Aptian (Lower Cretaceous) biostratigraphy and cephalopods from north central Tunisia

Analysis of Cretaceous (Aptian) strata in central Tunisia, using 2D seismic data and well logs

“…1B). Stratigraphic, sedimentologic and tectonic studies in this area have been undertaken since the beginning of the last century, and some of these studies have discussed the evolution of the sedimentary basins and the genesis of the ranges and associated structures (e.g., Pervinquière, 1903;Castany, 1954;Burollet, 1956;M'Rabet et al, 1979;Bismuth et al, 1981;Gargouri-Razgallah, 1983;Masse, 1984;Boltenhagen, 1985;Zargouni, 1985;Ouali et al, 1987;Abdallah 1989;Zouari et al, 1990Zouari et al, , 1999Boukadi, 1994;Negra, 1994;Abdallah et al, 1995Abdallah et al, , 2000Rabhi, 1999;Bédir et al, 2001; Bouaziz et al, 2002;Chaabani and Razgallah, 2006;Azaïez et al, 2007;Lazzez et al, 2008;Zouaghi, 2008;Gallala et al, 2009;Lehmann et al, 2009;Heldt et al, 2010). Other studies have shown that the Cretaceous strata in the central Atlas Mountains of Tunisia are organized into units and sequences (e.g., Tlatli, 1980;Bismuth et al, 1981;M'Rabet, 1981;Masse, 1984;Boltenhagen, 1985;Abdallah, 1989;Ben Youssef et al, 1989;Neri et al, 1991;Abdallah et al, 1995Abdallah et al, , 2000Chaabani, 1995;Sa...…”

Paleobiogeography of Early Cretaceous Ammonoids

“…According to the latter authors, there are no significant morphological differences between the genus Deshayesites and the regional genera, Turkmeniceras, Prodeshayesites, Paradeshayesites and Obsoleticeras that occur in the northern and eastern parts of the MediterranCaucasian Subrealm and/or on the Russian Platform and adjacent areas of the Boreal Realm. Although widely distributed, Deshayesites is rare or even missing in some hemipelagic and pelagic settings in the Tethys, probably due to a bathymetric and/or facies control (Landra et al 2000;Lehmann et al 2009). Deshayesites evolved anagenetically toward Dufrenoyia, which marks the maximum geographic extension of the Deshayesitidae in the latest early Aptian (Fig.…”

Cretaceous oceanic anoxic events (OAEs) recorded in the northern margin of Africa as possible oil and gas shale potential in Tunisia: An overview

“…This unit passes laterally to dolomitic and bioclastic carbonate beds, with rare beds of marl and clayey limestone (Tlatli 1981;Zghal 1994;Benzarti 2002;Elkhazri et al 2009;Heldt et al 2010;Zouaghi et al 2011). The first unit is characterized by a regular alternation of dark-coloured shales and laminated carbonates and nodular black and greyish limestones and marls with TOC values of up to 1% (Lehmann et al 2009;Elkhazri et al 2009;Heldt et al 2010) (Figure 14). A single 1.99% TOC value was reported by Elkhazri et al (2009) Figure 15.…”