Oases of biodiversity: Early Devonian palaeoecology of Hamar Laghdad, Morocco

Klug C, Samankassou E, Pohle A, de Baets K, Franchi F, Korn D (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article, Original article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie-Abhandlungen Schweizerbart und Borntraeger

Book Volume: 290

Pages Range: 9 - 48

Journal Issue: 1-3

DOI: 10.1127/njgpa/2018/0772

Abstract

The mudmound locality of Hamar Laghdad (Tafilalt Platform) contains possibly the greatest palaeobiodiversity, both horizontally in the surrounding sediments and stratigraphically through the Devonian sedimentary succession of the Moroccan eastern Anti-Atlas. From the Ordovician to the Devonian, sediments of the Hamar Laghdad region and their fossil contents tend to differ slightly from those in time-equivalent strata of other parts of the Tafilalt Platform. Our research provides a description of the sedimentological and palaeontological record of Hamar Laghdad covering the Lochkovian to Givetian interval. We use alpha-diversity data based on macrofossils from selected fossiliferous strata and compare the results with the relative abundance of bioclasts in polished sections. We show that the palaeobiodiversity of Hamar Laghdad was similar to that of the southern Tafilalt with a normal diversity during the Pragian, i.e. prior to mudmound initiation and growth. By contrast, the layers covering the massive mudmound carbonates (e.g., when their activity had ceased) show a high diversity during the latest Emsian with a trophic nucleus comprising 36 species. This fauna, here exemplified by the ‘Red Fauna’ (from the Red Cliff), is dominated by benthic suspension feeders (corals, brachiopods and crinoids) and cephalopods. The shift in biodiversity is most likely related to the local occurrence of a favourable environmental setting, characterized by a temporally and spatially varying topography. It is assumed that this setting was influenced by sea-level fluctuations, currents and nutrient availability.

Authors with CRIS profile

Kenneth de Baets Lehrstuhl für Paläoumwelt

Involved external institutions

University of Zurich / Universität Zürich (UZH) CH Switzerland (CH) Leibniz-Institut für Evolutions- und Biodiversitätsforschung / Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity Science DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Klug, C., Samankassou, E., Pohle, A., de Baets, K., Franchi, F., & Korn, D. (2018). Oases of biodiversity: Early Devonian palaeoecology of Hamar Laghdad, Morocco. Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie-Abhandlungen, 290(1-3), 9 - 48. https://dx.doi.org/10.1127/njgpa/2018/0772

MLA:

Klug, Christian, et al. "Oases of biodiversity: Early Devonian palaeoecology of Hamar Laghdad, Morocco." Neues Jahrbuch für Geologie und Paläontologie-Abhandlungen 290.1-3 (2018): 9 - 48.

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