Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Middle to Upper Eocene ostracofauna of central Tunisia and Pelagian Shelf: examples of Jebel Bargou and the Gabes Gulf

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Arabian Journal of Geosciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Studies on ostracofauna gathered from the Middle–Late Eocene outcropping series of Jebel Bargou anticline, central Tunisia and from an offshore well in the Pelagian Shelf (ABR1) allowed to date major biostratigraphic limits and contribute to improve the precision on the present Eocene biozonation scheme based specially on the planktonic foraminifera markers. Paleogeographic and paleoecological interpretation was derived from an analysis of 60 ostracod species belonging to 38 genera coupled to lithostratigraphic facies interpretation. Ostracods associations indicate an evident similarity between the studied sections with circalittoral taxonomic dominance. In large scale, the ostracofauna recognized in the studied sections shows plentiful similarities with those of Northern Africa and the Middle East regions (Libya, Mauritania, Egypt, Jordan, and Sicilia). The similarities with the genera from Nigeria, Ghana, and Togo are rare and totally absent with those of European margin. Accordingly, during the Middle to Late Eocene, marine connection is evident between Northern Africa and the Middle East, probable between Northern Africa and eastern Africa and totally absent between Northern Africa and European margin because ostracods similarities are absent between European and Tunisian ostracods we were identified except some cosmopolitan forms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Abdallah AM, Helal SA, Abd El-Aziz SM (2002) Eocene Ostracoda from the Nile-Fayoum Divide, Western Desert, Egypt. 6th International Conference of Geology of the Arab World, Cairo University, 575–604

  • Adegoke OS (1969) The Eocene stratigraphy of Southern Nigeria. Bull Bur Rech Geol Min (Paris) 69:23–28

    Google Scholar 

  • Apostolescu V, et Magné J (1956) Quelques espèces nouvelles d’Ostracodes du Lutétien supérieur d’Algérie. Cahiers Géologiques, No. 34, pp. 338–344

  • Apstolescu V (1961) Contribution à l’étude paléontologique (Ostracodes) et stratigraphique des bassins Crétacés et Tertiaires de l’Afrique Occidentale. Rev Inst Fr Pétrol Juil-Août XVI(7–8):779–868, pl. I-XVIII

    Google Scholar 

  • Aubry MP et al (1988) Paleogene geochronology: an integrated approach. Paleoceanography 3:707–742

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Babinot J-F, Colin J-P (1988) Paleobiogeography of Tethyan Cretaceous marine ostracods. In: Hanai T, Ikeya N, Ishizaki K (eds) Evolutionary biology of Ostracoda; its fundamentals and applications. In: Proceedings of the 9th International Symposium on Ostracoda, Shizuoka, 1985. Kodansha Ltd., Tokyo. Developments in Paleontology and Stratigraphy 11:823–939

  • Barsotti G (1963) Paleocenic Ostracodes of Libya (Sirte Basin) and their wide African distribution. Rev Inst Fr Pétrol 18(11):1520–1529

    Google Scholar 

  • Bassiouni MA (1969) Einige Buntonia und Soudanella Arten (Ostracoda, Crustaea) aus dem Eozän von Jordanien. Paläontol Z 43(3/4):205–214

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bassiouni MA (1971) Ostracoden aus dem Eozan von Ägypten. 3: Die Unter familien Brachycytherinae und Buntoniinae. Geol Jb 89:169–192

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben Ferjani A, Burollet PF, Mejri F (1990) Petroleum geology of Tunisia. ETAP, Tunis, p. 194

    Google Scholar 

  • Ben Ismail-Lattrache K (2000) Rev Micropaleontol 43(1–2):3–16

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ben Ismail-Lattrache K, Bobier C (1996) Etude biostratigraphique et paléo-écologique et paléobiogéographique des séries Eocènes de Tunisie Centrale. Géologie de l’Afrique et de l’Atlantique Sud. Actes Colloques Angers 1994:563–583

    Google Scholar 

  • Bignot G (1998) Middle Eocene benthic foraminifers from holes 960A and 960C, Central Atlantic Ocean. Proc Ocean Drill Program Sci Results 159:433–444

