Author(s)

Mohammed El Attmani^1*, Amine Bouwafoud¹, Salem Elouariti¹, Hicham Si Mhamdi², Abdelmajid Ben Bouziane¹, Mustapha Mouflih¹

¹Sedimentary Basins Dynamic and Geological Correlations Laboratory, Department of Geology, Faculty of Science Ben M’sik, Hassan II University, Casablanca, Morocco.
²Laboratory of Applied Geology, Department of Geosciences, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques Errachidia, Moulay Ismaïl University, Meknes, Morocco.

Located in the North-West of the African continent, the Moroccan Middle Atlas constitutes an intra-continental chain within the Atlas domain. It is known by several global geological events such as the Paleocene-Eocene crisis during the Paleogene, which corresponds to one of the hottest periods on earth with Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM). A taxonomic study carried out on the carbonate deposits of the Bekrit-Timahdite Formation from three sections of the Bekrit syncline allowed the identification of 5 species of the Cheilostome and Cyclostome Bryozoans (Cellaria rigida, Cellaria sinuosa, Aimulosia lamellosa, Heteropora and Osthimosia) in bioclastic limestones, nodular limestones, marly and sandy limestones. The interest of Bryozoans as indicators of paleoenvironments and paleoclimates was assessed by examining current communities, in terms of depth evolution as richness and abundance, distribution of taxonomic categories zoarium types, and zooidal morphology. The depositional environment analysis of Bryozoans showed a shallow marine carbonate platform with low sedimentation energy where is registered a relatively warm paleoclimate.

Bryozoans, Eocene, Taxonomy, Carbonate, Paleoenvironment, Middle-Atlas

Attmani, M. , Bouwafoud, A. , Elouariti, S. , Mhamdi, H. , Bouziane, A. and Mouflih, M. (2021) The Eocene Bryozoans of Bekrit-Timahdite Formation, Middle-Atlas, Morocco: Taxonomy, Paleoenvironments and Paleoclimates Implications. Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection, 9, 136-153. doi: 10.4236/gep.2021.93008.