The High Atlas, also called the Grand Atlas, is a mountain range in central Morocco, North Africa, the highest part of the Atlas Mountains.
The Toarcian is, in the ICS' geologic timescale, an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic. It spans the time between 182.7 Ma and 174.7 ±0.8 Ma. It follows the Pliensbachian and is followed by the Aalenian.
In the geologic timescale, the Sinemurian is an age and stage in the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series. It spans the time between 199.5 ±0.3 Ma and 192.9 ±0.3 Ma. The Sinemurian is preceded by the Hettangian and is followed by the Pliensbachian.
The Pliensbachian is an age of the geologic timescale and stage in the stratigraphic column. It is part of the Early or Lower Jurassic Epoch or Series and spans the time between 192.9 ±0.3 Ma and 184.2 ±0.3 Ma. The Pliensbachian is preceded by the Sinemurian and followed by the Toarcian.
Euhoplites is an extinct ammonoid cephalopod from the Lower Cretaceous, characterized by strongly ribbed, more or less evolute, compressed to inflated shells with flat or concave ribs, typically with a deep narrow groove running down the middle. In some, ribs seem to zigzag between umbilical tubercles and parallel ventrolateral clavi. In others the ribs are flexuous and curve forward from the umbilical shoulder and lap onto either side of the venter.
The Aganane Formation is a Pliensbachian geologic formation in the Azilal, Béni-Mellal, Ouarzazate, Tinerhir and Errachidia provinces, central Morocco, being the remnant of a local massive Carbonate platform, and known mostly for its rich tracksites including footprints of thyreophoran, sauropod and theropod dinosaurs. This formation has been dated to the Pliensbachian stage of the Lower Jurassic, thanks to the find of the ammonite Arieticeras cf. algovianum, indicator of Middle Domerian in the upper zone, and lower delimitation by the foraminifers Mayncina termieri and Orbitopsella praecursor. The dinosaur tracksites are all located a few metres below the Pliensbachian-Toarcian limit, being coeval and connected with the lowermost layers of the continental Azilal Formation. The Aganane Formation was also coeval with the Jbel Taguendouft Formation and the Tamadout 1 Formation, all developed along a local "platform-furrow" in the Middle Atlas Mountains, that act as a barrier controlling the western border of the Jurassic Atlas Gulf. The nearshore sections, including both carbonate platforms and close to sea terrestrial facies where located on an isolated internal domain thanks to the control of the barrier, allowing the Aganane Formation to develop on a hot and humid climate, where a local algal marsh had intermittent progradations, intercalated with a layer of terrigenous continental origin. The ichnosites were developed in tidal flats and coastal deposits suitable to sea flooding.
The family Dactylioceratidae comprises Early Jurassic ammonite genera with ribbed and commonly tuberculate shells that resembled later Middle Jurassic stephanoceratids and Upper Jurassic perisphinctids. Shells may be either evolute or involute.
Harpoceratinae is an extinct subfamily of cephalopods belonging to the family Hildoceratidae. Ammonites of this subfamily had involute and compressed shells with strong keels. Keel might be rarely missing, but this is considered to be an abnormality. This has been observed both in Cleviceras and Harpoceras and called as genus Monestieria, which is now known to be invalid. Another example is Pseudolioceras, whose unkeeled specimen was used as type for description of invalid genus Praehaploceras. Oxyconic forms of this subfamily does not have any keel. Ribs were single, but in some genera also bifurcating with shapes from sigmoidal to falcate. Sometimes, shell can have only striate ribs or is smooth. Tubercules are rare. Dimorphism is known in some genera and it is observable mostly in size. Macrochons can be 4, to 6 times larger than microconchs. As an example, macroconchs of Pseudolioceras are more than 150mm in diameter, while adult microconchs are only 35-50mm. There are big size differences even within dimorphs. Specimens ca be 2, or sometimes even 3 times bigger than other specimens of same dimorph.
Mount Bou Nasser or Jbel Bou Naceur is a mountain in Sefrou Province, Fès-Meknès, Morocco. Its altitude is 3,340 meters.
