Cenomanian bivalves from Batna Mountains (Saharan Atlas, NE Algeria)

Abstract

In the Batna Mountains, the Cenomanian Marnes de Smail Formation yield fossiliferous deposits mostly dominated by bivalves. Thirty-five bivalve species were identified, belonging to nine orders, 19 families and 26 genera. Five of them are mentioned for the first time from the Cenomanian of the study area (i.e., Nucula ? cf. margaritifera Douvillé, Barbatia (Barbatia) aegyptiaca Fourtau, Cucullaea trigona Seguenza, Arctica inornata d’Orbigny, and A. cordata Sharpe). Their distribution provided interesting insights on the marine paleoenvironment of the Cenomanian times. The paleobiogeographic distribution of the studied bivalves corresponds to the Tethys Realm. Keywords: Bivalvia, Cretaceous, Cenomanian, Algeria, Batna, Tethys

Quantitative analysis and paleoenvironmental reconstruction of the middle Cenomanian deposits from southern Bellezma-Batna Mountains (northeastern Algeria)

“…Most stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of northeastern Algeria and Bellezma-Batna Mountains have been focused mainly on fossil bioaccumulations at the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (Chikhi-Aouimeur, 1983, 1998, 2010Herkat, 2007;Grosheny et al, 2008;Ruault-Djerrab& Kechid-Benkherouf, 2010;Chikhi-Aouimeur et al, 2011;Ruault-Djerrab et al, 2012;Aouissi et al, 2018Aouissi et al, , 2022Slami et al, 2018;Bensekhria et al, 2019, Mendir et al, 2019Benmansour, 2023). However, paleoenvironmental investigations in this area have not been undertaken since the study of Yahiaoui (1990).…”