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Taphonomic analysis is a useful tool to assess the intensity of alteration of skeletal remains and to help characterize depositional conditions as well as completeness and resolution of fossil assemblages. We herein introduce TAPHOGRAPH, an Excel spreadsheet script (a R code is also available), for the production of taphonomic diagrams to characterize the taphonomy of skeletal remains. The graphical representation depicts four taphonomic factors (fragmentation, abrasion, bioerosion, and encrustation) as a cumulative curve that allows visualization and comparison of the degree and variability of taphonomic alteration for different hard part types from one or more samples in a single diagram. The TAPHOGRAPH methodology is highly flexible, and can be used to assess the relative influence of mechanical versus biological (versus chemical) taphonomic alteration. The TAPHOGRAPH approach can guide inferences about hydraulic regimes, residence time at the seafloor, and intensity of different taphonomic processes.

International audience; The Anatolia-Aegean microplate is currently extruding toward the South and the South-West. This extrusion is classically attributed to the southward retreat of the Aegean subduction zone together with the northward displacement of the Arabian plate. The displacement of Aegean-Anatolian block relative to Eurasia is accommodated by dextral motion along the North Anatolian Fault (NAF), with current slip rates of about 20 mm/yr. The NAF is propagating westward within the North Aegean domain where it gets separated into two main branches, one of them bordering the North Aegean Trough (NAT). This particular context is responsible for dextral and normal stress regimes between the Aegean plate and the Eurasian plate. South-West of the NAT, there is no identified major faults in the continuity of the NAF major branch and the plate boundary deformation is apparently distributed within a wide domain. This area is characterised by slip rates of 20 to 25 mm/yr relative to Eurasian plate but also by clockwise rotation of about 10° since ca 4 Myr. It constitutes a major extensional area involving three large rift basins: the Corinth Gulf, the Almiros Basin and the Sperchios-North Evia Gulf. The latter develops in the axis of the western termination of the NAT, and is therefore a key area to understand the present-day dynamics and the evolution of deformation within this diffuse plate boundary area.Our study is mainly based on new structural data from field analysis and from very high resolution seismic reflexion profiles (Sparker 50-300 Joules) acquired during the WATER survey in July-August 2017 onboard the R/V "Téthys II", but also on existing data on recent to active tectonics (i.e. earthquakes distribution, focal mechanisms, GPS data, etc.). The results from our new marine data emphasize the structural organisation and the evolution of the deformation within the North Evia region, SW of the NAT.The combination of our structural analysis (offshore and onshore data) with available data on active/recent deformation led us to define several structural domains within the North Evia region, at the western termination of the North Anatolian Fault. The North Evia Gulf shows four main fault zones, among them the Central Basin Fault Zone (CBFZ) which is obliquely cross-cutting the rift basin and represents the continuity of the onshore Kamena Vourla - Arkitsa Fault System (KVAFS). Other major fault zones, such as the Aedipsos Politika Fault System (APFS) and the Melouna Fault Zone (MFZ) played an important role in the rift initiation but evolved recently with a left-lateral strike-slip motion. Moreover, our seismic dataset allowed to identify several faults in the Skopelos Basin including a large NW-dipping fault which affects the bathymetry and shows an important total vertical offset (>300m). Finally, we propose an update of the deformation pattern in the North Evia region including two lineaments with dextral motion that extend southwestward the North Anatolian Fault system into the Oreoi Channel and the Skopelos Basin. Moreover, the North Evia Gulf domain is dominated by active N-S extension and sinistral reactivation of former large normal faults.

