18 U-Pb geochronological study of zircons from nodular granites and Qtz-diorites comprising part of 19Variscan high-grade metamorphic complexes in Gredos massif (Spanish Central System batholith) 20 points out the significant presence of Cambro-Ordovician protoliths among the Variscan migmatitic 21 rocks that host the Late Carboniferous intrusive granitoids. Indeed, the studied zone was affected by 22 two contrasted tectono-magmatic episodes, Carboniferous (Variscan) and Cambro-Ordovician. The European Variscan Chain resulted from the closure of the Rheic Ocean and the ensuing 50 collision of Gondwana and Laurussia (Matte, 1991; Martínez Catalán et al., 2007, Nance et al., 51 2010. In NW Iberian Massif, several allochthonous complexes are thrust onto parautochthonous 52 and autochthonous terranes (western part of the European Variscan Chain; e.g., Martínez Catalán et 53 al., 2002). These terranes belong to the North-Gondwana margin (e.g., Martínez Catalán et al., 54 2002Catalán et al., 54 , 2007 Abati et al., 2007; Díez Fernández et al., 2010, 2012a. The pre-Variscan Paleozoic 55 evolution of this tectonic realm includes the formation of a Cambro-Ordovician peri-Gondwanan 56 magmatic arc presumably linked to the subduction of the Iapetus-Tornquist Ocean, and 57 simultaneous opening of the Rheic Ocean triggered by back-arc extension and rifting (e.g., van 58 Staal et al., 1998; Abati et al., 1999 Abati et al., , 2007 Winchester et al., 2002; Stampfli and Borel, 2002; 59 Fernández-Suárez et al., 2003; Fuenlabrada et al., 2010; Sánchez Martínez et al., 2012; Díez 60 Fernández et al., 2012b). The analysis of the Cambro-Ordovician magmatism in the Iberian Massif 61 is essential to properly understand the building of the arc and its bearing on the inception of the 62 Rheic Ocean. This widespread magmatism along the northern Gondwana margin comprises rift-63 related mafic rocks: continental tholeiites (Murphy et al., 2008) and N-MORB, E-MORB and OIB 64 basalts (Sánchez-García et al., 2010), alkaline to peralkaline granites (Pin et al., 1992; Díez 65 Fernández et al., 2012b, 2015, and silicic peraluminous volcanic and plutonic rocks (e.g., 66Fernández et al., 2008, Díez Montes et al., 2010. These silicic rocks have been associated with the 67 onset of rifting and the formation of migmatites and a core-complex setting in the middle crust (e.g., 68 3 Fernández et al., 2008, Díez Montes et al., 2010 Silva et al., 2014Silva et al., , 2015. 73During the past decade, many Variscan metaigneous domains of the Central Iberian Zone (central 74 part of the Iberian Massif) have been ascribed to a late Cambrian to Middle Ordovician (ca. 500-75 460 Ma) long lasting magmatic event that occurred in North-Gondwana margin (Fig. 1a, Table 1): 76 1) the so-called "Ollo de Sapo" Formation (Hernández Sampelayo, 1922; Parga Pondal et al., 1964; 77 Martínez Catalán et al., 2004), the best known and most voluminous unit adscribed to Cambro-78Ordovician magmatism (Fernández et al., 2008) dated at 495...