Cleviceras is an extinct genus of cephalopod belonging to the family Hildoceratidae. These cephalopods existed in the Jurassic period, during Toarcian and possibly even uppermost Pliensbachian age. Sometimes, it is considered to be a synonym of Eleganticeras.
Cymbitidae is family of ammonite that lived during Sinemurian and Pliensbachian stages of Lower Jurassic. They have probably evolved from Arietitidae.
Prodactylioceras is genus of ammonite that lived during the Pliensbachian stage of early Jurassic. It has evolved from Reynesocoeloceras, but maybe not directly, but through Bettoniceras. Its fossils were found in Europe, Asia and North America.
Cetonoceras is genus of ammonite that lived during the upper Pliensbachian stage of early Jurassic. Fossils of this genus were found in Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Hungary and Austria.
Reynesocoeloceras is genus of ammonite that lived during the lower Pliensbachian stage of early Jurassic, ammonite zones Ibex—Davoei.
The subfamily Reynesocoeloceratinae comprises early Jurassic ammonite genera that lived during Pliensbachian stage. These dactylioceratids existed from Ibex ammonite zone and died out in Spinatum zone. They have evolved from Metaderoceras and gave rise to subfamily Dactylioceratinae.
Reynesoceras is genus of ammonites that lived during the upper Pliensbachian stage of early Jurassic. It has evolved from Prodactylioceras, or Cetonoceras. Dactylioceras (Eodactylites) has probably evolved from this genus. Aveyroniceras is a name for macroconchs of this genus. Their fossils were found in Europe, northern Africa, Asia, North America and South America.
Catacoeloceras is a genus of ammonite that lived during Middle Toarcian stage of early Jurassic. Members of this genus existed from Bifrons Subzone of Bifrons Zone to Variabilis Zone. Their fossils were found in Europe, northern Africa, Asia, North America and South America. It has evolved from Porpoceras.
Nodicoeloceras is genus of ammonite that lived during early to middle Toarcian stage of early Jurassic. Members of this genus existed from Exaratum Subzone of Falciferum Zone to Commune subzone of Bifrons Zone. Their fossils were found in Europe, northern Africa, Asia, North America and South America. It has probably evolved from Dactylioceras (Orthodactylites) or Kedonoceras and gave rise to Mesodactylites.
The subfamily Dactylioceratinae comprises early Jurassic ammonite genera that lived during Upper Pliensbachian to Upper Toarcian stage. These dactylioceratids existed from Margaritatus ammonite Zone, when they have evolved from Reynesocoeloceratinae and died out in Variabilis Zone without leaving any descendants.
The Azilal Formation, also known as Toundoute Continental Series and Wazzant Formation, is a geological unit in the Azilal, Béni-Mellal, Ouarzazate, Tinerhir and Errachidia provinces of the High Atlas of Morocco, that cover the Latest Pliensbachian to Middle Aalenian stages of the Jurassic Period. It is a terrestrial deposit which overlies marine dolomites of equivalent age to the Rotzo Formation of Italy, mostly part of the Aganane Formation. Dinosaur remains, such the sauropod Tazoudasaurus and the basal ceratosaur Berberosaurus are known from the unit, along with several undescribed genera. The Units inside the group have been considered individual on the past, being a division of the so-called "Couches rouges", and subdivided by a supposed geological scale. The strata of the group extends towards the Central High Atlas, covering different anticlines, and topographic accidents along the range of the Mountains. Although new studies have suggested that the strata is coeval in age, and should be referred to as a unique unit. The formation is best assigned to an alluvial environment occasionally interrupted by shallow marine incursions and marks a dramatic decrease of the carbonate productivity under increasing terrigenous sedimentation. The Azilal Formation consists mainly of claystones rich in continental plant debris and laminated microbial facies. The toarcian High Atlas is divided in 5 units: the continental layers with paralic deposits belong to the Azilal, along the shoreface layers of the Tagoudite Formation and Tafraout Formation, both connected with the offshore Ait Athmane Formation and the deeper shelf deposits of the Agoudim 1 Formation.