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Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. (Fig. 3) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 647DD93A-97B4-4C0F-B651-BD01DCC0B193 MATERIAL AND MEASUREMENTS (IN MM). ��� Holotype. ULB-IV- A(1a), L = 17; W = 23; FOW = 12.5; F = 7. Paratypes. ULB-IV-A(1b), L = 16; W = 23; FOW = 11; F = 6.5. ��� ULB-IV-A(1c) (deformed), L = 19.5; W = 25.5; FOW = 13; F = 7.5. TYPE LOCALITY AND HORIZON. ��� Tamalout section, northern face of the Jbel Talouit, North of Kel��a M���Gouna (East of Ouarzazate, Maroc). Ait Ouarhitane Formation, Ypresian (early Eocene). ETYMOLOGY. ��� In allusion to the two anterolateral nodes of the anterolateral margin. DIAGNOSIS. ��� As for the genus. DESCRIPTION Carapace transversely ovate, wider than long, L/W ratio about 0.72; surface of carapace smooth. Carapace vaulted transversely, strongly vaulted longitudinally in the anterior part of carapace. Maximum width at half-length of carapace, between the first and second (epibranchial) anterolateral teeth. Front strongly downturned, bilobed, slightly rimmed, forms a very flattened inverted isosceles triangle; the two median lobes, with the inner orbital lobes, gives a quadrilobate appearance; slightly arched and produced in dorsal view. Orbits small, rounded, supraorbital margin entire, slightly rimmed only at the inner half of the supraorbital margin; inner orbital tooth blunt, outer orbital tooth short, acute subtriangular; visible dorsally. Anterolateral margin largely convex, acute, bearing two small nodes, one at half-length level, weakly visible, and a second more prominent (epibranchial tooth) at posterolateral junction. Posterolateral margin concave, entire, acute rounded rim in anterior half, starting about 60�� respect to the axis. Posterior margin slightly convex. Regions not defined; cardiac region bounded by the branchiocardiac grooves. Gastric pits visible. Branchiocardiac grooves defined by muscle scars. Ventral features and appendages no preserved. REMARKS The dorsal carapace and the general outline of Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., greatly recall several species present in the early Eocene, which present unarmed anterolateral margins and a smooth carapace, but differing, however, in the absence or presence of subtle, but distinctive characters, that precludes a congeneric relationship. For instance, Braggicarpilius marginatus Beschin, Busulini & Tessier, 2015, from the Ypresian (early Eocene) of northern Italy, differs from the new species by its more produced front, completely unarmed and rimmed anterolateral margin, and convex posterolateral margins. In contrary, Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. presents two anterolateral nodes and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 their posterolateral margins are clearly concave (Beschin et al. 2015: 82, fig-text. 11, t. 5, fig. 1; Schweitzer et al. 2018: 3, fig. 3.1; Fig. 4A). Carpilius petreus Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2007, from the middle-late Ypresian of northern Italy, differs from the new species because presents only one anterolateral tooth (epibranchial), instead of two in Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., and by the presence of the short oblique carina, typical for the genus, that extends from that tooth to the dorsal surface, which is absent in the new species, and in having a shorter posterior margin (Beschin et al. 2007: 41-42, pl. 7, fig. 7a-b, 8a-b; Fig. 4B). Eocarpilius ortegai Artal & Van Bakel, 2018, from the Ilerdian (early Ypresian) of northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula, presents a different L/W ratio, about 0.77/080 vs 0.73 in the new species. As well, their anterolateral margins are unarmed, with only a small node at the anterolateral/posterolateral angle, and its dorsal surface is densely covered by small granules, instead of the two clear anterolateral nodes and completely smooth dorsal surface of Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., which makes the difference between the two species (Artal & Van Bakel 2018: 30-34, figs 3-6; Fig. 4C, D). Oscacarpilius rotundus Artal & Van Bakel, 2018, also from the Ilerdian of northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula, shows a very similar dorsal and outline pattern than Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., however, differs from the latter