A new fossil plant locality from the Callovian of Beni Barka, Tataouine area, southeastern Tunisia: Palaeobotany and taphonomy

• Published in: Comptes rendus. Palevol Vol. 6; no. 6-7; pp. 375 - 384
• Main Authors: Barale, Georges, Ouaja, Mohamed, Srarfi, Dorra
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; French
• Published: Académie des sciences (Paris) 01.11.2007
• Subjects: Botanics; Earth Sciences; Life Sciences; Paleontology; Sciences of the Universe; Vegetal Biology; Southern Tunisia; Palaeobotany; Imprints; Epidermal structures; Callovian; Taphonomy
• ISSN: 1631-0683; 1777-571X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.crpv.2007.09.012

Palaeobotanical material has been collected from the Callovian of Beni Barka, 4km south of Tataouine (South Tunisia). The fossil plants originate from a limestone formation just below the carbonate bar, that delimits the Beni Oussid member which belongs to the marls and limestones of Tataouine Formation. The floristic composition is marked by the presence of Pteridophytes: Piazopteris branneri (White) Lorch and Coniferophytes: Brachyphyllum trauti Barale et Contini, Pagiophyllum cf. crassifolium Schenk, Araucarites sp., Podozamites sp. This flora was present in a margino-littoral platform situated between the African continent to the south and the South-Tethyan ocean to the north. The autochthony of the locality is demonstrated. Comparisons are made with the floras situated at the northern and southern margins of the Tethys Sea. A sub-tropical climate was present, favouring the development of a ripisilve flora of conifers, with an underwood of ferns.