  • Bismuth H (1981) Principaux repères microfaunistiques dans les séries non pélagiques de l’Eocène moyen et supérieur de Tunisie. 1er Congrés National des Sciences de la Terre. Résumé, p. 5

  • Bismuth H, Kelj AJ, Oertli HJ, Szczechura J (1978) The genus Loculicytheretta (Ostracoda). Bull Centre Rech Explor Prod Elf-Aquitaine 2(N° 2):227–263

    Google Scholar 

  • Bismuth H, Boltenhagen C, Donze P, Le Fevre J, Saint Marc P (1981) Middle and Upper Cretaceous in the Djebel Semmama (northern central Tunisia): microstratigraphy and sedimentological evolution. Bull Centers Rech Explor Prod Elf-Aquitaine 5(2):193–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Brunet MF, Cloetingh S (2003) Integrated Peri-tethyan Basins studies (Peri-Tethys Programme). Sediment Geol 156:1–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burollet PF, Ellouz N (1985) L’évolution des bassins sédimentaires de la Tunisie centrale et occidentale. Bull Centres Rech Explor Prod Elf-Aquitaine 10:49–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Canudo JI, Keller G, Molina E (1991) Cretaceous/Tertiary extinction pattern and faunal turnover at Agost and Caravaca, S.E. Spain. Mar Micropaleontol 17:319–341

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhahri F, Boukadi N (2007) Chevauchements différentiels et décrochements dans la chaîne atlasique de Tunisie: exemple des jebels Ousselet, Bou Dabbous et Bou Hajar. CR Geoscience 399(2007):347–357

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dhahri F, Boukadi N (2010) The evolution of pre-existing structures during the tectonic inversion process of the Atlas chain of Tunisia. J Afr Earth Sci 56:139–149

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dingle RV (1981) The Campanian and Maastrichtian Ostracoda of South-East Africa. Ann S Afr Mus 85(1):1–181

    Google Scholar 

  • Donze P, Colin JP, Damotte R, Oertli H, Peypouquet JP, Said R (1982) Les ostracodes du Campanien Terminal à l'Éocène inférieur de la coupe de Kef, Tunisie Nord-Occidental. Bull du Centre de Rech Elf-Aquitaine 6:273–355

    Google Scholar 

  • Ducasse O (1967) Nouveaux ostracodes de l’Eocène Nord-Aquitain. Procès Verbaux Société des Sciences Naturelles Physiques de Bordeaux, 1–89

  • Ducasse O (1969) Etude micropaléontologique (ostracodes) de l’Eocène nord-aquitain. Thèse de doctorat, Université Bordeaux, 381 pp

  • Ellouz N (1984) Etude de la subsidence de la Tunisie atlasique, orientale et de la mer pélagienne. Thesis, University of Paris VI, Paris. No. 84-29. 139 p

  • El-Waer AA (1992) Tertiary and Upper Cretaceous Ostracoda from NW offshore Libya. Their Taxonomy, Biostratigrahy and Correlation with adjacent area. Petro. Resea. Centre Special Publ., No. 1., University of Al-Fateh. pp 1–332, 57 pls

  • Gonzalvo C, Molina E (1998) Planktic foraminiferal biostratigraphy across the Lower–Middle Eocene transition in the Betic Cordillera (Spain). N Jb Geol Paläont (Abh) 11:671–693

    Google Scholar 

  • Haller P (1983) Structure profonde du Sahel Tunisien. Interprétation géodynamique. Thesis, University of Franche-Compté, Besançon. 183 p

  • Haskins CW (1968) Tertiary Ostracoda from the Isle of Wight and Barton, Hampshire, England. Part I-Part III. Rev Micropaleontol 11:161–175

    Google Scholar 

  • Haskins CW (1970) Tertiary Ostracoda from the Isle of Wight and Barton, Hampshire, England, Pt. 5. Rev Micropaleontol 13(1):13–29

    Google Scholar 

  • Ismail AA (1996) Biostratigraphy and palaeoecology of Maastrichtian–early Eocene ostracods of west-central Sinai, Egypt. Rev Paleobiol 15:37–54

    Google Scholar 

  • Keen M (1978) The tertiary Paleogene. In: Bate RH, Robinson E (eds) A stratigraphical index of British Ostracoda. Siel House Press, Liverpool, pp 385–450