in having a different L/W ratio, 0.80 vs 0.73, completely entire antero- and posterolateral margin, without nodes or sharp angles and by its dorsal surface pitted (Artal & Van Bakel 2018: 23-29, figs 1-2; Fig. 4E, F)., Published as part of Oss��, ��lex, Gagnaison, Cyril & Bailleul, Julien, 2020, First report of Early Eocene Decapods in Morocco: description of a new genus and a new species of Carpiliidae (Decapoda: Brachyura) with remarks on its paleobiogeography, pp. 47-56 in Geodiversitas 42 (4) on pages 52-53, DOI: 10.5252/geodiversitas2020v42a4, http://zenodo.org/record/3696948, {"references":["BESCHIN C., BUSULINI A. & TESSIER G. 2015. - Nuova segnalazione di crostacei associate a coralli nell'Eocene inferior dei Lessini orientali (Vestenanova-Verona). Lavori Societa Veneziana di Scienze Naturali 40: 47 - 109.","COLOMBO F. & CAUS E. 1984. - El Terciario Inferior marino (Ilerdiense) del Cap de Salou (Tarragona, NE Espana). Revista Espanola de Micropaleontologia 16: 367 - 380.","BARRIER E., VRIELYNCK B., BROUILLET J. F. & BRUNET M. F. 2018. - Paleotectonic Reconstruction of the Central Tethyan Realm. Tectono-Sedimentary-Palinspastic Maps from Late Permian to Pliocene. Commission for the Geological Map of the World (CGMW / CCGM), Paris, 20 maps.","SCHWEITZER C. E., FELDMANN R. M. & KARASAWA H. 2018. - Part R, Revised, Volume 1, Chapter 8 T 2: Systematic descriptions: Superfamily Carpilioidea. Treatise Online 112: 1 - 22.","BESCHIN C., BUSULINI A., DE ANGELI A. & TESSIER G. 2007. - I decapodi dell'Eocene inferiore di Contrada Gecchelina (Vicenza, Italia settentrionale) (Anomura e Brachiura). Museo di Archeologia e Scienze Naturali \" G. Zannato, \" Montecchio Maggiore, Vicenza, Italy, 76 p.","ARTAL P. & VAN BAKEL B. 2018. - Carpiliids (Crustacea, Decapoda) from the Ypresian (Eocene) of the Northeast of Spain. Scripta Musei Geologici Seminarii Barcinonensis [Ser. palaeontologica] 12: 20 - 36."]}

Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. (Fig. 3) urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 647DD93A-97B4-4C0F-B651-BD01DCC0B193 MATERIAL AND MEASUREMENTS (IN MM). — Holotype. ULB-IV- A(1a), L = 17; W = 23; FOW = 12.5; F = 7. Paratypes. ULB-IV-A(1b), L = 16; W = 23; FOW = 11; F = 6.5. — ULB-IV-A(1c) (deformed), L = 19.5; W = 25.5; FOW = 13; F = 7.5. TYPE LOCALITY AND HORIZON. — Tamalout section, northern face of the Jbel Talouit, North of Kelâa M’Gouna (East of Ouarzazate, Maroc). Ait Ouarhitane Formation, Ypresian (early Eocene). ETYMOLOGY. — In allusion to the two anterolateral nodes of the anterolateral margin. DIAGNOSIS. — As for the genus. DESCRIPTION Carapace transversely ovate, wider than long, L/W ratio about 0.72; surface of carapace smooth. Carapace vaulted transversely, strongly vaulted longitudinally in the anterior part of carapace. Maximum width at half-length of carapace, between the first and second (epibranchial) anterolateral teeth. Front strongly downturned, bilobed, slightly rimmed, forms a very flattened inverted isosceles triangle; the two median lobes, with the inner orbital lobes, gives a quadrilobate appearance; slightly arched and produced in dorsal view. Orbits small, rounded, supraorbital margin entire, slightly rimmed only at the inner half of the supraorbital margin; inner orbital tooth blunt, outer orbital tooth short, acute subtriangular; visible dorsally. Anterolateral margin largely convex, acute, bearing two small nodes, one at half-length level, weakly visible, and a second more prominent (epibranchial tooth) at posterolateral junction. Posterolateral margin concave, entire, acute rounded rim in anterior half, starting about 60° respect to the axis. Posterior margin slightly convex. Regions not defined; cardiac region bounded by the branchiocardiac grooves. Gastric pits visible. Branchiocardiac grooves defined by muscle scars. Ventral features and appendages no preserved. REMARKS The dorsal carapace and the general outline of Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., greatly recall several species present in the early Eocene, which present unarmed anterolateral margins and a smooth carapace, but differing, however, in the absence or presence of subtle, but distinctive characters, that precludes a congeneric relationship. For instance, Braggicarpilius marginatus Beschin, Busulini & Tessier, 2015, from the Ypresian (early Eocene) of northern Italy, differs from the new species by its more produced front, completely