On a moderately diverse continental ichnofauna from the Permian Ikakern Formation (Argana Basin, Western High Atlas, Morocco)

Abstract

The Permian Ikakern Formation of the Argana Basin yielded important tetrapod skeletal remains but is still poorly known for any other kind of fossils. Here we present a moderately diverse assemblage of invertebrate and vertebrate traces from red beds in the upper part of the formation (Tourbihine Member, T2) near Timezgadiouine. Recorded ichnotaxa include Spongeliomorpha carlsbergi (Bromley and Asgaard, 1979), Striatichnium natalisWalter, 1982, AmphisauropusHaubold, 1970, HyloidichnusGilmore, 1927, ErpetopusMoodie, 1929, and DromopusMarsh, 1894. The traces occur in laminated muddy siltstone and fine-grained sandstone that we interpret as slack-water deposits in an episodically high energy fluvial setting. Including arthropod burrows, arthropod grazing traces and tetrapod footprints, the ichnofossil assemblage corresponds to the Scoyenia ichnofacies. The described trace fossils provide evidence for various invertebrates and vertebrates hitherto unknown from the body fossil record of the study area. By extending the stratigraphic and geographic range of some of the recorded ichnotaxa, our finds strongly emphasise the importance of the Argana Basin for the reconstruction and understanding of Late Palaeozoic terrestrial ecosystems.