A trilobite faunule from the Lower Devonian of the Saoura Valley, Algeria: biodiversity, morphological variability and palaeobiogeographical affinities

Trilobites are widespread in Lower Devonian deposits of north Gondwana, and some have been collected from two known sections of the Saoura Valley in SW Algeria, from the Chefar el Ahmar' Formation. This formation is considered to be from late Emsian to Frasnian in age, but only the lower parts of this formation have yielded trilobites. Nevertheless, no detailed studies have focused on their biodiversity and their morphological variability. New occurrences of phacopids including Barrandeops chattertoni sp. nov., Geesops fabrei sp. nov., Austerops legrandi sp. nov. and Phacops boudjemaai sp. nov. are described from this area and comparisons are made with closely allied species. These new occurrences have been integrated into analyses of intra- and inter-specific variability and biodiversity.