unarmed and rimmed anterolateral margin, and convex posterolateral margins. In contrary, Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. presents two anterolateral nodes and 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 their posterolateral margins are clearly concave (Beschin et al. 2015: 82, fig-text. 11, t. 5, fig. 1; Schweitzer et al. 2018: 3, fig. 3.1; Fig. 4A). Carpilius petreus Beschin, Busulini, De Angeli & Tessier, 2007, from the middle-late Ypresian of northern Italy, differs from the new species because presents only one anterolateral tooth (epibranchial), instead of two in Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., and by the presence of the short oblique carina, typical for the genus, that extends from that tooth to the dorsal surface, which is absent in the new species, and in having a shorter posterior margin (Beschin et al. 2007: 41-42, pl. 7, fig. 7a-b, 8a-b; Fig. 4B). Eocarpilius ortegai Artal & Van Bakel, 2018, from the Ilerdian (early Ypresian) of northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula, presents a different L/W ratio, about 0.77/080 vs 0.73 in the new species. As well, their anterolateral margins are unarmed, with only a small node at the anterolateral/posterolateral angle, and its dorsal surface is densely covered by small granules, instead of the two clear anterolateral nodes and completely smooth dorsal surface of Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., which makes the difference between the two species (Artal & Van Bakel 2018: 30-34, figs 3-6; Fig. 4C, D). Oscacarpilius rotundus Artal & Van Bakel, 2018, also from the Ilerdian of northeastern of the Iberian Peninsula, shows a very similar dorsal and outline pattern than Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp., however, differs from the latter in having a different L/W ratio, 0.80 vs 0.73, completely entire antero- and posterolateral margin, without nodes or sharp angles and by its dorsal surface pitted (Artal & Van Bakel 2018: 23-29, figs 1-2; Fig. 4E, F).

International audience; The Congo basin in south of republic of Congo displays well-exposed marginal incised-valley filled during the early post-rift stage of central south Atlantic rifting, which remain poorly studied. This current study focusses on morphology, sedimentological and stratigraphic architectural of these incised-valleys based on detailed field mapping and topography DEM analysis. Three NE-SW extending incised-valleys (known as Doumanga, Nkougni and Mboubissi incised-valley systems) were mapped in the study area, cutting into the Precambrian basement rocks (Mayombe belt) and separated each and other by ridge of basement rocks. These incised-valley systems exhibit dendritic-to-trellis morphology pattern and U-shape. Their location and morphology pattern are thought to be controlled by the basement tectonic features and lithology heterogeneity. They are interpreted as river incisions as results of base level fall in response to late rift tectonic uplift or early post-rift flexural uplift and subsequently back-filled by the Aptian nonmarine siliciclastic sediments (related to the upper member of the Chéla Formation (known as Vembo) as lake level rose in response of regional transgression in central south Atlantic. Detailed sedimentological analysis of well-exposed outcrops of Aptian infilling succession led to define distinct six main facies type (conglomerate, structureless to graded sandstone, laminated sandstone and silt, and organic-rich shale, containing abundant continental plant debris and coal), to infer the depositional processes from debris flows to hyperpycnal turbidity currents and finally to interpret the paleoenvironment of the Chéla Formation in the study area. The vertical and lateral variations of these facies record the evolution of flood-dominated lacustrine fan delta and related distal turbidites. The Aptian valley fill succession (ca. 60m-thick) form a onlapping transgressive depositional sequence bounded by Subaerial unconformity (correlated with regional extensive Pre-Chéla unconformity) and arranged internally in dominantly fining-upward vertical stacking patterns and minor coarsening-upward stacking pattern. This study provides new insights into the morphology pattern and origin of marginal valley-fills of the Congo basin and the paleogeography and sequence stratigraphy framework of the Aptian Chéla Formation (sag succession).

