Integrated carbon isotope chemostratigraphy and palynological investigations from the Cretaceous-Paleogene vertebrate-bearing series of the Oudiksou Basin, Middle Atlas of Morocco
Amelieh, Abdessamad; Oukassou, Mostafa; Yans, Johan; Hssaida, Touria; Khaffou, Hanane; Zafaty, Omar; Guinot, Guillaume; Mhamdi, Hicham Si; Charrière, André; Tabuce, Rodolphe
Newsletters on Stratigraphy (2026)
184 références bibliographiques
publication en ligne: Nov 4, 2026
manuscrit accepté: Sep 11, 2026
révision du manuscrit demandée: Jul 7, 2026
manuscrit reçu: Jan 12, 2026
DOI: 10.1127/nos/0925
Abstract
This study presents an integrated carbon isotope chemostratigraphy and palynological analysis of the Cretaceous–Paleogene vertebrate-bearing succession from the Oudiksou Basin in the Central Middle Atlas of Morocco. The studied sedimentary series preserves one of the rare terrestrial K–Pg records in North Africa. In addition to the previously documented paleontological data from Maastrichtian marine and continental sediments (elasmobranchs, charophytes, ostracods, and dinosaurs), our palynological investigations reveal additional dinoflagellate cyst data, leading to a better refinement of the biostratigraphic framework. Organic carbon isotope (δ13Corg) curves obtained from two lithostratigraphic sections across the Oudiksou basin reveal significant long-term trends that correlate confidently with global reference records. The Mid-Maastrichtian Event (MME ~ 68 Ma) is recorded in both marine and terrestrial settings, whereas the Late Danian Event (LDE ~ 62 Ma) is tentatively identified within strictly terrestrial environments. These isotopic events represent the first evidence of late Maastrichtian and early Paleogene paleoenvironmental and climatic changes documented in North Africa within this particular sedimentary context, characterized by a complex transition from marine to continental environments during the Cretaceous-Paleogene transition.
Mots-clefs
Chemostratigraphy • Lithostratigraphy • Biostratigraphy • K–Pg transition • late Danian