Paleontological Expedition in the Miocene basins of Morocco
Ait Kandoula basin, South of the High Atlas & Guercif basin, middle Moulouya
The Ait Kandoula sequence provide reliable continental references
for the Middle to Upper Miocene of Morocco and North Africa
Principal investigator
- Mouloud BENAMMI (PALEVOPRIM)
Research question
Several fossiliferous localities of vertebrate have been found in the Miocene deposits of this basin. The new prospections aim to complete our knowledge of the role of North Africa in the evolutionary history of late Miocene African mammalian communities. The potential is comparable to that of other countries such as Chad and Kenya.
Some results
Since 2008, our team has conducting a major paleontological and geological research activity in the Miocene continental basins of Morocco. Recently field work have allowed us to discover rich sites with micro- and large mammals remains.
Mission organization
The research mission is piloted at PALEVOPRIM as part of the international collaboration between the University of Poitiers and the University of Kenitra.
Funding
This project was supported by CNRS-CoopIntEER and PALEVOPRIM.
Iconic publications
El Kati, I., Benammi, M., Tabyaoui, H., Benammi, M., 2017. Magnetostratigraphy of Neogene series of the Guercif Basin (Morocco). Magnetostratigraphy of Neogene series of the Guercif Basin (Morocco) Revista de la Sociedad Geológica de España, 30(2), 37-50.
Samir Zouhri, Mouloud Benammi, Denis Geraads et Siham El Boughabi (2017). Neogene mammal localities of Morocco: Faunas, biochronology and paleobiogeography. In : Samir Zouhri (Ed.). Vertebrate paleontology of Morocco: The state of knowledge. Mémoires de la Société Géologique de France n.s., 2017, Tome 180, 527-588.
Mahboubi salamet.(2014). Les Rongeurs du Miocène Supérieur et Terminal d’Afrique Nord-Occidentale: Biochronologie, Magnétostratigraphie, Biogéographie et Paléoenvironnements. Doctorat Université de Poitiers.
Benammi Mouloud. (2006): Découverte de nouveaux gisements à rongeurs dans le Miocène moyen du bassin d’Aït Kandoula (Maroc), Geobios, 39, 589–598.
Benammi Mouloud (2001): Discovery of new species of Myocricetodon genus in the Upper Miocene of Aït Kandoula Basin (Morocco). C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 333 (3), 187-193.
Benammi, M., Calvo, M., Prevot, M. et Jaeger, J.J., (1996). Magnetostratigraphy and paleontology of Aït Kandoula basin (High Atlas, Morocco) and the African-European late Miocene terresterial fauna exchanges. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett., 145, 15-29.