    Google Scholar 

  • Keij AT (1957) Eocene and Oligocene ostracoda of Belgium. Mém Inst R Sci Nat Belg 139:209

    Google Scholar 

  • Khalifa H, Cronin T (1979) Ostracodes de l’Eocène Moyen de El Sheikh Fadl, Est de Beni mazar, hauts Egypte. Rev Micropaléontol Paris 22(3):172–185

    Google Scholar 

  • Loeblich AR, Tappan JH (1988) Foraminiferal genera and their classifications. Van Nostrand Reinhold Company New York. 2 volumes. Systematic p. 1–970; plates 847 plt, pp 1–212

  • Luger P (2003) Paleobiogeography of late Early Cretaceous to Early Paleocene marine Ostracoda in Arabia and North to Equatorial Africa. Palaeogeogr Palaeoclimatol Palaeoecol 196:319–342

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Masrouhi A et al (2008) New tectono-sedimentary evidence constraining the timing of the positive tectonic inversion and the Eocene Atlasic phase in northern Tunisia: Implication for the North African paleo-margin evolution. CR Geosci 340(11):771–778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mechmeche R (1981) La formation Souar (Éocène moyen et supérieur) dans le secteur Maktar-Siliana, Bou-Arada (Tunisie du Centre-nord): Etude lithostratigraphique, biostratigraphique et paléontologique. Thèse 3e cycle, University of Lyon, Lyon, pp. 1–165, 17 pls., 24 Figs., 9 Tables

  • Monostori M (1985) Eocene ostracods from the Dorog Basin (Northern Transdanubia, Hungary), Akademiai Kiado, Budapest, pp. 1–214

  • Morsi AMM, Boukhary M, Strougo A (2003) Middle–upper Eocene ostracods and nummulites from Gebel Na’alun, southeastern Fayum, Egypt. Rev Micropaléontol (46):143–160, 3 Figs, 1 Tab and 2 pls

  • Oertli H (1976) The evolution of Loculicytheretta in the Eocene. Abh Verh Naturwiss Ver Hamburg NF 18/19(Suppl):153–160

    Google Scholar 

  • Patriat MO, Ellouz N, Dey Z, Gaulier J-M, Ben Kilani H (2003) The Hammamet, Gabes and Chotts basins (Tunisia): a review of the subsidence history. Sediment Geol 156:241–262

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rabhi M (1999) Contribution à l’étude stratigraphique et analyse de l’évolution géodynamique de l’axe Nord-Sud et des structures avoisinantes (Tunisie centrale). Thesis, University of Tunis II, Fact. Sc., Tunis, 206 pp

  • Reyment RA (1963) Studies on Nigerian Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary Ostracoda. Part: 2, Danien, Paleocene and Eocene Ostracoda. Stockh Contrib Geol 10, 186 pp

  • Reyment RA, Reyment ER (1980) The Paleocene trans-saharan transgression and its Ostracoda fauna. In: Proc Of The 2nd Symposium on the Geology of Libya, Libya, 1, pp 245–254

  • Robaszynski F, Caron M, Dupuis C, Amédro F, Gonzalez Donoso J-M, Linares D, Hardenbol J, Gartner S, Calandra F, Deloffre R (1990) A tentative integrated stratigraphy in the Turonian of central Tunisia: formations, zones and sequential stratigraphy in the Kalaat Senan area. Bull Centres Rech Explor Prod Elf-Aquitaine 14:214–384

    Google Scholar 

  • Robaszynski F, Hardenbol J, Caron M, Amedro F, Dupuis C, Donoso JMG, Linares D, Gartner S (1993) Sequence stratigraphy in a distal environment: the Cenomanian of the Kalaat Senan region (Central Tunisia). Bull Centres Rech Explor Prod Elf-Aquitaine 17:395–433

    Google Scholar 

  • Ruggieri G (1963) Heptaloculites gortanii n. gen., n. sp. ostracode con loculi dell’Eocene della Sicilia. G Geol 2(31):1–5

    Google Scholar 

  • Said-Benzarti R (1981) Étude biostratigraphique du Crétacé supérieur du sondage Djebiniana1, DJB.1, Sahel tunisien, et corrélations avec Kerkennah, KK.1, et Reshef 1, RHF.1, Golfe de Gabès. Actes du Premier Congrès National des Sciences de la Terre tenu a Tunis, les 28-29-30 Septembre 1981 / Faculté des Sciences. - Tunis - Tome1, pp 51–65