International audience; This study provides the first detrital zircon and apatite U-Th-Pb geochronology on the Berriasian prerift, Barremian synrift, and Aptian sag strata of the Congo basin, with the goal to reconstruct sediment provenance and relief evolution of the central South-Atlantic rifted- margin during the Early Cretaceous. Detrital zircons from 6 samples and detrital apatites from 3 samples collected from exploration wells and outcrops were analyzed for U-Th-Pb dating (LA-ICPMS). Six populations have been obtained: (1) Carboniferous- Permian, (2) Late Neoproterozoic-Ordovician, (3) early Neoproterozoic, (4) Mesoproterozoic, (5) Paleoproterozoic and (6) Archean.The Berriasian prerift strata contain six populations of zircon (1 to 6) and five populations of apatite (1 to 5), interpreted as derived from various source terranes (e.g. Gondwanide, Brasiliano and Transamazonian orogenic belts) in South-America plate. This result implies a mixing of sediments from several distinct source regions and a long-distance transport, that is consistent with the deposition in a gentle proto-rift sag basin with a low relief.Detrital zircon and apatite suites of Barremian synrift strata clearly contrast with those from prerift strata. These synrift strata contains three populations of zircons (4 to 6) and three populations of apatites (2, 3 and 5), which are consistent with local sediment sourcing from the marginal West-Congo belt, which was uplifted and exhumed along the rift flank. This imply a major change in provenance and a reorganization of the drainage pattern in response to fault bloc-tilting and rift-shoulder development during the Barremian main phase of the South- Atlantic rifting, resulting in the formation of significant topography relief.Four samples from the Aptian sag strata yielded different age distributions, reflecting spatial and temporal changes in sediment provenance within the same stratigraphy unit. However, these populations also indicate local sediment sourcing from the West-Congo belts, implying no significant change in sediment provenance between the main rift phase and rift-drift transition phase. The different age distributions obtained for the Sag strata can be ascribed to the heterogeneity of the source terranes and to the occurrence of multiple catchment systems with small drainage areas.This work emphasizes the importance of combining detrital zircon and apatite U-Th-Pb geochronology data for sediment provenance analyzing.

International audience; The Congo basin displays marginal incised-valley fills, which are for longtime missed of in manyprevious geological studies. We have mapped three of these incised-valley systems, informally namedDoumanga, Nkougniand and Mboubissi incised-valley systems, which extend from the Mayombebelt in thenortheast to the Lower Congo basin in the southwest. In the study area, the incised-valleys cut into thePrecambrian metamorphic and magmatic rocks of the Mayombe Basement. Detailed field mapping revealsthat the location and morphology pattern of these incised-valley systems were strongly controlled by bothtectonic structures and lithology heterogeneities of the underlying basement. They are thought to be cut byrivers which incised into the Precambrian basement and acted as bypass systems prior to their infilling. Theseincised-valleys systems were filled with Aptian non-marine siliciclastic sediments of the Chéla Formation thatis well characterized thanks to rich ostracod and pollen associations. Deposition occurred during the so-calledsag phase subsequently to the Aptian regional transgression recorded in the central segment of the SouthAtlantic. The main sedimentary facies documented in the Chéla Formation are clast and matrix supportedconglomerates, structureless and graded sandstones, cross-stratified sand and sandstones, horizontallaminatedsand and silt, interbedded sand and silty shale, and organic rich silty shale and shale, which have been groupedinto six facies associations interpreted as deposits of flood dominated fan-delta and subaqueous faninterfingering with organic rich lacustrine shales. These deposits are organized into a transgressive sequencebounded at its base by a major angular unconformity and characterized by recurring stacking of finingupwardsedimentary packages. It can be suggested that these incised-paleovalleys were filled in the form ofbackstepping fluvio-lacustrine depositional environment subsequently to the rapid lake level rise during theAptian period.

A new decapod brachyuran, Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. (Carpiliidae Ortmann, 1893), from the Ait Ouarhitane Formation (early Eocene, Ypresian) of Tamalout (Ouarzazate, Morocco) is described herein. This is the first record of a decapod from the Eocene of Morocco formally reported, and represents an addition to the large record of carpiliids from the Paleogene of the western margin of the Tethys. The new taxon is characterized as follows: a strongly vaulted and smooth carapace, a front strongly downturned, anterolateral margins broadly convex with two small nodes, and concave posterolateral margins. Maurocarpilius binodosus n. gen., n. sp. presents clear morphological similarities with coeval taxa from the northern Iberian Peninsula and northern Italy, and the origins of those taxa and their possible phylogenetic relationships are discussed. Moreover, the paleobiogeography of the populations of carpiliids during the early Eocene in the western end of the Tethys is analyzed, and a possible connection between the Tethys Sea and the Bay of Biscay, that could have favored the faunal exchange between the North Atlantic and the Tethyan domains, is proposed.

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