Geosites, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, and Potential Geoparks in the Anti-Atlas (Morocco) - From Geoheritage to Geoparks - page 64

Table 1 (continued)
Geological feature Category of

site (from
Fig. 1 )

Signi cance Rationale Geosite/SSSI, geopark

Silurian and lowermost Devonian
Orthoceras -rich limestones and
ammonite-rich limestones

Geohistorical
Cultural

International These deposits are globally distinct and well known and

of limited occurrence worldwide; as such, it is
globally signicant

Both areas hosting Orthoceras and goniatites are limited
in size and would function as SSSI or could be
included in the Alnif-Erfoud area to form a thematic
geopark based on the varied Palaeozoic fossils

Early Devonian Kess Kess carbonate
mounds

Geohistorical International The geology and setting of these unique carbonate

mounds provide insight into Devonian ecology and
submarine conditions render it a feature of global
signicance

The site could be considered as SSSI

Middle Devonian coral-
stromatoporoid biostrome

Geohistorical International This site is one of a limited number of such biostromes

and in this context it is globally important

The site and its surrounding stratigraphy would function
as SSSI

Green eyes and red Devonian
phacopid trilobite

Geohistorical International Colour preserved in fossils is rare, and so the occurrence

of Devonian phacopid trilobite with green eyes and
red colouration from the Hmar Lakhdad (Ta lalt)
area, as described by Klug et al. ( 2009 ), is signi cant.
Additionally, the eyes of the trilobite still show
faceting. The occurrence of these fossils is of
International signi cance

The area hosting the phacopid trilobite is limited in size
and would function as a SSSI or could be included in
the Alnif-Erfoud area in order to form a thematic
geopark based on the varied Palaeozoic fossils

Frasnian plants from the Dr â a Valley Geohistorical International Devonian plants are rare globally and point to the early

history of plant life on the planet. Thus, the Frasnian
plants from the Dr â a Valley occurring in marine
shales are of global signi cance

The area hosting the Devonian plants is limited in size
and would function as a SSSI

Well preserved shallow-water
sedimentary features in Cambrian
rocks

Geohistorical National Cambrian sedimentary structures are not common

globally, and so these geological features, though
limited in size and outcrop, and are localised, assume
National signicance

Geosite

Foum-Zguid Jurassic dyke Geohistorical International Its geological setting renders the Foum-Zguid Jurassic

dyke a feature of global signicance

The area hosting Foum-Zguid dyke is megascale in size
and would function as a geopark.