Pan-African basement rocks and a Paleozoic cover series, which were intruded by the protoliths of leucocratic orthogneisses, have been recognized in the Menderes Massif, located in the western part of the Alpine orogenic belt of Turkey. This geochemical and geochronological study focuses on the evolution of the Menderes Massif at the end of Paleozoic time. Geochemical data suggest that the crustally derived leucocratic orthogneisses have chemical composition typical of calc-alkaline and S-type granite. Zircon grains which are euhedral with typical igneous morphologies were dated by the 207 Pb/ 206 Pb evaporation method. Single-zircon dating of three samples yielded mean 207 Pb/ 206 Pb ages of 2465, 2415 and 2356 Ma. These ages are interpreted as the time of protolith emplacement in Triassic. Geological and geochronological data suggest that leucocratic granites were emplaced in a period following a metamorphic event related to the closure of the Paleo-Tethys. The leucocratic granites were metamorphosed during the Alpine orogenesis and transformed into orthogneisses. The similar Triassic magmatic event at 2332 Ma was also occurred, using single-zircon evaporation method, from granitic gneisses which rest upon the migmatites with tectonic contacts in Naxos, Cycladic complex. This indicates that the Menderes Massif and Cycladic complex had a common pre-Early Triassic magmatic evolution.
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