Abstract
The northeastern part of Algeria is characterized by Meso–Cenozoic fossiliferous deposits. All the previous studies have been focused on invertebrate and vertebrate body fossils from this region. In the present paper we provide the first ichnological study from the region of Ouenza, Tebessa Wilaya (northeastern Algeria). An ichnoassemblage composed of eight ichnotaxa, namely cf. Archaeonassa isp., Arenicolites isp., Diplocraterion isp., Helminthopsis isp., Palaeophycus tubularis, Skolithoscf. linearis, cf. Taenidium isp., and Thalassinoides isp., reported from the lower Langhian (Middle Miocene) of Aïn Sidi Salah locality (Tebessa Basin) is discussed. These trace-fossils belong to the Skolithos and proximal Cruziana ichnofacies indicating deposition within a shallow marine (littoral). The large size of Thalassinoides suggests well-oxygenated setting, under moderate- to high-energy conditions, with occasional storm events. Keywords: trace-fossils, paleoenvironments, shallow marine, Middle Miocene, Tebessa.
Highlights
In the west Mediterranean Miocene marginal basins, thick marine mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sediments, characterized by abundant ichnofauna, have been deposited (Naimi et al, 2020a)
This paper aims to present the first description of lower Langhian trace-fossils from the Ouenza area (Tébessa, eastern Algeria) in the Tebessa Basin
This study reveals that Skolithos cf. linearis are abundant, Diplocraterion isp., and Thalassinoides isp. are common, whereas cf
Summary
In the west Mediterranean Miocene marginal basins, thick marine mixed siliciclastic-carbonate sediments, characterized by abundant ichnofauna, have been deposited (Naimi et al, 2020a). In a shallow marine settings, they contain diverse and spectacular trace-fossil assemblages. Both bioturbation and bioerosion patterns were sparsely recorded (Doyle et al, 1998; de Gibert & Robles, 2005). During the Miocene, several basins have been individualized in the northern part of Algeria, as well as the lower Chelif (Benzina et al, 2019; Naimi, 2019; Naimi et al, 2020a,b; Naimi & Cherif, 2021), Tafna (Naimi et al, 2021a), Tiaret (Cherif et al, 2021a; Naimi et al, 2021b), and Tebessa basins (Benkhedda et al, 2021). In the lower Chelif, the Tafna and Tiaret Neogene basins, several studies identified Burdigalian to Messinian shallow- to deep-marine trace-fossil assemblages Ichnological studies have not been carried out on the Tebessa Basin
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