesaurid Dinosauriform from the Late Triassic of Morocco" (PDF). Acta Palaeontologica Polonica. 57 (2): 277–284. doi:10.4202/app.2011.0015. ISSN 0567-7920. S2CID 55015883.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:5was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Hofmann, Axel; Tourani, Abdelilah; Gaupp, Reinhard (2000). "Cyclicity of Triassic to Lower Jurassic continental red beds of the Argana Valley, Morocco: implications for palaeoclimate and basin evolution". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 161 (1–2): 229–266. Bibcode:2000PPP...161..229H. doi:10.1016/s0031-0182(00)00125-5. ISSN 0031-0182.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:16was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Klein, Hendrik; Voigt, Sebastian; Saber, Hafid; Schneider, Jörg W.; Hminna, Abdelkbir; Fischer, Jan; Lagnaoui, Abdelouahed; Brosig, Andreas (2011-07-01). "First occurrence of a Middle Triassic tetrapod ichnofauna from the Argana Basin (Western High Atlas, Morocco)". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 307 (1): 218–231. Bibcode:2011PPP...307..218K. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2011.05.021. ISSN 0031-0182. S2CID 128396482.
- ^ Lagnaoui, Abdelouahed; Klein, Hendrik; Saber, Hafid; Fekkak, Abdelilah; Belahmira, Abouchouaïb; Schneider, Joerg W. (2016-07-01). "New discoveries of archosaur and other tetrapod footprints from the Timezgadiouine Formation (Irohalene Member, Upper Triassic) of the Argana Basin, western High Atlas, Morocco – Ichnotaxonomic implications". Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. 453: 1–9. Bibcode:2016PPP...453....1L. doi:10.1016/j.palaeo.2016.03.022. ISSN 0031-0182.
- ^ a b Zouheir, Tariq; Hminna, Abdelkbir; Klein, Hendrik; Lagnaoui, Abdelouahed; Saber, Hafid; Schneider, Joerg W. (2020-05-27). "Unusual archosaur trackway and associated tetrapod ichnofauna from Irohalene member (Timezgadiouine formation, late Triassic, Carnian) of the Argana Basin, Western High Atlas, Morocco". Historical Biology. 32 (5): 589–601. Bibcode:2020HBio...32..589Z. doi:10.1080/08912963.2018.1513506. ISSN 0891-2963. S2CID 91315646.
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