  • Said-Benzarti R, Kharbachi S (1995) Eocene Ostracode and Foraminifera layering in Ashtart Field—Ostracoda and Biostratigraphy. In: Twelfth Intern Symp on Ostracoda, Prague, pp 193–202, 1 pl., 7 Figs

  • Shahin A (2000) Paleogene ostracodes of Gebel Withr, southwestern Sinai, Egypt: Palaeontology, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography. J Afr Earth Sci 31(2):285–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shahin A (2005) Maastrichtian to Middle Eocene ostracodes from Sinai, Egypt: systematics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography. Rev Paléobiol Genève 24(2):749–779, 4 pls., 6 figs, 2 tbs

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahin A, El Nady H (2001) Late Cretaceous–Early Paleogene ostracodes from northeastern Sinai, Egypt: biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography. Egypt J Paleontol 1:149–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Shahin A, El Halaby O, El Baz S (2008) Middle Eocene ostracodes of the Qattamiya area, northwest Eastern Desert, Egypt: Systematics, biostratigraphy and paleobiogeography. Rev Paléobiol Genève 27(1):123–157

    Google Scholar 

  • Shama K, Helal S (1993) Stratigraphy of the Eocene sediments at Shabrawet area, Suez Canal Environs. Egypt. Egypt J Geol 37(2):275–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Siddiqui RA (1971) Early Tertiary Ostracodes of the family Trachyleberididae from West Pakistan. Bull Brit Mus (Nat Hist) ç :1–98

  • Sohn IG (1959) Early Tertiary Ostracodes from West Pakistan. Mem Geol Surv Pakistan 3(1):1–91

    Google Scholar 

  • Sohn IG (1962) The ostracode genus Cytherelloidea, a possible indicator of paleotemperature. U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper, 450-D, Article 162:144–147, Fig. 162

  • Swain FM (1984) Some Ostracoda from Middle Eocene (Bartonian) Beds of Northern and Eastern Spain. Rev Esp Micropaléontol 16:144–331

    Google Scholar 

  • Toumarkine M, Luterbacher HP (1985) Paleocene and Eocene planktonic foraminifera. In: Bolli HM, Saunders JB, Perch-Nielsen K (eds) Plankton Stratigraphy. Cambridge Earth Science Series, 1. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp 87–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Vail PR, Mitchum RM Jr, Thompson S III (1977) Seismic stratigraphy and global changes of sea level. In: Payton CE (ed) Seismic stratigraphy—applications to hydrocarbon exploration. American Association of Petroleum Geologists Memoir No. 26, pp 49–205

  • Zaier A et al (1998) Basin evolution and deposition during the Early Paleocene in Tunisia. Petrol Geol North Africa Geol Soc Lond Spec Publ 132:375–393

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was carried out at the Tunisian Company for Oil Research and Exploitation (SEREPT) which is gratefully acknowledged.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Département de Géologie, Faculté des Sciences de Tunis, Université El Manar, Campus Universitaire, 2092, El Manar II, Tunisia

    Aïda Amami-Hamdi & Kmar Ben Ismail-Lattrache

  2. Faculté des Sciences de Gafsa, Département des Sciences de la Terre, Université de Gafsa, Campus Universitaire, Sidi Ahmed Zarroug, 2112, Tunisia

    Ferid Dhahri

  3. Société de Recherches et d’Exploitation des Pétroles en Tunisie, 8 Rue Slimen Ben Slimen, 2092, El Manar II, Tunisia

    Rakia Saïd-Benzarti

Authors
  1. Aïda Amami-Hamdi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Kmar Ben Ismail-Lattrache
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ferid Dhahri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Rakia Saïd-Benzarti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Aïda Amami-Hamdi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Amami-Hamdi, A., Ismail-Lattrache, K.B., Dhahri, F. et al. Middle to Upper Eocene ostracofauna of central Tunisia and Pelagian Shelf: examples of Jebel Bargou and the Gabes Gulf. Arab J Geosci 7, 1587–1603 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0816-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12517-012-0816-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation